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South County Community Handbell Choir, Barbara Walsh and Lynn Atkins  invite you to a workshop specifically designed for YOU to get more out of your handbell choir. Directing a handbell choir is so much more than simply conducting the selected piece(s).

This workshop is intended for
  • Current Handbell Directors that want to get more out of their handbell choir(s).
  • Directors (choral or otherwise) that have been asked to direct handbells or want to know a bit about the unique challenges of directing handbells.
  • Recent music major graduates that are considering directing positions. Come learn what they didn’t teach you in school.
  • People that are considering starting or restarting their handbell program.
  • Influential Ringers - those individuals everyone goes to for help or sits in for the director.
When/Where
  • Saturday July 29, 2023.
  • The workshop will start at 9:00 am and go until 5:00 pm. Lunch will be provided.
  • Registration will begin at 8:30 and provide time for the participants to mingle.
  • Lutheran Church of the Cross - 24231 El Toro Rd, Laguna Woods, CA 92637
Cost
  • $50 (payment details are in the registration form)
Registration Methodology
  • The workshop will use a combination of demonstration, discussion and hands-on practice to have the attendees walk away with a better understanding of tools that can be used to help their bells choirs;
    • Internalize the beat and sub beat,
    • Tackle, as a group and individuals, tricky rhythms,
    • Play more as an ensemble, vice individual ringers,
    • Handle transitions, such as going from bells to chimes and back, tempo changes, key changes, and articulation changes, and
    • Play pieces musically (phrasing, dynamics, etc)
  • The workshop participants will learn the layers of the score study “onion” that successful directors use.  In addition the participants will have the opportunity to do the score study for at least one piece.  
  • The workshop participants will also have multiple opportunities to conduct the workshop choir to practice their conducting as well as the tools that they have learned. (If you are not comfortable working with the workshop choir, you will not be forced to do this. Much can still be learned by observation.)  
  • The workshop choir will be a group of handbell musicians (South County Community Handbell Choir) with varying levels of experience and musical backgrounds, more representative of what you might find in your bell choir. This was chosen to give you real world experience.
Workshop Music 
Participants are not required to purchase the workshop music. Upon registration, South County will provide a workshop copy of the music for you to work with prior to and during the workshop.
Participants are requested to become familiar with all four pieces. Note, participants will be broken into two groups and each group will work on a rehearsal plan for either Arab Dance or Away in a Manger.














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​​Questions
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Sharon Guilliams, artistic director of South County Community Handbell Choir at schandbell@gmail.com or Barbara Walsh at barbagehr@att.net.

This event is endorsed by Handbell Musicians of America, Inc. dedicated to uniting people through the musical art of handbell and handchime ringing.  www.handbellmusicians.org

Clinicians
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Barbara Walsh
Barb Walsh has a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Colorado State University and a Master of Music degree from the University of Nevada, Reno. Barb is the musical director for Tintabulations Handbell Ensemble. She has been ringing handbells since 1985 and conducting bells since 1986. Barb has been a participant in handbell conducting workshops that include Handbell Musicians of America’s Master Series with Dr. William Payn and Festival Conducting with Beth Judd. Barb taught general music in the Reno/Sparks area for 33 years before retiring in 2014. In addition to playing bells, she performs regularly on flute and piccolo. Barb has been married to her husband, Dave, since 1983, and they have three children – a dog and two horses with whom they enjoy backcountry adventures.
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Lynn Atkins
Jersey Shore native, Lynn G. Atkins became artistic director of L. A. Bronze in August of 2022. His joy and enthusiasm for handbells began in 2000 as a member of the Westminster Concert Bell Choir. In 2005, he began the handbell program at Ewing High School in Ewing, NJ. At the time, it was one of only a handful of handbell programs in the public schools. Lynn received a bachelor’s degree in music education from Westminster Choir College of Rider University and in 2012 received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting Performance, Pedagogy and Literature from James Madison University. in Harrisonburg, VA. In addition to his duties with L. A. Bronze; he is Assistant Professor of Music, Voice Area Coordinator, and Director of Choral Activities at California State University, Dominguez Hills and Director of Music Ministries at Faith United Methodist Church in Torrance, CA. Lynn will also begin his tenure on the National Board of Directors for Handbell Musicians of America this coming October. Lynn is enjoying exploring his new digs in California.