2025 Area 5 Spring Festival

Greater Columbus Convention Center
400 North High Street
Columbus, OH 43215

Hyatt Regency Columbus
350 North High Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215

Area 5 has secured a block of hotel rooms for the 2025 spring festival at a rate of $189 per night. Use the following link to make your reservation at the block rate: www.hyatt.com/en-US/group-booking/CMHRC/G-HB25

Ample parking is available on all sides of the Greater Columbus Convention Center, including surface lots for larger vehicles. Parking recommendations and maps will be provided to registrants ahead of the event.

Music may be purchased directly from the publishers of any music retailer. Our retailers include: Heitz Handbells & Music, Jeffers Handbell Supply, and J.W. Pepper. All attendees should have legally purchased copies of all music on hand at the event. Photocopies are not allowed without proof of license or proof of purchase.

Massed

Tins

Coppers

Schedule is subject to change.

Friday, April 25, 2025

Saturday, April 26, 2025

Friday (Early-Bird) Classes

Watch Windows – Fred Gramann
Explore Fred’s approach to achieving secure tempo changes for handbell choirs using examples from the festival repertoire. You’ll experience a simple method that is unique to handbell musicians for memorizing small sections of the music, making it possible to watch the director at tempo changes. Please bring your binder of festival music and gloves with you.

SightRinging: Reading New Music for Handbells – Instructor TBA
Explore new titles from all of our handbell publishers and composers!

Saturday Classes

Welcome to the Low Ding Zone! – Larry Sue
Larry Sue will be discussing bass ringing concepts, including bass lifts, ringing stroke, and damping. You’re welcome to ask your burning questions about bass ringing! Bring two bass bells (any size, but bigger is better) and a pencil for taking notes. Photo-op included!

Playing Treble Bells: Basic Techniques, and Some of the Challenges! – Carla Sue
The treble staff can be a challenging place! In this informal session, we’ll go over the techniques you might need, such as Shelley, 4-in-hand, stopped sounds, and weaving, and discuss the challenges involved in being at the treble end of the table. Bring all your questions, and we’ll try to get them answered!

Ready to Ring! – Kathy Kellum
Learn or review the basics of ringing bells and chimes. This class covers the aspects of body and instrument in motion, ringing and stopped sounds, use of mallets and singing bell sticks, weaving, and four-in-hand. A great class for beginners and more advanced ringers!

It’s All About Rhythm and More! – David A. VanderMeer
In this class we will explore various rhythm exercises and techniques that help handbell ringers become better musicians. We will focus on increasing your musicianship and ringing skills through rhythmic accuracy and precision.

Adventures in Eight-Bell Music: Doing More with Less – Larry and Carla Sue
Larry and Carla Sue will talk about how they first started writing music for just eight bells, and what they’ve learned from their experiences. We’ll discuss the types of music available and how to choose the right pieces for you and your group (or duet partner). We’ll talk about how to assign bells, the techniques used, and ideas for how you can use eight-bell music in your performances, or as part of a worship service. You’ll be able to look through some printed copies of eight-bell music, and Larry and Carla will answer any questions you may have. We’ll play through a couple of eight-bell
pieces together, and aim to have fun!

I Ring the Body Electric – Sarah Dove
This class session is an invitation to think more deeply about where the action for ringing initiates in the body and what other bodily movements will complement and support that action for more integrated, physical engagement. Participants will leave with specific, effort-based language that will inspire ringing as a full-body experience.

Songs from the Tower – Derek Hakes
Discover the art of English change ringing by learning about the history, the original method, and some of the changes performed for various events. This is an introductory class only and is designed to teach handbell ringers about an art form of which many people are unaware.

Beyond the Prelude – Derek Hakes
Want to extend your service opportunities beyond just the prelude and special music? Want to try your hand at creating hymn accompaniments or even accompany your praise band? Come and learn the basics of creating an easy hymn or praise accompaniment that won’t stretch your time — or your budget! Attendees will also learn some very basic ways to accompany their congregation requiring just bells and one rehearsal.

Battle of the Bells – Abby Wentzel and Hannah Wheaton
Bring your gloves and your closest bell friends to form a team to play this fun and energetic game. Originally called “Bronze Family Feud,” this game was developed by Valerie Stephenson. Teams will be judged on their accuracy, technique, and style. Don’t forget to bring a cheering section!

An Effective Rehearsal: Before, During, and After – Joe Galyon
Hectic schedules and busy lives impact everyone. As musicians, we strive to carve out time to improve our practice and performance. “An Effective Rehearsal: Before, During, and After” explores responsibilities of both conductor and ringer that propel efficient and effective preparation by individuals and ensembles. Intentional cognitive processes and self-discipline deliver successful results in shaping performance consistency. This class presents points for discussion that include repertoire considerations, score study, rehearsal behaviors, and physical/musical retention.

Malmark Bell Maintenance and Repair

Schulmerich Bell Maintenance and Repair

The Warren High School Advanced Handbell Choir hails from Warren High School in Vincent, Ohio, and is part of a long tradition of handbell ringing in the Warren Local School District. In the late 1970s, Dr. Raymond Lowther wrote the grant that purchased the initial set of handbells for the district, and he also wrote an accompanying curriculum to teach music theory and the art of ringing. Under his direction, later on the direction of his sister Mary Nuzum, and today the direction of James Sundquist, the program has grown to include three daily classes (beginning, intermediate, and advanced) that ring on 5 and 3/4 octaves of Malmark bells and 5 octaves of Malmark chimes. After the initial purchase of handbells at the high school, Jane Irvine and later Lori Flesher coordinated the purchase of additional 3-octave sets of handbells for two elementary schools in the Warren district. These were ultimately consolidated at Warren Middle School where Mrs. Flesher now leads a vibrant 7th and 8th grade handbell program that feeds the high school. We are so proud of our long tradition of handbell ringing and of our talented students here in the Warren Local School District!

The handbell program at Warren High School is under the direction of James Sundquist; he is a graduate of the program himself. He received his Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and briefly taught choir at Edison Middle School in Parkersburg, West Virginia, before returning to Warren to lead the choral and handbell programs.

The Area 5 Board would like to extend an invitation to anyone wishing to share their products or services with handbell musicians or educators to be a part of our Spring 2025 Festival in Columbus.

Vendors will be in a high traffic area outside of the ringing site and classrooms. Registration costs and associated fees coming soon.

The Area 5 Photography Policy can be found here.

Handbell Musicians of America is committed to upholding the copyright laws of the United States and protecting the rights of our publishers, arrangers and composers. If you wish to use a tablet computer to hold your music in place of standard paper copies on a music stand, you must contact the publisher of each piece of music to first obtain permission to convert a purchased piece of music to the format required for the tablet you are using. Copies of the written permission received from publishers must be presented on request from the event organizer, event chair, or Handbell Musicians of America staff. Permission from a publisher for one piece does not imply permission for other songs from the same publisher. The title of each song used in this format must be included in the written permission received. Attendee should also have legally purchased copies of all music with them for verification. Titles originally purchased in a digital format do not require permission from the publisher, however, please have a copy of your purchase receipt available.

Full registration amount less $20 per person will be refunded if notification is received by March 1, 2025. No refunds will be given for cancellations received after this date.

For any questions about the 2025 Spring Festival, please contact Area 5 Chair Jarod Ogier or visit the Spring Festival FAQ.