CHURCH IN THE 
WILDWOOD

For current ringers who want to refresh their skills and round out their toolkits, this track will focus on expanding the foundational skills of amateur to intermediate ringers. The courses will introduce a broad range of techniques and methods, with an aim to help ringers feel more comfortable with anything a piece of music may throw at them! This track will provide effective yet straightforward instruction on solidifying your existing ringing ability, to create the solid base and open doors for more advanced ringing skills down the road..

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Session 0: Basic Music Reading Review (optional)

 

Haven't read music in a while? This pre-workshop refresher session will briefly cover the basics of music reading like the staff, clefs, barlines, time signatures, key signatures, beats, note values, pitches, accidentals, and rests. This foundation prepares participants for the tracks, which will focus on building handbell-specific skills.

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Session 1: Warm-Ups (with Track A and Track C)

 

Getting ready to ring any instrument involves getting the body and mind activated and prepared. Warming up also allows us to practice the building blocks of technique (often in an exaggerated way) before we have to call upon them in a piece of music. Whether a veteran or a newbie, everyone can benefit from thoughtful preparation. In this first class of the day, we'll go through some stretches, motions, and coordination games to show some ways to get both the mind and the body prepared for a day of ringing!

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Session 2: Ringing and Stance

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Just as literary greatness requires a solid grasp of grammar, the ability of a ringer must be rooted in core fundamentals of playing the instrument. This course aims to prepare ringers for greatness by providing an unwavering set of core skills and understanding of proper ringing form, as a stepping-off point for whatever proficiency level you may wish to pursue.

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Session 3: Weaving

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Your accidentals are fast approaching, and you still haven't grown a third arm/hand. What hope is there? Weaving! Come learn about the not-so-mystical art of weaving. This technique is one which any ringer can conquer and allows you greater mastery of multiple bells.

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Session 4: Mallets and Other Techniques

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When facing handbell music, the sheer number of techniques can be overwhelming, but it is also one of the beautiful aspects of the instrument! This class will go through techniques and examine how they are notated and executed, using musical excerpts to help solidify those techniques in ringers' minds.

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Session 5: Level 2 Music Reading Session

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Aggravating page-turns, complicated transitions, convoluted rhythms – there's never a dull moment as you learn new music! Don't fear: there are ways to overcome challenges like these in your music. In this class we'll explore some how to approach new music and apply our best ringing stance and technique as we read music together!

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Session 6: Visual Presentation (with Track C)

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Handbells are a distinctly visual instrument, enthralling audiences through both sound and sight. Directors and ringers are encouraged to come learn how to broaden the appeal of their performances through applying a new lens of visual unity to their ringing. Whether you've been in bells for one year or fifty, you will hear new, straightforward ideas on how to help your audience connect with your music on a new level as you turn your songs into works of art.

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Session 7: Massed Ring and Review (with Track A and Track C)

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In our final session for the day, we will read music together, putting all of the skills we've worked on during the day to use! We'll look at music that we can make the most of visually and technically. Some ringers may have the opportunity to observe instead of ring for particular pieces, allowing them to see the application of concepts on pieces they may not yet be ready to play themselves.

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Track A: Laying the Foundation

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Track C: Delving Deeper

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Frequently Asked Questions

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