04/02/2026
This group of ringers continues to amaze me, and todayâs rehearsal provided yet another example.
For context, when they began ringing five years ago, none of them had ever played a musical instrument, and none could read music. We started from the very fundamentals. This semester, however, they have progressed so quickly on their primary piece that I introduced two additional pieces just a couple of weeks ago.
When preparing for rehearsal, I typically set out the bells in advanceâpulling them from their cases and giving each ringer their appropriate bells (naturals, flats, sharps) to minimize stress. Up to this point, only one pieceâlast semesterâhas included an accidental.
This semester, two of our pieces are in the key of C (no sharps or flats), and one is in the key of G (with F-sharps). During rehearsal this afternoon, as we transitioned between pieces, those ringers responsible for F naturally switched to F-sharpâbefore I even had a chance to say anything.
As I began to remind them, they responded almost in unison:
âYes, TeacherâF-sharps.â
A small moment, but a powerful reminder of just how far theyâve come.
