What is a Handbell festival?
Basically, a bunch of us nerds pay $200 minimum to attend a conference where well-renowned directors, composers, players, etc.
come together to teach more advanced techniques.
Most of these entail a large group session where anywhere from 4 to 30 different bell choirs bring their own sets of bells to play together.
There are many festivals out there, but the main four are:
- Regionals (named after the area number the festival is in, Washington is apart of area 10)
- National Seminar (happens every two years and is in a different area each time)
- Distinctly Bronze West/East (yearly, advanced, intense, and requires an audition)
- International Handbell Symposium (Held in various places around the world and has a wide variety of players and clinicians)
Not to brag (I am), but I have attended all of these multiple times and have been given an A+ grade.