Q&A Tuesday: What's that ringing in my ears?

Nancy Mielke, founder and director of the Red Hot Bell Peppers, is the choir and handbell teacher at Carson Middle School, where she has taught since 1993.

Previously, she taught second-grade in Missoula, Mont., and in Reno and was a music teacher at several Carson City schools. She was teacher of the year at Carson Middle in 2004, has directed and rung handbells since 1982 and taught for at least 40 years.

Why did you start Red Hot Bell Peppers?

The handbell choir began in 1996 as an outgrowth of the choral program at Carson Middle School, which started in 1994. The bells were borrowed to help students sing more in tune and learn to read and write music notation.

Presently, there are 35 students in beginning and advanced classes ringing three- and five-octave sets of Malmark handbells and three octaves of chimes.

What are the requirements for joining the handbell choir?

The beginning class is open to any CMS sixth-, seventh- or eighth-grader with or without previous instrumental experience, who is physically able to handle the bells, which range in weight from a few ounces to 15 pounds per bell. Advanced handbells is open for seventh- and eighth- grade students.

What's the history of handbell choirs?

Originally made by Robert Cor in 1694 so English tower ringers could more easily practice change ringing without disturbing the peace of the farmers and their animals in the surrounding countryside, handbells began to develop into musical instruments with the advent of the modern machine lathe in the 19th century. In 1844, P.T. Barnum convinced London's Lancashire Bell Ringers to become known as "Swiss Bell Ringers," and novelty bell ringing became a hit in American vaudeville.

How often do the Red Hot Bell Peppers perform?

CMS's Red Hot Bell Peppers have enjoyed outstanding school district and community support since their inception. Advanced handbell students perform approximately 15 to 20 times during the school year.

How much do handbells cost?

Two of the four foundries producing most of the world's handbells today are in America. Bell sets are usually composed of 25 to 61 bells of two to five octaves, costing from $5,000-$17,000. Besides the bells and their cases, serious handbell players require special tables, thick foam pads with covers, music stands and binders, specially notated handbell music, mallets, gloves, polish and cloths.

Equipment has been purchased by the school a few pieces at a time over a period of approximately 10 years. Students buy their own gloves and concert clothing.

Is each student assigned a specific handbell?

Handbells are usually arranged on tables or with ringers standing in keyboard order, similar to the position of black and white keys on the piano. Each ringer is usually responsible for two notes, including sharps and flats, of the scale in which the music is written. He or she may also be responsible for ringing bells an octave higher or lower. There are usually 11-14 ringing positions for five octaves of bells.

Are there any other student bell choirs in the area?

Handbells began to be popular on the West Coast in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Janet Ty has had outstanding handbell choirs in the Las Vegas area for many years, as has Barbara Walsh in the Washoe County School District in Reno.

There are a dozen or more active church handbell choirs in Reno, Gardnerville, Carson City and Incline Village.

Are there handbells at other schools in the district?

In the fall of 2004, Stewart Peebles, choir director at CHS, was able to expand the handbell program into the high school with three octaves of bells there and this spring semester, Carla Simms, Fritsch Elementary School's music teacher, borrowed a two-octave set of bells.

How can the community support the Red Hot Bell Peppers?

We welcome invitations to play. We need a bit of advance notice to prepare the muscle memory that handbell playing demands and we need about 40 feet of space.

Visitors are always welcome to watch us rehearse any morning at CMS and everyone is especially invited to our annual spring concert at the Boldrick Theater in April. Call 283-2800.

Red hot bell

peppers

• The Red Hot Bell Peppers and Carson Middle School received the 2000-2001 National Exemplary Award for Outstanding Handbells in Music Education.

• Students' families often provide transportation to performances away from school, moving the equipment, providing concert dress clothing and helping with details of the performance.

• Bell castings are usually a raw metal bronze alloy of copper and tin tuned to A-440.

• The basic playing techniques of ringing and damping have in recent years been expanded to include four-in-hand, shelley, shaking, plucking, martillato, echo ringing, malleting, swinging and even ringing under water.