resource articles

Fundraising for Community Groups: Now and Later
I doubt that anyone ever founded or joined a community handbell ensemble in order to be able to spend more time having bake sales and car washes and attempting to sell candy bars or giftwrap to friends and acquaintances. We’re in this group so we can play! ...More

Connecting with Our audiences
When I was invited to write an article for Overtones, I took a moment to ponder some of the things that are important to me as a director of a community/professional handbell ensemble. As a director of church and college groups as well, I know that many ...More

setting the stage
In 1980 I attended a concert being given by a young opera singer at a local church in our area. The voice of this metropolitan opera hopeful was flowing, unencumbered, beautiful, and moving. Three weeks later, I took my family and two friends to see ...More

Connecting with the irs
There’s a wonderful riddle that asks, “What are the three biggest lies in America?” Unfortunately, sensibility and the editorial policies of Overtones preclude publishing answers one and two. The third answer, however, passes muster: “I’m from the Internal Revenue ...More

community choirs - the challenges of team building
As community choirs grow in number throughout the country, the understanding of what constitutes such a choir is ever changing. In the beginning, many choirs were formed as “directors’ choirs,” groups of directors who simply wanted to ring and test ...More