Preliminary Track Descriptions

Area XII

A A A A A

Below are some preliminary track descriptions for Area 12's conference in 2012 at Disneyland. Please note that these descriptions and track names COULD CHANGE. Also, not all of the tracks are listed here. A brochure with track descriptions will be mailed to all Area 12 members, and the on-line registration will also have final descriptions.

MAKE SURE YOU CHECK BACK AND RE-READ THE FINAL TRACK DESCRIPTIONS BEFORE REGISTERING FOR ANY TRACK

PRE-CONFERENCE TRACKS (THURSDAY EVENING)

The Conductor’s Apprentice (Directors Master Class) – This track for directors and director-wannabes will explore several avenues of communication between the conductor and the handbell musician based on the guidelines of the Handbell Musicians of America/AGEHR certification process, as well as explore the challenges of making your handbell choir all that you want it to be. Come with buckets full of questions and musical challenges! (Tim Waugh, clinician)

Handbell Theater – Learn how to execute a complete Handbell Theater performance, including ringing, dancing and acting! In each of these three sessions, participants will rehearse for three hours in the evening and then perform one piece during lunch the next day. Space is limited, so register early. You may participate in more than one session, but it is not required. Participants will receive their music and assignments by April 1st, and the assignments may or may not be chromatic. You will be required to memorize your assignment before the conference. There will be no “notes” rehearsals – those who do not have their music memorized may only audit the track and will not participate or perform. This is a unique opportunity to challenge yourself while having a ton of fun! We suggest you be very comfortable with movement and self expression. Please notify us if you have physical limitations as to bell size/weight, walking or other movement issues so you can be cast and assigned appropriately. Thursday night rehearsal/Friday’s lunch performance will be focused on pop/rock music, Friday night rehearsal/Saturday performance will be classical, and Saturday night rehearsal/Sunday performance will be jazz music. (Rima Greer, clinician)

Magic Choir – Area 12 traditionally hosts a special choir put together at each conference to perform in one of the concert slots. This year, the Magic Choir will consist of up to 26 ringers and will be under the direction of Carlos Rivera. Advanced ringers and those looking for a particularly challenging experience are encouraged to audition for this select group. Ringers will be pre-selected by audition and will be asked to prepare their music on their own in advance of the conference. Magic Choir participants must be in attendance for rehearsals on Thursday, June 28, will be registered for this special track once they have been selected via the audition process, and will need to pay the additional fee for this pre-conference track. More information on auditions for this conference choir will be posted to the Area 12 web site. (Carlos Rivers, conductor)

FRIDAY MORNING TRACKS

All-Ring, Level 1-2 – One of four tracks for those who just want to ring, this session is for fairly new ringers or those who have less experience with more difficult repertoire. Registrants will receive a packet of Level 1-2 music at the beginning of the track and may be asked to share all or a portion of it at the afternoon recital. No advance preparation of the music is necessary. (P.L. Grove, conductor)

In the Beginning…Retracing the Steps to Becoming a Handbell Musician – Brand new to the handbell tables or a long-time ringer wanting to brush up on good ringing habits, you will be provided with the tools for a better ringing experience. In this encouraging hands-on track, we will focus on what is needed for proper and healthy ringing of a wide range of techniques used in ringing handbells and handchimes. We’ll include training for another part of the body with a session on ear training to encourage listening to the “whole piece,” while ringing one position. To explore your creative, interpretive side, we’ll engage in a better understanding of the two languages that dominate our art form --- Italian and handbell notation. By the end of the track you will have a foundation for good ringing. Then it’s your turn to go out there and put it all into practice. (Shosh Meyer, clinician)

Beginning Solo Ringing – Introduction to the basic skills you need for ringing complete melodies by yourself, including lateral motion, weaving, passing, and displacement, with an emphasis on playing musically from the get-go. Nancy will get you started on exercises and tunes you can use to continue developing these skills on your own. (Nancy Hascall, clinician)

Rhythm Magic – Incorporating elements from his popular Rhythm Is Gonna Get You class, Michael will begin this track with an addictive and “goofy” rhythm game, and lead participants through various drill sessions to help make their rhythm skills as snappy as the ones “under the sea.” Corporate and individual (for those brave villagers) rhythmic sightreading will be experienced, as will the villain’s riddles of dots, ties, tuplets and syncopation. We’ll explore the far-off kingdom of mixed meter so that things like 7/8 time won’t make you want to eat poison apples! (Michael Glasgow, clinician)

The Vivace Experience – Join this expressive, fun group of young people that lives up to their name: lively! Vivace is the concert choir of the Coro Polifónico Juvenil de Campanas (Youth Polyphonic Handbell Choir) of Aibonito, Puerto Rico, and they were one of the featured choirs at Pinnacle 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee. If you saw the concert or have seen the YouTube posts (if you haven't, check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5b_Sy-zXCMA&feature=related), you will know that they ring, they play the drums, and they even dance (!), all while creating an enchanting musical performance with handbells. This track will give ringers a chance to experience what it's like to be a part of Vivace. Participants will experience hands-on practice with many of the elements that make Vivace lively: technique and movement; technical, rhythmic and musical assignments; breaking down rhythmic patterns; and approaching handbells as an orchestral instrument. Through these and other elements, Vivace has captured the true essence of handbells as a rhythmic, percussion instrument - and they definitely keep it lively! Anyone wonder how they make it look so effortless? If so, this track is for you. Spend the morning or afternoon with the members of Vivace looking inside their world of handbells, percussion, choreography, rhythm, precision, music education, performance, and, and, and...well, you just have to experience it! (Carlos Avila, Carlos Rivera and Vivace, clinicians)

Youth Track: The Musician's Apprentice – This track will help young ringers learn techniques to work toward the magic of musicality in performance. Participants will learn the concepts of movement and music and its effect on musicality and musicianship. Breakout sessions include memorization work, phrasing and flexibiilty, and ringers will put into practice the techniques learned in the track. (Tim Waugh, clinician)

FRIDAY AFTERNOON TRACKS

All-Ring, Level 2-3 – One of four tracks for those who just want to ring, this session is for those who have the basics down and want to work on fairly accessible repertoire of easy to medium difficulty. Registrants will receive a packet of Level 2-3 music at the beginning of the track and may be asked to share all or a portion of it at the afternoon recital. No advance preparation of the music is necessary. (Nancy Hascall, conductor)

Beginning Ensemble Ringing – There’s more to ensemble ringing than just the ability to weave! From defining the term to choreography and presentation, come and find out the intricacies of ensemble ringing. Experience your ensemble “aha!” moment as you learn to weave, match styles, ring without a director and read solo and ensemble notation. Gain a new confidence in your ability to choose music, assign bells, memorize your music and perform musically in a small group. Bring your gloves, a willing attitude to SHARE, and be prepared to have fun! (P.L. Grove and Velocity Handbell Ensemble, clinicians)

The Magic of Dalcroze – This track will focus on a variety of group activities to bring an awareness and enhancement of your rhythm skills using the concepts modeled after Jacques-Emile Dalcroze (ok…yeah…so Google him….). Combining movement and internal rhythms, you’ll find this high-energy hands and feet-on track to be fun, but you’ll learn a lot at the same time! The time will be broken up into a variety of large group activities and small group projects, as well as “challenge” stations to complete during the class. So don’t be “Grumpy” or” Bashful” when the music gets challenging – earn your “Doc” certificate with the Magic of Dalcroze! (Tim Waugh, clinician)

The Vivace Experience – Join this expressive, fun group of young people that lives up to their name: lively! Vivace is the concert choir of the Coro Polifónico Juvenil de Campanas (Youth Polyphonic Handbell Choir) of Aibonito, Puerto Rico, and they were one of the featured choirs at Pinnacle 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee. If you saw the concert or have seen the YouTube posts (if you haven't, check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5b_Sy-zXCMA&feature=related), you will know that they ring, they play the drums, and they even dance (!), all while creating an enchanting musical performance with handbells. This track will give ringers a chance to experience what it's like to be a part of Vivace. Participants will experience hands-on practice with many of the elements that make Vivace lively: technique and movement; technical, rhythmic and musical assignments; breaking down rhythmic patterns; and approaching handbells as an orchestral instrument. Through these and other elements, Vivace has captured the true essence of handbells as a rhythmic, percussion instrument - and they definitely keep it lively! Anyone wonder how they make it look so effortless? If so, this track is for you. Spend the morning or afternoon with the members of Vivace looking inside their world of handbells, percussion, choreography, rhythm, precision, music education, performance, and, and, and...well, you just have to experience it! (Carlos Avila, Carlos Rivera and Vivace, clinicians)

Youth Track: Michael and the Area 12 Dwarfs – Young ringers, get ready for some “happy” times as we in“doc”trinate you to the secrets of the Handbell Forest: funky, rare techniques that are so “dopey” that some composers are “bashful” about even using them. (Learn them, and then read some pieces that use them!) And since it would make you “grumpy” not to learn the addictive rhythmic game the adults will, Michael will teach you that, too. Everyone needs some rhythm stuff in handbells so we don’t get “sleepy.” Or “sneezy”…(Hey! How else was I supposed to include “Sneezy”?) (Michael Glasgow, clinician)

FRIDAY EVENING TRACKS

SATURDAY MORNING TRACKS

All-Ring, Level 3-4 – One of four tracks for those who just want to ring, this session is for those who have experience ringing and want to work on repertoire of medium to hard difficulty level. Registrants will receive a packet of Level 3-4 music at the beginning of the track and may be asked to share all or a portion of it at the afternoon recital. No advance preparation of the music is necessary. (Tim Waugh, conductor)

Church Music – These days, can you really brand the term “church music” any more than you can brand the term “church”? Church bell music, and the style in which it is played, has evolved just as much as worship itself. When looking for usable music, common factors, even within denominations, are widely diverse. A portion of this track will be dedicated to site reading styles of music for church use – both in an out of the worship center. Another session will explore ways in which we can add elements to secular and original bell music to make them connect in the worship experience. We will also look at ways to expand the use of bells in the worship space, moving from a standard bell choir to ensembles of all sizes and intentions. (Shosh Meyer, clinician)

Intermediate Solo Ringing – Participants will learn technical tools to enhance musicality and expression in solo ringing, including tone color, dynamics, articulation, phrasing, and damping styles. Includes introduction to traveling 4-in-hand for greater fluency through economy of motion. Prerequisite: Ability to perform solos of easy to moderate difficulty, using weaving technique. Optional but encouraged: Come prepared to perform a portion of a solo during class (a few measures will do). (Nancy Hascall, clinician)

Rhythm Magic – Incorporating elements from his popular Rhythm Is Gonna Get You class, Michael will begin this track with an addictive and “goofy” rhythm game, and lead participants through various drill sessions to help make their rhythm skills as snappy as the ones “under the sea.” Corporate and individual (for those brave villagers) rhythmic sightreading will be experienced, as will the villain’s riddles of dots, ties, tuplets and syncopation. We’ll explore the far-off kingdom of mixed meter so that things like 7/8 time won’t make you want to eat poison apples! (Michael Glasgow, clinician)

Tips for Technique – Got good technique? Great! Now lose it! This track will explore the basics of good technique for ringing, damping, martellato, shaking, mallets, pluck, etc. Once we’ve learned good technique, we’ll discover when NOT to use it. Handbells are like every other instrument: once you’ve learned the best technique, you discover that sometimes it’s best to not play “the best” to achieve the results you need in a particular passage of music. Ringers in this track will learn when to apply techniques other than “best practices” in order to achieve the best results. Special attention will be given to fast multiple bell passages without four-in-hand and ways to play together with other ringers. Participants are encouraged to bring tough sections of music for the class to work through possible solutions using a variety of techniques. (P.L. Grove and Velocity Handbell Ensemble, clinicians)

The Vivace Experience – Join this expressive, fun group of young people that lives up to their name: lively! Vivace is the concert choir of the Coro Polifónico Juvenil de Campanas (Youth Polyphonic Handbell Choir) of Aibonito, Puerto Rico, and they were one of the featured choirs at Pinnacle 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee. If you saw the concert or have seen the YouTube posts (if you haven't, check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5b_Sy-zXCMA&feature=related), you will know that they ring, they play the drums, and they even dance (!), all while creating an enchanting musical performance with handbells. This track will give ringers a chance to experience what it's like to be a part of Vivace. Participants will experience hands-on practice with many of the elements that make Vivace lively: technique and movement; technical, rhythmic and musical assignments; breaking down rhythmic patterns; and approaching handbells as an orchestral instrument. Through these and other elements, Vivace has captured the true essence of handbells as a rhythmic, percussion instrument - and they definitely keep it lively! Anyone wonder how they make it look so effortless? If so, this track is for you. Spend the morning or afternoon with the members of Vivace looking inside their world of handbells, percussion, choreography, rhythm, precision, music education, performance, and, and, and...well, you just have to experience it! (Carlos Avila, Carlos Rivera and Vivace, clinicians)

SATURDAY AFTERNOON TRACKS

All-Ring, Level 4-5 – One of four tracks for those who just want to ring, this session is for very experienced ringers who want to work on advanced repertoire with a higher level of difficulty. Registrants will receive a packet of Level 4-5 music at the beginning of the track and may be asked to share all or a portion of it at the afternoon recital. No advance preparation of the music is necessary. (Michael Glasgow, conductor)

Improving Your Ringing – You already know the basics. Now take your skills and musicality to the next level on the way to becoming the best ringer you can be. Learn techniques for broadening your dynamic range, developing tonal finesse, ringing more fluently, and damping in multiple styles between Ring and LV. Explore phrasing, melodic awareness, and the powerful effect of motion on sound. Bring questions and a sense of adventure! (Nancy Hascall, clinician)

Intermediate Ensemble Ringing – Participants in this track must have already been exposed to the basics of ensemble style ringing. You may be skilled at weaving and even four-in-hand in a full group setting, and may possibly even have played in some small ensembles, but now you’re looking to improve your techniques and move your skills forward. Prerequisites are: The ability to comfortably perform such ensemble style techniques as weaving, table damping, and sharing of bells. Optional but encouraged: Register as an already-formed ensemble and come prepared to perform a portion of your ensemble piece during class for comment and discussion. (P.L. Grove and Velocity Handbell Ensemble, clinicians)

Who Says I Can’t Do That With Bells? – Bells and handchimes are played in churches, in schools, in subways, in the rain – even at the police station and in the ICU at Providence Hospital. They are played by: children, adults, the blind, octogenarians, people who have never played another instrument, and by people of varied ethnic backgrounds. Handbells and chimes have often been held captive in church balconies, but a “release program” is underway to encourage people to imagine an art form that is much, much bigger. This track explores the lesser roads traveled by handbells and will encourage participants to creatively look at ways to expand the performing options for our art form and the number and types of people who enjoy it. Ideas will be documented during the track and made available after the conference in hopes that the “release program” will encourage continued musical growth. (Shosh Meyer, clinician)

SATURDAY EVENING TRACKS

(Note: Track names, descriptions, and times may change prior to registration.)

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