Music reaches my soul, lingers and resonates. It has been part of my life since elementary school when I started taking piano lessons, then in junior high learned to play the clarinet and bass clarinet. In high school and college/university I continued playing in bands and sang in the church or school choir. I was first introduced to handbells at my home church where occasionally there would be a song performed for service or handbells used to augment the choir songs. After graduate school I moved to the Tri-Cities and joined the choir at Westside Church. Again, handbells were part of worship. Life and marriage moved me to a different church for many years. Several years ago, I attended a BOTD concert with a friend. I immediately was impressed by the group and moved by the complexity and skills they performed with the bells and chimes. I knew I had to join the group. Cathy Rohrig was the director at the time. She welcomed my interest and patiently helped teach the skills needed for the level of ringing that BOTD does. She and the other ringers have been great teachers, friends and companions. I look forward to ringing with the group for many more years.
