Retirement Celebration for Janet Van Valey, Former Area 5 Chair
Janet Van Valey, founder and Director of The Kalamazoo Ringers, is retiring after 37 years with the ensemble. You are invited as The Kalamazoo Ringers celebrate Janet with a concert and reception! Forward personal anecdote(s) or well wishes to Janet at...
Equipment Request for National Seminar
To all our friends in Area 5, All of us in Grand Rapids, Michigan, are very excited to have National Seminar here this coming July! From July 17-21, 2018 approximately 400 handbell directors, ringers, composers, educators, and industry representatives will be at the...
Bronze Track in Charleston – Application Available Now!
Those who wish to participate in the Bronze Track at the Charleston Festival can download an application here. Participants in this track will ring with their choir during massed rehearsals and on the concert, but will spend the rest of their time in Bronze rehearsal...
Letter from the Chair
Greetings members of Area 5! I am so pleased to be once again acting as the Chair for our five-state area! I know of so many wonderful programs and musicians in Area 5 and I am certain that we will help create more over the next two years. I would like to thank my...
Brenda E. Austin: Reflecting on the Associate Conductor Program
Brenda E. Austin was Area 5's Associate Conductor for 2017 and worked with clinician David Weck at the Spring Festivals in Covington, Kentucky and Lansing, Michigan. She recently had this to say about her experience: "The Area 5 Associate Conductor program was an...