colored handbells

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Home : 2003 : September : 18

colored handbells
By Gene Maxwell

Hi Kim, I'm also new to this board so I don't have a clue as to what is too long but I have seen some long letters.

You're right I am a musician so my main interest is in the music end and I understand you as a teacher
are interested in much more than that. I have 4 children in the Southport Christian School. One each in K, 2nd, 3rd & 5th grades. I taught myself to pick tunes up on a keyboard so I could identify what chords are being played on CD music. I sit with a keyboard on my lap, a CD in the player, a remote in my left hand and a pencil with music staff in the right hand. This is how I get

it going. I have taught myself to identify the chord changes on the CD as well as the timing. When I pick out how I want it to sound on the bells, i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4, or even 5 notes (using the 20 note set)I simply score the notes and count on the music staff. Sounds simple but as you know it can get pretty complicated, but I have a very good ear from playing many instruments over the last 50 or so years. That process usually takes 1 to 3 hours depending on the difficulty of the song. I recently finished Agnus Dei from one of Amy Grant's Christmas CDs and that took a lot of time because of the difficult timing. The song starts and stops and sometimes has no timing at all, just horns playing.

When I construct the board I subdivide it with markers into 3 rows of 15 2" X 6" rectangles. This allows me to get up to 5 1" circles in each rectangle. Also in each rectangle are written the reference number (to the music score i.e. A1, B5 etc.) and the count, i.e. how many beats to coinside with the CD so we can stay together. The coloring process takes about 2 hours per board. Sometimes I have up to 3 boards for a really complicated song, but most can be done on one board.

Most all of my music is chordal with some single note passages. We use our bells in a tremolo fashion, ringing them as long as their color is being pointed to. I tried having the children ring them on one ding (?) at a time but since the clapper is on a spring that was very difficult so we just went with continual ringing. I also set my board on a music stand and point to each rectangle with a pointer. I like the idea of a laser pointer, that might just help me, sometimes my arm gets tired after several songs. I usually sit on the floor or a short stool with the board on a stand up in the air and use a long pointing stick to cue the rectangles. The problem with that is I can't see the children which makes it difficult to correct them if they get to acting up.

Incidently, I get my bells from RBI out of Texas. They also have a web site. The cost is about $100 for a complete set of 20 bells. I have 3 complete sets plus several individual 8 note sets for the younger children.

I have found that First graders are able to pretty much keep up with most of the music I do. I don't really make any attempt to teach music in this process with the children except when I am teaching music. My main purpose is to get them to perform music for special programs, concerts, etc. Mom's and Dad's absolutely fall in love with the music. That's why I use more adult music, but songs which children also enjoy. I don't do any specific children type music. It is always music which can be enjoyed by adults also. We perform regularly at the local nursing homes and for Friday chapel services.

This year, since I am specifically teaching music to pre K and K children I have begun to use the bells to help the children identify hi and low note concepts, and timing. Sometimes we play games to see if they can tell what the notes are. I also use the Kristal Bell cards showing them how the timing works since the counts are printed on the back of each card. But that is about as far as I will probably go with the music training. I think there are great benfits though in using the children and colored bells in eye hand coordination as well as teaching them to minister to others, this latter is very important to me. The idea of giving rather than only receiving.

I would be glad to share my arrangements with you and sort of trade ideas as well as some of the work of creating the "song sheets". I think your idea of using the 25" by 32' chart paper laminated is really a great idea. One of my biggest problems is in storing the foamboards without damaging them. The songsheets could be rolled up and stored anywhere, great idea.

Kim, we may be going in the same direction with our bells and music, and where we share purpose, direction and similar ideas I'm sure we could work together to improve and expand our effectiveness with the children, so I would be more than happy to work with you. I will try to get togther a list of the songs I have arranged

Most of my music is arranged using the 20 bell sets and I know a teachers money resources as well as budget constraints are usually a bit tight. But I was able to convince my administrator and music director to give me financial assistance after they saw the results. Most of the CDs come from my own personal library. Therefore most of the songs aI arrange are those I enjoy. The 20 bell sets really add a lot of depth, and allow you to arrange any composed song from classical to rock. I was so glad they expanded the sets from the original C to C sets. Now I am able to arrange music for any song in any key. I can also use them with the older children to teach sharps and flats etc.

Actually I think our song boards and song sheets are very similar. How do you know how long to hold each note/chord. Do you use single notes mostly or chords?

We are having a hurricane down here so today is a free day, no work or school. So I am home with the kids and have time to get caught up with my music. I also play drums, flute, Irish whistle(s), steel guitar, acoustical guitar and banjo so today is a music day for me.

Gene