Program Overview
The Handbell Musicians of America Certification has been developed as a comprehensive curriculum program designed to address all levels of training and experience with handbell and handchime instruments. There are three levels of certification available, each requiring from four to six subjects. Classes within each subject are currently offered at various National events. Eventually, classes will also be offered at regional and Area events, and some will be available online.
The initial program outline was developed by a small committee with input from a wide range of sources, both inside and outside the Guild. This original committee included John Behnke, Mary Caldwell, and Richard Moore. Once the basic outline was developed, a larger committee was formed to create the specific course syllabi and to teach the initial rounds of classes. This committee, led by Certification Program Coordinator Sharon Schmidt, will train and approve future teachers for the program.
There are no fees beyond event registration costs until you complete the required course work for a level. Once completed, registrants will be required to pay a fee to receive their certification. The fee is $75 per level for members and $150 per level for non-members.
Certification Levels
As mentioned previously, there are three levels of certification available. Those levels and the classes required are listed below.
The certification levels are cumulative—you must receive Level 1 Certification to receive Level 2 Certification, and complete Level 2 to receive Level 3 Certification.
| Certification Level | Required Classes |
| 1 | A1 – Handbell/Handchime History – NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE B1 – Handbell Techniques C1 – Music Theory D1 – Conducting |
| 2 | B2 – Handbell Techniques C2 – Music Theory D2 – Conducting E2 – Arranging and Composing |
| 3 | B3 – Handbell Techniques C3 – Music Theory D3 – Conducting E3 – Arranging and Composing One Elective to be selected from: |
Subjects and Courses
|
Subject |
Classes Offered |
Class Prerequisite |
| Handbell/Handchime History | A1 – Handbell/Handchime History | None |
| Ringing Techniques | B1 – Handbell Techniques 1 B2 – Handbell Techniques 2 B3 – Handbell Techniques 3 |
None B1 – Handbell Techniques 1 B2 – Handbell Techniques 2 |
| Music Theory | C1 – Music Theory 1 C2 – Music Theory 2 C3 – Music Theory 3 |
None C1 – Music Theory 1 C2 – Music Theory 2 |
| Conducting | D1 – Conducting 1 D2 – Conducting 2 D4 – Conducting 3 |
None D1 – Conducting 1 D2 – Conducting 2 |
| Arranging and Composing* | E2 – Arranging and Composing 2 E3 – Arranging and Composing 3 |
C2 – Music Theory 2 or Consent of Instructor C3 – Music Theory 3 |
*There is not an Arranging and Composing 1 class.
At least one elective class is required for Level 3 Certification. None of these classes have prerequisites, and they can be taken at any point in the certification process.
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Handbells/Handchimes in Music Education
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Handbells/Handchimes in Worship
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Handbells/Handchimes in the Community
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Handbells/Handchimes with Special Populations
At this time, we offer these opportunities to test out of classes:
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Conducting: Attendess at the Master Series Conducting Master Class can be evaluated for proficiency
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Arranging and Composing: Completed compositions can be submitted for evaluation
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Music Theory: Contact the instructor for information on options
Please note that we are not able to offer any credit for college degrees or courses.
How to Participate in Certification
Those who wish to begin the course work for certification must first register their intent to complete the program with the national office. A program administrator in the national office will work with course instructors to track your progress as you successfully complete each class and level. To register, follow the appropriate link below:
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(or those who have an existing on-line account) |
(or those who do not already have an on-line acount) |
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Login to your account then follow the |
Create an account and |
To Check Your Progress
You can check your certification progress by logging in, and then under “What would you like to do?” choose “My Registered Events.” Next select “Handbell Musician Certification” to see your certification record. Any class that has been successfully completed will be listed. If a class is not listed, then you have not yet passed that class. Allow approximately thirty days from class completion for records to be updated.
Faculty Accreditation
In 2015 we began training more faculty to teach Handbell Musician Certification courses. See all the details about faculty responsibilities, the training process, and application materials here.
Recipients of Prior Director’s Certification
We do wish to continue to recognize those who have completed the process for the previous Director’s Certification Program. Follow the links below to see their names.