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 at St. Francis Hospital 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.
Marilyn Bohrer started ringing handbells in the early 80's, as soon as her church acquired them, and hasn’t stopped since! She is married to Paul, and they have two grown children and three grandchildren. Sewing is her main hobby, and she's also a ham radio operator with the call WA9FRS. She has been a secretary most of her life and is secretary of her Eastern Star chapter, but is now retired.
Paul
Cotten began ringing bells in Jr. High School at University Baptist Church, Ft.
Worth where he grew up in Texas. After ringing there for 5 years, as well as
being involved in choir and band both at church and in school, he went on to
earn his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in vocal performance at Baylor
University. Paul has taught music as a high school choral director and as a
collegiate professor of voice. In 2005, he and his wife, Holly, moved to Indiana
to pursue his doctorate at Indiana University, but since then he has become more
involved in the Calvary Baptist Church of Greenwood’s music ministry where he
recently began directing handbells. Paul is currently pursuing a new career in
church ministry.
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 for seven years in junior and senior high school and at the University of Indianapolis where she is a
junior. She also began a handbell choir at her church in eighth grade. She loves ringing in ensembles because the group atmosphere is so unique, but she also enjoys solo ringing as a challenge. She is studying biochemistry, biology, and Spanish at the U of I and is also a member of the women's tennis team.
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 Hetrick lives in Greenwood, Indiana with her husband Mark and grown son Kyle, who are also ringers. Karen is a life and ministry coach, a writer and a professional church musician with degrees from Judson College and Christian Theological Seminary.
She frequently works with worship events at local, regional and national levels as accompanist, worship leader, workshop leader and retreat speaker. She has served as AGEHR National Conference Local Liaison Coordinator and is Immediate Past-President of the Fellowship of American Baptist Musicians. Karen has many interests which include reading, scrapbooking, fiber arts, solo handbell ringing and swapping quirky movie quotes with her family.
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, 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.
Julie has been ringing handbells for almost 30 years. She "blames" Barbara Kane for her addiction to bells and thanks her for the many years of encouragement and patience as well as teaching proper ringing technique. Julie is what is known as a "bell hog" in the bell world. She has rung her current position for many years and rings this position in 2 bell choirs.
When she's not ringing bells, she enjoys planning trips and travelling to Walt Disney World and spending time with her friends and family. She grew up in Greenwood and still lives there. By day, Julie works for IU Medical Group-Primary Care as a patient account representative.