About Joyful Sound
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Director
June Hannah
June Hannah is the founding Music Director of Joyful Sound and is currently the Organist and Director of Traditional Music at Old Bethel United Methodist Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. June has a degree in music education, with her major instrument being the organ. She also plays piano, oboe and English horn. June taught school for two years and then began teaching private and group piano and organ lessons for a music store before establishing her home studio. She has served as organist and directed both vocal and handbell choirs for youth and adults at several churches. June has served as Indiana State Chair, Chair-Elect, Chair, Past Chair and Event Planner for Area V, AGEHR. June has also served on the National Board of AGEHR and has been a clinician at the state, area and national level, a guest conductor for several festivals as well as offering workshops for several church bell choirs. June has also performed as a solo handbell ringer and in ensembles.
Ringing Members
Sharon Blades
Sharon
has been ringing handbells since the 1980s and loves music. She is active at
Christ United Methodist Church on the
south side of Indianapolis where she rings, sings and teaches
Sunday School among other activities. She and husband Mel stay busy with her 2
children, daughter-in-law and their 3 grandchildren. When not at work in her
nursing position with St. Francis Hospice
she enjoys spending lots of time with family, being outdoors, playing games,
yard and garden work, many crafts (loves to work with her hands), animals and
reading.
Lora Lee Curren
Lora Lee first started ringing handbells when she and Tom started dating. She enjoys ringing with her church choir and is a founding member of Joyful Sound along with her husband Tom. Lora Lee has served as Secretary for Joyful Sound and is the music librarian. Tom and Lora Lee's wedding was the debut performance of the group under the name Joyful Sound. Lora Lee is employed by SBC and enjoys traveling, singing with her church choir, ringing bells, scrapbooking and stamping.
Tom first started ringing handbells his sophomore year at Arsenal Technical High School in Indianapolis. He has continued to ring in his church choir and now with Joyful Sound. Tom has served as President and Social Chairman for Joyful Sound, and he and his wife, Lora Lee are founding members. As a matter of fact, their wedding was the first "official" gig under the name Joyful Sound. He is employed by SBC and enjoys traveling, ringing bells, singing, and playing backgammon.
Lindsey
Fischer is from Georgetown, IN. She has played handbells since
junior
high school at Floyd Central Jr./Sr.
High School. She began a
handbell choir at her church in
eighth grade and
began solo-ringing in church
services. She loves ringing in ensembles because the group
atmosphere is so unique, but she also enjoys solo ringing as a challenge.
She enjoys tennis, music, church, and chemistry as she is studying
organic
chemistry as a graduate student at IUPUI.
Lorraine Griepentrog began her bell ringing in 1994 when Bethel United Methodist Church purchased 3 octaves of bells. She continues to ring with the Bethel choir, Bells of 52nd Street, as well as small groups and the duet, Two Thirds. She is also an active vocal performer with the church choir. Her interests include knitting, sewing, and spending time with two rescued Great Danes. A husband, three grown, married children, three grandsons and six grand-dogs also enrich her life.
Curt has been
playing handbells since 1990, starting in a local church choir. When he
started, he could hardly read a note of music, having played drums in high
school and college. But he started slow and persevered! Curt is
married to Jennifer and has two children, Madison and Jacob. Curt works as
an engineer for Rolls Royce.
Karen is a
professional church musician, writer and certified Christian Leadership Coach
with degrees from Judson University and Christian Theological Seminary. She
currently serves as Director of Music Ministries at Mt. Auburn United Methodist
Church in Greenwood. Karen frequently works with worship events at local,
regional and national levels as accompanist, worship leader, workshop leader and
retreat speaker. She has served AGEHR as National Conference Local Liaison and
is Past-President of the Fellowship of American Baptist Musicians, for which she
is the Lending Library Coordinator. Some of Karen’s many interests are reading,
scrapbooking, various fiber arts and solo handbell ringing. She also enjoys
family time and swapping quirky
movie quotes with her husband and grown son who are also handbell ringers.
Alex
Jantzen has been ringing handbells since 5th grade and has been a part of 9
different school, church, and community ensembles over the years. Her favorite
bell moment was playing in a service for the
Dalai Lama! She graduated from
Rose-Hulman
Institute of Technology in 2006 and now works as an engineer for
Cook Medical in Bloomington, where she lives. Alex enjoys participating in her
church bell group,
running, traveling, and attending the many performing arts events in
Bloomington.
Darrell Klutey
Darrell brings
15 years of handbell experience with him, having both rung and directed handbell
choirs at Wesley and Beech Grove United Methodist Churches. Before joining
Joyful Sound in 2004, he rang for three years in the former Indianapolis
Handbell Ensemble. In addition, he has considerable experience in solo
ringing. Darrell works as a distribution clerk at the downtown
Indianapolis Post Office.
Beth Larner has been ringing handbells since about age 8. She rang bells growing up in her small church in Ohio. She was one of the founding members of the Meridian Street United Methodist Church's bell choir almost 15 years while attending Butler University in Indianapolis. She continues to ring with that choir as well as to direct the children's bell choir. Beth is math teacher at The Orchard School and has started a chime choir at the school. She also enjoys solo and ensemble ringing. Beth and her husband, Craig, do not have any children (yet!) but enjoy their three cats. In her spare time, she enjoys sewing, reading, gardening, and bike riding.
Joy Whitesell
Joy Whitesell, a graduate of Indiana State University,
is a special education teacher at Northeast Elementary School in Greenwood.
She is an active member of First Baptist Church where she rings handbells,
directs a beginning handbell choir, and plays trumpet and French horn. Joy's interests include reading, jigsaw puzzles, and
scrapbooking. She enjoys spending time with her husband Jim and their
children, Jacob and Jana. The Whitesells are blessed to have the world's
sweetest Yorkshire Terrier, Maggie.