Hello, fellow campanologists and handbell enthusiasts! Professor Handbell is back, applying the rules of science to the wonderful world of handbells. My mission as always: to use scientific experimentation to add illumination and alleviate complication for your ringing situation!

Last time out, we focused on dyeing your handbell gloves. In the article, the question was asked: “why dye your gloves at all?” This was then answered quite astutely by yours truly: to match a specific robe or color scheme, to take care of a size issue, or to create a fun and whimsical look.

But as reader Lea Boyd points out in this letter, there are even more possibilities…

Hi Professor! I made really BRIGHT dyed gloves for our children's bell choir using the fancy dyes you mix with chemicals for tie-dying. This includes a neutralizer so I don't have to worry about sweaty hands bleeding the dye!

I highlight each person's music with two colors. A stripe along the left edge tells them which color glove to put on their left hand and which bell to use, and the stripe along the right edge tells them which color glove to put on their right hand and which bell to use. Then each of their two notes is color-coded right on the music. This allows even the non-music reader to participate-- left, left, right-hold! Plus, it makes the row of ringers look pretty cool with their rainbow hands--- pink, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple! Wow!

Lea Boyd :-)

That’s really using the old noodle! As Lea points out, dyeing gloves can be used to teach young ringers (or those of any age, for that matter) the joy of ringing handbells, even if they can’t yet read music. Who knew? Well, Lea did, and I thank her for sharing your ideas with us… Way to go, Lea!

That’s it for now, fellow ringers. I’ll be back in a future issue with another experiment. Until then, let me know how your own experiments go by dropping me a line at theprofessor@jhsbell.com. And if you have any ideas for future handbell science projects, I’d love to hear those, too! Who knows… you might end up in print!

Until next time, I remain scientifically yours,

Professor Handbell