Willard H. Markey* (1980) set as his goal in 1963 helping to bring handbells into the mainstream of the music industry. He wanted to see handbells accepted and recognized as a legitimate member of the family of fine musical instruments throughout the world. He was the first person to exhibit a set of handbells at an MENC conference, thereby beginning the process of bringing bells into music education. As a result, handbells have been displayed at every MENC National Biennial Conference since 1963 and many concerts and workshops have been offered as well. For many years, Willard served as the unofficial photographer at national handbell events. Many of the photographs seen in Overtones through the years were taken as he attended festivals and seminars.
