The Seventeenth AnnualMid-Carolinas Handbell Festivalendorsed by the handbell musicians of americaSaturday, November 10Sardis Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, NCIn the Notebooks...Andante in F Minormichael helmangia 7634Angel Tidingscynthia dobrinskiagape/hope 1215Coventry Carolsandra eithunconcordia 97-7311Come, Thou Fount of Ev'ry Blessingcathy moklebustconcordia 97-6925Do You Hear What I Hear?alan lohrgia 7985 (3 oct.) or 7827 (4-7 oct.)On the Podium...For more information or to register, contactNadja Sefcik-Earl(704-522-1149 or nadja.sefcik-earl@charchrist.com)Monica McGowan took her music educationbackground (bachelor of science, Music Education,Chadron State College, Chadron, Nebraska) andfound her life's passion in handbells. More thana quarter century later, she is a ringer, director,clinician and conductor. Whether it is for theHandbell Musicians of America, the InternationalMusic Camp, as the Master Bell Technician atRinging Restorations or as the founding Artisticand Music Director for Twin Cities Bronze,McGowan brings her extensive training, experienceand enthusiasm for handbells and handchimes toevery forum and venue.14
Greetings to <strong>Area</strong> <strong>III</strong>Malmark HandbellsChoirchime® InstrumentsRinging AccessoriesMalmark, Inc. - BellcraftsmenBell Crest ParkP. O. Box 1200Plumsteadville, PA 18949800- HANDBEL (426-3235)215-766-7200www.malmark.comChoirchime® is a registered trademark by Malmark, Inc.for its hand-held chime instrument.Letters (or, this month, the advice column): Take the Plungeby Michael J. Glasgow • michael@michaeljglasgow.comabcdefghIn the February issue of The Bell-O-Gram, Ididn’t run my usual Letters column. Spacewas tight, and I didn’t have anything terriblyexciting to share (not anything related tohandbells, anyway).Tonight, all seems very still in Raleigh. Themoon is bright, but the only sound is theclicking of my computer keys as I type thisarticle. I’m painting this scene for youbecause, ironically, I have absolutely no idea what I’m goingto say in this article. I’m just typing. Frankly, I’m kind oftrying to fill space. And that just prompted me to think ofsomething from college: “Dive in,” I used to say back in myjournalism days. “If there’s no water in the pool, you’ll stillhave an amazing story to tell — assuming you live to tell it.”ijklmnopqrstuvwxyzBAM! Just got my idea. Let’s talk about what happenswhen you don’t exactly know what to do, what to say, whichdirection to go. It can be applied to music as easily as writing;frankly, it can be applied to any creative process. The very actof doing something can spark more creativity. (Now my head’sswirling with ideas, and I’m wondering if I’ll be able to fit it allinto the no-longer-large-at-all space before me, which is almosthalfway gone. Maybe I’ll scrap this and you’ll never even readthese words, because I’ll have to rework my whole opening?Who knows? Let’s continue on and find out.)When you don’t know what to do — whether it’s how totackle assignments for a new piece, or how to juggle rehearsalamong all of your other to-do-list items, or how to get startedon that new composition, or where to begin in getting yourscholarship application in, or how to get a group togetherto attend a festival — it’s often that making the consciousdecision to “dive in” is the hardest part. The Nike ads usedto say “Just Do It.” Not bad advice. As you take that plunge,you build a momentum behind what you’re doing. Thingsstart coming together, or at the very least, you learn what’snot working and head in another direction. But you’re doingsomething, rather than sitting there bemoaning all you have todo, or that you can’t do it, or that you’re overwhelmed by it.Next thing you know, you’re three-quarters of the way there,and discover that you’re actually coming along with somethingpretty worthwhile. Suddenly, the end is in sight and the taskisn’t so daunting. You realize, through the creative process,that you have an energy about you by which others can befueled. And fuel, especially when it’s not $4 a gallon, is good.What are you struggling with today? Is there a huge list oftasks before you that you’re procrastinating doing becausethe list is too big? Well, a few more pages and you can crossoff “Read The Bell-O-Gram.” And then just “dive in.” Picksomething else and go for it! You’ll find that at the end of theday, more is accomplished and your confidence has increased!15
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