(given in memory of Sondra Thompson) Ring Sarasota’s primary instruments. Spanning from two octaves below Middle C to three octaves above Middle C, this 62-bell set was manufactured by Malmark, Inc., of Plumsteadville, Pennsylvania. The bells are cast in…
Chris Sheppard Chris began ringing handbells after college but was involved in music from an early age, singing in church choirs, community choirs, school choirs, and the Texas Lutheran College Concert Choir. A trumpet player too, that can make…
Carolyn Schmidt Carolyn began her music career at age four, when her parents realized that she could play all of her nursery rhyme tunes on the family piano. Lessons followed. She became the school chorus accompanist at 14. She’s…
Robin Reich Robin is enjoying retirement in Sarasota after working as a procurement analyst for a NC-based software company for many years. She has been playing handbells for over 50 years and relishes the challenge of ringing with Ring Sarasota. In…
Phyllis O’Keef Phyllis joined Ring Sarasota in 2015, after moving to Bradenton from North Carolina with her husband, who pastors Roser Community Church, Anna Maria. As a music educator and church musician, she enjoys every aspect of making music:…
Kyle Miller Wallace Kyle joined Ring Sarasota in Season 2 and brought years of handbell ringing experience with her. When she is not ringing with Ring Sarasota, she enjoys working and ringing with Ring Sarasota’s smaller ensemble, RingSide. She…
Steven Leadbetter Prior to relocating to Florida, Steve was a founding member (2002) of the Atlanta Concert Ringers. He rings in various national advanced handbell events where he has been honored with multiple selections to the All Stars Choir…
Kim Johnson Kim is a retired Information Technology Project Manager. She is a native of Wisconsin and, even though she has lived in Florida over 40 years, she still considers herself a “Cheesehead”. She began playing handbells twenty years ago when…
The son of Wesleyan Methodist missionaries, Larry grew up in the Republic of South Africa where he began piano lessons at the age of 9. Many years later, in 1980, he was introduced to the art of handbell ringing…
Kathie Hayes Kathie’s careers range between pharmacy, corporate taxation, retail store ownership, and motherhood. She currently works in fiber arts. Kathie has been ringing handbells in ensembles and as bell tree solos since 1994. She has performed with Distinctly Bronze, at the…
Katy began ringing handbells in 2013 after being called in to substitute in her church’s handbell choir. After two rehearsals, she was hooked on the instrument and joined full time. Since then, she has been an active choir member,…
Although her degree from Penn State University reads “Architectural Engineering,” Terri discovered her love of Church Music back in the 90s when, as a young mother of three, she was asked to direct the Children’s Choir “because you play…
Rick is the founding director of Ring Sarasota Handbell Ensemble. First introduced to handbells in 1985, he has been actively ringing and leading handbell choirs ever since. His first career was serving as a musician in the U.S. Navy,…