FACULTY
Brenda Austin is in demand internationally as a conductor and clinician because of her dynamic and energetic approach to connecting musicians through handbells. In 2019, Brenda joined the team at Hope Publishing Company in Carol Stream, IL as Editor. In 2023, she was named Music Director for Embellish Handbells. Before joining Embellish, she served as the Artistic Director for the Detroit Handbell Ensemble since 2016. Under her baton, DHE was honored to open the Handbell Musicians of America National Seminar in 2018 and be the featured concert for HMA’s AREA 2 2019 Festival in Lancaster, PA. Additionally, she has served First United Methodist Church in Eaton Rapids, MI, as Director of Music since 2003. She is also active in the community directing Children’s musical theatre. Brenda graduated with degrees in Vocal Performance from Western Michigan University and a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from the University of Missouri – Kansas City. She studied with Craig Arnold, Steve Zegree and Eph Ehly.
Brenda is sought after as a handbell clinician throughout the year and has been the conductor and clinician at numerous festivals and workshops including HMA National Seminar, and many of the Areas’ festivals. Additionally, she has had more than 100 titles published for handbells and sacred choral since 2015. For more information about Brenda, please visit her website at www.BrendaEAustin.com
Bob Avant has been involved with handbells for nearly 40 years. He is a co-founder of the Austin Handbell Ensemble which just concluded its 30th season with Bob as its Director. For over 20 years this group has been the recording ensemble for several major handbell music publishers as they sought demo recordings of their soon-to-be-released selections. Bob was the director and the audio engineer for these recordings. He was an early adopter of livestreaming and leveraged his knowledge of audio recording to enhance the streaming presentations. Since the Handbell Musicians of America has enabled livestreaming of its National Seminar concerts, he has provided the audio capture for these performances.
Bob’s past and current careers and activities have included being a band director, an instructional technology consultant to area-wide school districts, an independent technology consultant, a composer, a handbell publisher, and of course, a long-time handbell director at the church and community levels. He is also an Adjunct Lecturer at Baylor University, serving as the Director of the Baylor Bronze Handbell Ensemble for the past 15 years. Most recently, Bob published a book on handbell leadership and development, Advancing Towards Excellence in Handbell Ensembles. He holds three degrees, all from the University of Texas at Austin including a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education, a Master’s Degree in Music (Instrumental Conducting) and a Master’s Degree in Education (Instructional Technology). Bob is active as a clinician and presenter of handbell-related sessions at the state and national level.
Paul Berryman has a passion for security, education, and bad puns, bringing them together whenever possible. He has spent the last 2 decades protecting people from the usual suspects of hackers, criminals, and bored teenagers with a focus on connecting through storytelling and energizing presentations to change behaviors to stay safe online. He is currently the Information Security Awareness Lead for Brown & Brown Insurance.
Never to shy away from a side hustle, he, along with his wife, Stevie, own Truly Horrible Things, a card game company specializing in sarcasm and good humor. They created Crimes Against Handbells, Theatre Is Tragic, Band Is Horrible, and other horrible products. He orbits the handbell world, supporting programs through administration and tech support. He has served on the Houston Chamber Ringers board for 12 years, currently as board member-at-large, and takes care of event planning, IT, A/V, and schlepping. He is also a ringer with Decibells at First Congregational Church in Houston.
Prior to working in security and education, Paul had 6 years of swashbuckling adventures with the US Navy. He’s a big fan of colleges, having attended 7 different ones. He’s earned a doctorate in education and teaches technology content to high schoolers, college students, and adults. He’s figured out that strong security starts with teaching how to behave online. It isn’t rocket science, but just in case, he has a degree in that, too.
Stevie Berryman can’t whistle. But she makes fantastic pesto, and she can fold a fitted sheet. Likewise, her skills as music director and teacher have also been acquired through long hours of arduous and dedicated practice. For much of her career Stevie has directed seven or more ensembles each week, meaning she has 128 years of experience (in dog years). Her effusive energy and wild creativity found a perfect setting in 2013 when she became the Artistic Director of the Houston Chamber Ringers, which has let her smash together her love for music, laughter, and tacos in a truly remarkable way. In 2024 she became the director for the Handbell Ensemble at Trinity University in San Antonio, TX. She has a particular passion for teaching beginners how to ring, and her innovative, play-based methods have made her a sought-after educator and clinician at area, national, and international handbell festivals.
She loves helping other choirs as a private clinician or planning epic concerts for them as a creative consultant. She and her husband Paul are co-owners of Truly Horrible Things, a snarky card game company, even though her mother always told her that no one would ever pay her to be sarcastic.
William (Billy) Brandt is a music educator currently working as the Director of Choirs at Freedom High School, where he leads the vocal ensembles and handbell ensemble. He also serves as the Director of Choirs for the United Church of Christ in New London, Wisconsin, directing both the handbell and vocal ensembles. Lastly, he is the Instructor of Music Literacy and Instrumentalist Coordinator for the Badger State Girl Choir.
As an educator, Brandt has been nominated for the GRAMMY Award in the Music Educator category. Ensemble’s under Brandt’s direction have performed on high profile stages across the world, including the Festival of Three in 2023 where Brandt made his international debut conducting concerts in Finland, Latvia, and Estonia. Furthermore, Brandt will make his Carnegie Hall debut in 2026.
As a composer, Brandt has works being performed both on national and international stage concert stages. His music is in print with different publishing houses such as MorningStar, From the Top Publishing, Paraboloid Press, and Meadowlark Melodies. Lastly, Brandt’s works have appeared on prestigious curated lists such as JW Pepper’s Editor’s Choice list. An avid writer and presenter, Brandt has authored several articles with notable organizations such as the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), and the Handbell Musicians of America (HMA). He published his first book entitled Let’s Talk: Music with Barnes & Nobles in 2021 and his second book is scheduled for release in 2024.
Jack Burdwood has had a passion for handbells ever since she found the “Handbell Harmony” minigame on Wii Music in 2008. Four years later, she began ringing for audiences instead of high scores with the Wittenberg University Handbell Choir while also picking up her bachelor’s degree in percussion performance on the side.
Jack performs as a highly skilled and versatile musician with the Philadelphia Handbell Ensemble and as a pit orchestra percussionist throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania. In the past, she has also performed with the Austin Handbell Ensemble, the Austin Civic Orchestra, and the Pennsylvania Symphonic Winds. She is known for her high-energy clinics and student-focused private lessons, providing personalized instruction that sparks enthusiasm, curiosity, and encourages students to experiment with the sounds they can create. In addition to her performance and teaching work, she also instructs the drumline for the William Tennant Marching Panther Band. When not engaged in any of her musical endeavors, Jack also serves as a rookie bicycle mechanic.
Christine Yin-ki Chan serves as an advisor, conductor, and performer for various community handbell teams in Hong Kong, actively promoting local handbell activities for over twenty years. Christine graduated from The Education University of Hong Kong with a Bachelor of Education (Honours) in Primary Education. She obtained the General Handbell Director Certificate L1 from the AGEHR and excelled in the handbell conducting, performance, composition and pedagogy courses of the Master Program of Church Music at Concordia University, WI, under the guidance of Professor John Behnke. She is currently the Director of Bellprints Handbell Supply specializing in development of school handbell teams and instructor training and is the panel head of the music department of the Salvation Army Centaline Charity Fund Queen’s Hill School.
In 2003, Chan and ten other handbell enthusiasts founded the Double Mallet Ringers where she served as conductor and president until 2021. In 2013, Chan became the advisor for the RAW Ringers, building the team from scratch for a whole year, and becoming the conductor for the RAW Ringers debut concert. Chan’s support for handbell teams also led to the establishment of Resonance Ringers in 2013. Resonance Ringers is a community team that brings together a group of young people who are passionate about handbell performance after graduating from high school. Sharing a common philosophy, Chan, along with Jessica Lok, Phoebe Yeung and Janice Lai, founded the handbell quartet Bellprints, which performed Christmas handbell concerts at the Rudolf Steiner House in London in 2016 and 2017. Chan’s handbell quartet arrangements “Jingle Bell Calypso” and “Santa Lucia” premiered in the 2017 concert and were published. Bellprints was also invited by an international fashion brand to kick off their Christmas event in Shanghai in 2017 and was invited to perform at the National Seminar Exhibition for Schulmerich in Grand Rapids, MI in 2018.
Matthew Compton, a native of Colorado Springs, CO, has been composing, arranging, and conducting music for handbells since 2007, when he was in the 8th grade. He had his first composition published at the age of 15, making him one of the youngest published handbell composers. Matthew graduated from Concordia University Wisconsin with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music with an emphasis in Composition and Conducting.
Based now in Vancouver, WA, he is the music director of Bells of the Cascades in Portland, OR, Director of Music Ministries at Salmon Creek Church in Vancouver, and recently has become the new Artistic Director of Pikes Peak Ringers in Colorado Springs. Along with Alex Guebert, Matthew also co-directs Zenith, a new double handbell ensemble that is made up of 30 auditioned musicians from around the world each year. In addition to being a guest clinician at handbell festivals across the country, his music is frequently used at local and national handbell festivals, like the Bay View Week of Handbells and Distinctly Bronze East and West. In his limited spare time, Matthew can occasionally be found streaming a variety of games and music performances on Twitch, going hiking, or enjoying any number of movies, anime, or TV shows!
Marci Corey is a long time resident of Norman, Oklahoma, and received her bachelor’s degree in instrumental and vocal music education from the University of Oklahoma. She taught music in the Norman Public Schools for 8 years. Marci was a member and then the director of the Oklahoma City Handbell Ensemble for 5 years and has a passion for developing and leading ensembles of all ages and skill levels. She has led vocal and handbell choirs at several greater Oklahoma City metro area churches over the past 25+ years and is currently serving as the Director of Music Ministries at St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church in Norman. Marci also works full time in the Donor Services Department for the Alzheimer’s Association. When she’s not leading music, you can find Marci and her husband, Lance, out on their homestead raising dairy goats and chickens and tending their large raised bed gardens.
Mitchell Eithun is a church musician, composer, and mathematician. He has over sixty published pieces of handbell music and has received commissions from community and church handbell ensembles. Mitchell is interested in developing innovative handbell rehearsal techniques and writing about the history of church music. He is the founding director of Bell Durham, a community handbell ensemble in Durham, NC. Mitchell is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity at Duke Divinity School in Durham, NC. Mitchell holds a B.A. in Mathematics and Computer Science and a minor in Music from Ripon College (Ripon, WI) and an M.S. in Computational Mathematics, Science and Engineering from Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI). Mitchell previously served as handbell director at the First Presbyterian Church of Holt, digital ministry intern at University Lutheran Church and pastoral intern at Campus Edge Fellowship. Mitchell is an associate member of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America and a member of Handbell Musicians of America. In his spare time, he enjoys learning the carillon and traveling to new places.
A native Texan relocated to Colorado, Nikki Evans has played other instruments (including piano, guitar, and knowing what the little buttons do on an accordion), but found her passion when she discovered the art of handbell ringing. As a soloist, she has presented concerts and contributed music to numerous worship services around the United States (and one special concert weekend in British Columbia!). Nikki has taught and performed at HMA events at both the national and area levels, and she is excited for her first Pinnacle!
Based in Colorado Springs, Forté is an advanced quartet marked by artistry, energy, and dedication to their craft. In pursuit of musical excellence, Forté strives to explore, innovate, inspire, and glorify God through the gift of music. The musicians of Forté continually challenge themselves to “Rethink Possible,” expanding their musical and performance horizons, adding original compositions and arrangements to their ever-expanding repertoire, and seeking out new performance venues and educational opportunities. Forté was formed in 2007, and this group of four – Luke Nabeta, Megan Reishus, Dillon Ekle, and Tory Marting – is embarking on their tenth year ringing together. Since generation six began in 2015, Forté has had an increasingly active schedule of concerts and recordings, made possible with the help of their growing team of monthly supporters. They have been featured performers and faculty at Handbell Musicians of America events and independent workshops, have presented many successful tours across the country, and have released three CDs and numerous music videos filmed around the state of Colorado, with more currently in the works!
Joe Galyon engages people from all walks of life in the music ministry at Church of the Saviour United Methodist. With a passion for developing church musicians of any age, he oversees a comprehensive program of choral, handbell, and instrumental ensembles. Joe serves as Music Director for Queen City Bronze, Cincinnati’s premiere handbell ensemble and is also a recognized leader of handbell festivals, masterclasses, and training sessions for large-scale events, smaller festivals, and individual congregations. As a composer, his handbell works are published by Alfred Music, Hope Publishing, Jeffers Ringing World Publications, From the Top Music, and Sonology Music. Joe holds music degrees in piano from Samford University, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati.
After a full-time church-music career spanning more than 23 years, Michael J. Glasgow is now “full-time freelance,” and offers his clientele a full-service experience, without the distractions of a church job or a school job. Michael is an award-winning composer of organ, handbell and choral works, and has fulfilled more than 60 commissions. He is deeply committed to his craft, and proud that each piece he writes has a story and a purpose behind it.
Michael made his Carnegie Hall debut conducting his Requiem for chorus and orchestra in June 2017 and conducted its European premiere in Vienna in June 2019. More than 170 engagements have brought him to three dozen states, as well as multiple engagements in England, Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada, and a cruise ship in the Eastern Caribbean. Last December, his “Concerto for Castings” was premiered by Toronto’s Counterpoint Community Orchestra, with Emily Li performing the virtuosic solo. Michael’s been named a Distinguished Composer and Conductor by MidAmerica Productions, and will return to the podium at Carnegie Hall next June to conduct his riveting “Gloria” for chorus and orchestra (stop by his booth if you’re interested in being a part of this project!).
Michael serves as the Bass Section Leader of the North Carolina Master Chorale, the Chorus Conductor of the Tar River Orchestra and Chorus (Rocky Mount, NC), and a Principal Guest Conductor of Singapore’s Ministry of Bellz. “The more people I meet through music,” he says, “the smaller the world becomes.” You won’t find him on Facebook, but visit www.michaeljglasgow.com and @MichaelJGlasgow on YouTube for more information and samples of his work.
After receiving his BA in Music (with a concentration in handbell performance) from Concordia University, Irvine, California, Nick Hanson began teaching at The Potomac School in McLean, Virginia, in 2006. At Potomac, he teaches private handbell lessons and handbell classes to 4th–12th grade students in six handbell ensembles. He has also been the handbell director at Bush Hill Presbyterian Church in Alexandria, Virginia, for over 15 years. Nick is a sought-after faculty, clinician, and conductor for workshops and events throughout the world, having served in this role nationally in over 20 states (as well as Washington, DC) and internationally in England, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, and Singapore. He was co-conductor for the Handbell Musicians of America (HMA) All-Star Choir in 2018, has twice lead HMA’s Distinctly Teen ensemble in 2015 and 2023, and most recently served as the conductor for Distinctly Bronze East this past March. In 2022 The Potomac School recognized Nick with the Bill Cook Excellence in Teaching Award and he was featured in the Arlington Magazine article “Teachers We Love” in 2023. He is a published writer in the national handbell magazine Overtones, has composed and arranged over 100 pieces of handbell music, and is co-host of the podcast Two Tacos High with Brian Seemann.
David M. Harris has been the director of The Raleigh Ringers since January of 1990, when he was instrumental in the formation of the group. Under his leadership, The Raleigh Ringers have performed across much of the United States; in France, England and Canada; on International Television on the Hour of Power program; as a showcase choir for the Handbell Musicians of America National Seminar and 10 of 12 Area Festivals; with the North Carolina and Virginia Symphony Orchestras; and as special guest performers at the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, New York. David is a graduate of The Pennsylvania State University and has studied conducting privately with Dr. William Payn (Bucknell University). has served The Handbell Musicians of America in several capacities: as All-Star Conductor, Crescendo Conductor, Ringing Track Conductor, Instructor for the National Seminar, North Carolina State Chairman, and as Area III Treasurer. He chaired the HMA national committee that planned the first Community/Professional Handbell Choir event, Pinnacle 2000, held in Las Vegas.
David was elected in March 2023 to a six-year term on the HMA National Board of Directors. In July 2023, David was awarded Honorary Life Membership in HMA, the highest award presented by the organization. This distinction is reserved for individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the art of handbell ringing. Because of his strong interest in the development of community handbell programs, David and The Raleigh Ringers developed and sponsor the biennial event, Virtuoso, a performance-focused event for advanced ringers. David has led well over 200 handbell festivals and workshops in 39 states as well as in England, Puerto Rico, Canada and the Caribbean. He has also been the primary handbell clinician for several denominational music events, including Montreat (NC), Lake Junaluska (NC), Lutheridge (NC), Mo-Ranch (TX), Massanetta (VA) and the National Association of Pastoral Musicians (KY). David is as adjunct professor at Meredith College in Raleigh, where he leads the Meredith College Ringers. He also conducts the educational groups sponsored by The Raleigh Ringers, the Millbrook and Atlantic Ringers.
Rick Holdsworth has dedicated his careers to sharing music with the public, as a vocalist, instrumentalist, director, arranger, and music educator. His love of music began at an early age, and grew as a member of his high school marching band. After graduation, he began his first professional music career in the U.S. Navy. During his 30 years of service, Rick performed in, managed and directed Navy bands around the world. After retiring as a master chief, he began his second career in music ministry. For 22 years, Rick led an extensive music ministry, including vocal and handbell choirs of all ages and skill levels, as the Director of Music at Pine Shores Presbyterian Church in Sarasota, Florida.
A recognized expert in all facets of handbell music and operations, Rick has been an enthusiastic member of the handbell music community for nearly four decades. In 2009, Rick founded Ring Sarasota – an advanced handbell community ensemble – and continues to lead the organization as principal conductor. He has been an invited guest conductor and clinician at handbell conferences and festivals throughout the southeast, and has published handbell arrangements and orchestrations with six different music publishers to-date. His first handbell arrangement, a complete transcription of “Jupiter” from The Planets, was published by From the Top Music and selected for performance at Distinctly Bronze East 2015 – an event he has participated in for a decade.
When not creating handbell music, he works behind-the-scenes as the Florida Handbell Doctor repairing, adjusting, refurbishing, and cleaning handbell sets for organizations throughout the southeast. In his spare time, he can be found tinkering with his Lionel O-Gauge model train layout.
Beth (Watson) Judd is nationally recognized as a leader in the field of handbells, having served for the past 40 years as conductor and clinician for seminars, workshops, festivals and denominational worship and music conferences. She has been Secretary/Treasurer of Area 9, national Music Chairman and President for AGEHR/HMA, as well as participating on countless committees and task forces furthering the art of handbell ringing. Beth was the associate conductor of the Dallas Handbell Ensemble and the first conductor and artistic director of the Concert Bells of Fort Worth, and was a conductor at the International Handbell Symposium held in Toronto. She is retired from full-time Music and Arts Ministry in the church after many years of conducting singing and ringing choirs for all ages, overseeing liturgical dance ensembles and art gallery ministries, coordinating concert series, and managing all aspects of liturgical worship. Beth is also honored and humbled to serve as a volunteer for Hospice Austin in patient care and family bereavement.
A musician with over 30 years of performance experience, 20 years of non-profit volunteer work, and lifelong church music ministry service, Kathryn Jurado has quickly gained prominence in the handbell community as a ringer and director. She has served as Treasurer of HMA Area 4 and now as President-Elect on the national board. She is one of the music directors and Vice President of Magic of Bronze, Orlando’s premiere community handbell ensemble, which was one of the featured performance choirs at the 2020 HMA National Seminar. Kathryn is also a Province Officer of Sigma Alpha Iota, International Music Fraternity, leads a handbell ensemble at the University of South Florida, is a freelance oboist, and serves in the music ministry at Hyde Park UMC Tampa. Previously, she served a term as Associate Director of the Suncoast Bronze Ringers community handbell ensemble, taught music in Hillsborough County Public Schools for over a decade, and was the handbell director at Lake Magdalene Church (formerly UMC) in Tampa.
Kathryn served as clinician for Reaching for Bronze 2022 (now Crescendo) in New Bern, North Carolina, the handbell clinician for the Florida Chapter of the Fellowship of Worship Artists’ Worship Arts Week in Fruitland Park, Florida in June of 2024, and was invited back for 2025, was the inaugural director of Bells of the Caribbean in Puerto Rico in November 2024, director of HMA’s 2025 College Ring-In, and will be the clinician for the 2025 Utah Spring Ring. As a ringer, Kathryn has participated in Distinctly Bronze East and West, HMA All-Stars since 2018, Virtuoso 2019, 2022, 2024, and Zenith 2023 and 2024. As a professional, free-lance oboist, she has performed with various musical acts and orchestras, including Ray Charles, Il Divo, Hanson, The Irish Tenors, Opera Tampa, numerous musicals and La La Land Live! Kathryn is looking forward to completing her master’s degree in music from the University of South Florida in May 2025, and starting her new role as the editor of the Alfred Handbell catalog with Jubilate Music Group.
Anne Kelley is an enthusiastic handbell director, educator, and ringer who is passionate about the art of handbell ringing. She graduated summa cum laude with her Bachelor of Music Education: Choral degree from Northern Arizona University. During her undergraduate career, Anne served as President of the Harold M. Harter Memorial Handbell Choir and was appointed Bellmaster her senior year. Anne currently resides in Apache Junction, Arizona where she teaches K-6 General Music, 3-6 Choir, and two 4-6th Grade Advanced and Beginning Handbell Choirs at Greenfield Elementary School in Gilbert, AZ. She also serves as the Handbell Director at St. Matthew United Methodist Church in Mesa where she directs the Bells of Joy Handbell Choir. Anne is often invited as a guest conductor to work with secular and sacred handbell choirs around the East Valley. She is also an on-call sub for handbell choirs of different denominations. In July 2021, Anne participated in the Handbell Musicians of America Conducting Master Class under the direction of Dr. William Payne. She has taught handbell workshops at different conferences including AMEA, AzACDA, and the 2024 Area 11 Festival. She currently serves as Chair for Area 11 and is a recipient of The Carl Wiltse Scholarship for the 2025 Bayview Week of Handbells.
Leslie Lewis has been ringing handbells since 1979 when she was introduced to them at the Montreat Worship and Music Conference. She has been ringing in the bass section for Distinctly Bronze East since the event began in 1999 and participated in the Distinctly Bronze European Tour in 2007 and added Distinctly Bronze West in 2019 & 2021. She has rung low bass in many area and national All Star Choirs and rang low bass at Virtuoso 2017, 2019, & 2022 sharing the stage with the Raleigh Ringers for the final concert. In 2022 Leslie crossed Bay View Week of Handbells off her bucket list and will continue to participate when the International Handbell Symposium doesn’t conflict with the dates. Leslie had the honor of travelling to Singapore in 2023 as a Foreign Guest Ringer with the Ministry of Bells (MOB) and rang with MOB at the 21st International Handbell Symposium in Hamamatsu, Japan in 2024.
Leslie enjoys substituting for choirs in the Gastonia/Charlotte and Wilmington/Myrtle Beach areas, assisting the Raleigh Ringers with demo recordings, and dabbles in solo ringing. Having added the lower 6th and 7th octave chimes to her growing set of handbell ‘toys’ she hopes to offer her services to add the lower chimes for groups that don’t have them available.
After graduating from NC State with a degree in computer science, Leslie worked for IBM and First Union National Bank for a combined 15 years before turning a part-time role preparing income taxes into a career. Leslie is currently President of Unified Income Taxes and Accounting, Inc in Gastonia, NC where she prepares all types of tax returns and as an Enrolled Agent represents clients during IRS tax audits and appeals. Outside of bells Leslie enjoys playing golf and walking on the beach as a precursor to life after retirement in Lockwood Folly Country Club near Holden Beach.
Emily Li stands as a globally acclaimed handbell virtuoso from Hong Kong. She is an accomplished conductor, composer, soloist, and educator with over 25 years of experience. Her handbell journey began in 1986, igniting a deep passion for the instrument. Since 2000, Emily has refined her handbell expertise in the United States, studying under esteemed masters.
She firmly believes in the importance of a strong foundation in handbell training for all ages, and her passion lies in fostering comprehensive growth through handbell ringing. As the founder of the Hong Kong Handbell Academy, Hong Kong Youth Handbell Ensemble, and Handbell Association of Hong Kong, she has significantly popularized handbell ringing through festivals, global tours, and professional training. Emily has been a distinguished faculty member and conductor at pivotal handbell events across Asia, Europe, North America, and Australia, including HMA’s All-Star Choir (2014), Distinctly Teens (2018) and Distinctly Bronze East (2024), and International Handbell Symposiums (2012- 2024).
Trained as a military and theatre percussionist, and Yamaha Electone musician, Damien Lim is Founder & Music Director of the award-winning MINISTRY OF BELLZ from Singapore. Percussion & Handbells has led him to perform, teach & adjudicate in 20+ countries, including USA, Japan, Egypt, Canada, Australia, South Korea, UK, Hong Kong, Ireland, Turkey, Ireland & France (just to name a few).
Damien is a Fellow of the London College of Music (UK). He holds a Master of Music (Performance) from the University of West London – London College of Music (UK) and was recently awarded the title of Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa) by ATU in 2022, for his work in handbell music development in Singapore. He is currently pursuing his 2nd Master of Music (Leadership) at the National University of Singapore – Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music. Damien directs advanced handbell teams at 5 schools and is consultant for 8 other school ensembles. He is also Executive Director of the Handbell Ringers of Singapore (HRSG).
A firm believer of creative excellence thru handbell music, he contributes actively to the development of handbell standards in Singapore: though his tireless work with students, youths, persons with special needs and his colleagues. He constantly seeks to be “purposeful in pursuit of excellence.” Learn more about Damien at www.damienlim.weebly.com
At 8 years of age, Elizabeth Mays Loebig picked up a C7 behind her mother’s back one afternoon at the church handbell rehearsal. Upon discovery of her daughter’s transgression, director Linda immediately assigned Beth said C7 as a member of the choir. Over thirty years later, Beth graduated from Azusa Pacific University with Master’s degrees in both Handbell Performance and Conducting. She is now an accomplished soloist, music teacher, and conductor. Her graduate recital, “The History of Handbells,” featured 13 pieces narrating the rich traditions of English handbells as well as moving the art forward into the next generation. She has earned the first Master of Music degree in Performance: Handbells in the United States. Beth is now continuing her studies at Claremont Graduate University, working on Ph.D. in Musicology, with a research focus on performance practice issues of handbells. She is a founding member of the professional handbell ensemble Timbré and serves as Education Director for Area 12 of the Handbell Musicians of America. Her debut solo handbell album, Pure Imagination, is currently in progress.
Marie M. Loeffler enjoyed a successful career as a professional dancer, choreographer and studio owner. When she transitioned to arts administration, she discovered handbells and a new way to bring music to life. Never looking back, Marie has earned the moniker of Belldancer for her graceful performances as a solo ringer. Her popular workshops include a myriad of technique and performance topics.
In addition to her handbell achievements, Marie holds a degree in Behavioral Sciences and is a Certified Life Purpose and Career Coach. She is a popular speaker and workshop presenter known for her original Ringing True Series that helps professional women rediscover their creativity, increase their confidence, and strengthen their leadership skills. Her bells frequently share the stage at her speaking gigs and add a unique twist to each presentation thus creating a one-of-a-kind an experience for her participants.
As an active member of the HMA for many years, Marie has served on the Boards for both Area 1 and Area 4. Currently living in Melbourne, FL, Marie continues to ring as a soloist, introduces bells to every new venue she can find, and is ringer/manager for the bell choir at Eastminster Presbyterian Church where she continues to work on pushing the ringers outside of their comfortable two-bell boxes!
Ron Mallory has been playing, directing, and composing for handbells for nearly 30 years. He has extensive experience working with handbell ensembles in the church, school, and community choir settings, and has more than 250 handbell pieces in print. Ron currently directs the handbell choir at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Wichita. He has served as guest conductor at numerous festivals and teaches regularly at local and national handbell conferences. Ron also runs Martellato Media, which produces handbell demos and music for multimedia projects, and Paraboloid Press, a music and arts publishing company. Outside of music, Ron’s primary interest is astronomy, and he is actively involved in science education using his portable planetarium dome. Many of Ron’s musical compositions are written on astronomical themes.
Ron has a master’s degree in choral conducting from the University of Washington and a bachelor’s degree in music composition from California State University, Long Beach. He lives in Mulvane, Kansas with his wife Emily and their children, Vivian, Miles, and Rigel. A lifelong Christian, Ron is always working to grow in his relationship with God. For more about Ron and his music, visit www.ronmallorymusic.com.
Hillary Marotta first became a musician through piano and flute but fell in love with handbells at Bucknell University under the direction of William Payn while playing for the Rooke Chapel Ringers. Since then, she has reprised her role at her alma mater both as a ringer and conductor and played in church groups in Pennsylvania and Virginia. She has rung with the Hershey Handbell Ensemble and is a regular Distinctly Bronze attendee. She was a 2022 Virtuoso ringer with the Raleigh Ringers. She has studied conducting under the direction of William Payn both privately and through Masterclasses. She currently conducts her own group of beginning level ringers and coordinates both Distinctly Teen at National Seminar and the College Ring-In for HMA. She obtained a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction specializing in Adult Education and has taught and trained adults in various settings and looks forward to bringing those teaching skills to National Seminar.
William J. Murphy is a singer and musician with over 30 years of experience. He received a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from Westminster Choir College of Rider University, where he rang with the Westminster Concert Bell Choir, playing in over 40 states, Carnegie Hall, and on “A Royal Christmas” tour with Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. William has both rang with and directed several ensembles in the Central Florida region, Magic of Bronze in Orlando, Grace Notes in Orlando, and Suncoast Bronze Ringers in Tampa. He has rung with many high-level ringing choirs, including Distinctly Bronze East and West, the HMA All-Star Choir, Virtuoso, and Zenith, and is looking forward to ringing at Bayview in 2025. William is an active member with the music department at Hyde Park UMC in Tampa, singing in the choir, and with a gospel barbershop quartet. He is currently serving as the Chair of Handbell Musicians of America, Area 4, having served on the Board for almost 10 years, and holding the positions of Treasurer and Secretary.
Libbie Randels began ringing and directing handbells in 1986 in Houston, Texas, and continued her passion across four different states. After moving to Phoenix in 2007, she joined the Handbell Ringers of Sun City, AZ, and became the group’s director in 2009. Under her leadership, the ensemble has grown into a double 5-octave choir with 26 ringers ranging in age from 64 to 92. The group performs Level 3–4 music and presents two concerts each year.
Libbie also directs a 5-octave church handbell choir, which includes ringers of varying skill levels and ages. She holds a B.S. in Music Education, with certification in both vocal and instrumental instruction (K–12), from Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri. From 2008 to 2014, she served on the Area 11 Board as the Desert Sub-Chair. In that role, she organized and taught workshops throughout Arizona and New Mexico and has continued to teach at both National and Area handbell events. As a ringer, she has performed with Distinctly Bronze West and participated in advanced, auditioned choirs at Area and National events, including the National All-Star Choir. Her enduring motto and goal for handbells is: for those who love to ring, let’s all “Ring ’Til We’re 100!”
Sharon Schmidt is the director of Bells of the Rockies, an auditioned community handbell ensemble in northern Colorado. Before relocating to the Denver, CO, area, she was a 30-year member of The Agape Ringers, an auditioned community handbell ensemble from the Chicago area, and served as Treasurer and Chair for Area 8. She previously directed multiple handbell ensembles at Gary United Methodist Church in Wheaton, IL, served on the Area 8-Illinois State Committee from 1994-2021, was chair for eleven Distinctly Bronze events, and was the national Certification Program Coordinator for five years. Her handbell teaching experience includes numerous local events, events in Areas 1, 5, 7, 8, and 10, multiple National Seminars, a National Festival, and an International Handbell Symposium.
Brian Seemann is currently the Director of Handbell Ensembles at the Landon School in Bethesda, MD, and the Music Director of Virginia Bronze. In addition to his work with Virginia Bronze, Brian has held the role of Music Director for both the Philadelphia Handbell Ensemble and the New England Ringers, and has performed with Sonos Handbell Ensemble, Back Bay Ringers, and the Philadelphia Handbell Ensemble. Brian is a published composer and has served as faculty member, clinician, and conductor across the United States, including Handbell Musicians of America National Seminars, as well as at several International Handbell Symposia. His ensembles have been invited to perform at the Handbell Musicians of America National Seminar three times—in 2016, 2019, and 2024. In addition to being a ringing member, Brian serves on the Board of Directors for Sonos Handbell Ensemble. When he’s not ringing or conducting, Brian co-hosts Two Tacos High, a handbell podcast along with Nick Hanson.
Kimberlee Strepka has been teaching music for more than 30 years, and has been pioneering Laban-based handbell instruction since 2000. She is the author of Handbell Artistry from the Inside Out: Laban Movement Theory for the Handbell Musician (Chicago: GIA Publications, 2012), and a published handbell arranger working to bring the music of orchestral and choral composer, Dan Goeller, to the handbell community. Kim holds music education degrees from the Hartt School of Music, the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and Boston University, where ensemble ringing was the subject of her dissertation. Over the past 25 years, her youth handbell ensembles have toured the country, appeared on a number of television networks, performed at HMA’s National Seminar in 2009 and 2024, and were guest artists of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra for their 2017 and 2019 Holiday Pops tours.
With an insatiable thirst for knowledge and a passion to share what she has learned, Karen Van Wert is at home in a classroom or at the podium. She will tell you “There is nothing more rewarding than witnessing a ringer grasping a concept and executing it in their music. Building skills and instilling confidence in a ringer is the goal of every rehearsal, for then we can make music.”
Bell tree ringing has become a focal point of her educational passion lowering the barrier to entry into the bell tree world. Virtual and in-person classes to share knowledge, gathering of BT enthusiasts to grow the art form (Into the Forest) and ringing in praise bands to explore new possibilities are just a few steps on this incredible journey. Karen and her bellboy, James, make their home in Ames, Iowa.
Christian Warren-Corey has been in the Information technology field for a decade. He has worked for both the private and public sectors, and is currently working for a Management Service Provider based out of south Florida. Christian started playing handbells in youth choir in high school. After taking a break for several years he had the opportunity to join one of the bell choirs led by his mother at St Stephens United Methodist in Norman, Oklahoma, and has been ring the low bass bells for past 4 years. When Christian is not working or ringing bells, he is an active member of the LARP and Boffer combat game, Amtgard. He also enjoys reading, leather working, and video games.
Justin Wooten hails from the western foothills of North Carolina, just an hour north of Charlotte, in a small sleepy town called Union Grove. After finishing a high school career dominated by athletics, Justin switched gears, started working in regional professional theaters across the U.S., and went to Elon University, where he received a degree in music theater. Immediately after college, he moved to Los Angeles for the sunny days, bodacious beaches, and active lifestyle. While soaking up the rays, he became a fitness trainer; teaching classes, training fitness enthusiasts and celebrities, and learning as much about the human body was just a typical day in the life of. Throughout all his adventures in life, handbells has always been a constant. He began playing handbells at the ripe old age of 7 years old. Even after moving to L.A., he played with L.A. Bronze under the leadership of Linda Krantz. In 2020, during the pandemic, Justin moved back to North Carolina, where he immediately joined Charlotte Bronze under the direction of Tim Waugh. His one rule in life is: “If it’s heavy, try to pick it up. If it’s too light, make it heavier. If it’s too heavy, get stronger.” This should explain why he only hangs out in the low bass. Post-pandemic, Justin has traded in the big city vibes for the quiet country lifestyle. He continues to pick up heavy things, set them down, then repeat as many times as possible. He also runs his own fitness studio, where he teaches others to do the same. On top of all of that, he lives on a farm with cows, donkeys, dogs, watermelons, blueberries, and a friendly family of raccoons in his backyard.
Nancy Youngman has been a handbell choir director since 1984, serving two churches since 1991. She is the founder/artistic director of Bell-issimo, Lincoln Nebraska’s auditioned Community Handbell Choir. Nancy has degrees in Instrumental Music and German and is retired from Lincoln Public Schools where she taught both subjects. Since 1990, she has been a member of the Nebraska State Handbell Committee and has served as State Chair twice. She served on the Area 8 Board of HMA as Secretary from 1996 – 1998, and is currently the Area 8 Chimes Chair. Nancy has taught at workshops throughout Nebraska and neighboring states, as well as at Area 8 Festivals, and has served as guest clinician for several handbell workshops.