Tom Waldron is the founding director of the Bells on Temple Square. In 2003, Tom was asked by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to direct the purchasing of handbells and organize a handbell choir. Through a donation, a 7 octave set of handbells plus a 61/2 octave of handbells with two 6 octaves of hand chimes were purchased. The Bells on Temple Square perform twice annually in concert and often on the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Sunday Broadcast. The Tabernacle Choir has given him the title of Bell Master for his work in teaching the singers of the choir to ring handbells for use in their concert tour programs and in some broadcasts.
In 1982, while teaching at Brighton H.S. Tom became the first public high school teacher in the state to establish a handbell choir where the students could receive credit for their membership in the group. He later moved to Jordan High School and started another handbell choir. His bell choirs at Brighton H.S. and Jordan H.S. performed for countless organizations and activities throughout the State of Utah. In 1988, he took his bells to the Western Music Educator's Conference to assist as he presented two sessions on the advantages of English handbells in the music curriculum and the advantages provided by AGEHR.
His high school bell choir was invited to perform two times for the Utah Music Educators Association Association. His bell choir participated in the Portland, Oregon National AGEHR conference, the Area XI Conference in Durango, Colorado, and in Casper, Wyoming. In 1998 his High School handbell choir was featured in a Friday Evening Concert .by the Temple Square Performance series.
Tom has taught numerous classes for the Utah State AGEHR during winter seminars and clinics. He directed the Utah State Mass Ring as a guest conductor twice in 1997 and 2006. Numerous high school music directors observed the successes at his high schools and Tom helped them get started by mentoring and giving workshops to them individually.
Tom served as the Utah chairman of AGEHR for two successive two-year terms. During this time he helped the Area XI board establish the area bylaws. He organized four statewide ringing conferences for bell choirs in the State of Utah and surrounding areas. He also served on the Area XI Chimes Committee.
Tom taught music in the public schools in Utah for 30 years. In 2002 he was presented with the Utah State Outstanding Music Educator Award by the Utah Music Educators Association. His choirs received numerous awards and superior ratings. Because of his outstanding work in the choral area, he has been the invited guest director of many Honor Choirs and festivals throughout the state.
Tom sang with the Tabernacle Choir for 20 years and was a featured soloist on several occasions.
He is currently composing handbell music for the Bells on Temple Square and has some of his compositions in print.
In 2003, Tom was presented with the Outstanding Service to the Art of Handbell Ringing Award by the Utah AGEHR
|