A Brief History of the Bell Band
| In 1978 a young Joseph Pinson, director of music at the Denton State School, discovered that there was a set of handbells locked in a closet in the education complex. They had unwritten instructions that included, "Do let anyone touch these", "They cost a lot of money", "They are very fragile", etc. Not being one to pay much attention to such instructions, Mr. Pinson asked for permission to use the handbells. Someone in authority said, "I didn't even know we had bells. Go for it." |
Pinson was fortunate to have
the young Dennis Schurter as
his supervisor. Dr. Schurter
provided very positive support
for the music programs, and he
encouraged the formation of a
handbell choir. He was a very
patient person, as he watched
Pinson set about looking for
ways to allow the students to
make music with the bells. It
was at least two or three years
before the bell choir finally
played a tune that Schurter
recognized. They went on to
introduce handbells at the state
music festivals, where no one
else had them. In a few years
every state school in Texas
was playing handbells. The
bells that were once silent had
found their place.
the young Dennis Schurter as
his supervisor. Dr. Schurter
provided very positive support
for the music programs, and he
encouraged the formation of a
handbell choir. He was a very
patient person, as he watched
Pinson set about looking for
ways to allow the students to
make music with the bells. It
was at least two or three years
before the bell choir finally
played a tune that Schurter
recognized. They went on to
introduce handbells at the state
music festivals, where no one
else had them. In a few years
every state school in Texas
was playing handbells. The
bells that were once silent had
found their place.