In 2012 my brother and I started writing a blog about handbells. Since neither of us had blogged before, I can’t really tell you why we started it. Just two years prior we had attended our first major handbell festival, the 2010 Area 12 festival in Davis, California, and had our minds blown. There we saw a marching handbell choir and a pop handbell ensemble (Bell Appeal) and a brilliant quartet (Velocity). We worked with the incredible Dr. Payn. We played handbells in our dorm’s lobby for hours and hours with who ever walked by. It was a life changing event, to say the least. Both Bryce and I came away pumped up about the future of handbells.

After that event I noticed that many bell ringers were like me before that conference, enthusiastic about their little corner of the handbell world, but not really sure what else was out there. I’d show a friend an interesting video or tell them about this cool group, and they would be excited at learning that there’s more to their community. Somehow this revelation slowly turned itself into a blog.

So in 2012 my brother and I dived in and started the Handbell Brothers’ Blog. From 2012-2016 we researched and wrote stories from all across the handbell world. I could have never guessed the crazy adventure that decision would lead us on. In that time we went to and performed at our first Handbell National Seminar. We traveled across the country to play at the Raleigh Ringer’s first Virtuoso experience. We played bell internationally. We worked at a handbell factory. We made several music videos. It was quite the ride.

But as happens when you’re in your 20s, life ended up taking us in different directions. Bryce moved to Colorado to pursue a job in environmental science. I tried to keep the blog going, but it felt weird writing as the Handbell Brothers when there was only one. Plus, at that point we had met so many amazing friends in the handbell world that the blog became so much more than just the two of us. So it felt right to let the blog fade away and focus on new projects.

However, I never really stopped thinking about it.

Welcome to the new and improved Handbell Blog. New name, new logo, and new look, but with the same nerdy enthusiasm that propelled the original blog. I’m hoping this will again become a platform for handbell nerds from all walks of life to find new inspiration and ideas.

For those who are wondering, the old posts are hidden but not gone. Over the next year or so I’ll be editing and reformatting the old posts and releasing one a week in addition to new content.

Thank you to every who was a fan of the Handbell Brothers’ Blog. Your enthusiasm helped us create something we were both extremely proud of. I’m hoping to create something everyone can be proud of again.

Here’s to many new adventures!