Meet Our Clinicians
Feb. 16-18, 2024
Sandra Eithun –Intermediate Track
SANDRA EITHUN, M.M.Ed–is a graduate of Silver Lake College in Manitowoc, WI, with an emphasis in the Kodály teaching method, keyboard, and flute. She is currently on the faculty at Holy Family Conservatory of Music in Manitowoc, WI, leading the handbell program there. She served as Director of Music Ministry, handbell director, children’s choir director, organist and choral accompanist at First Congregational United Church of Christ in New London, WI, from 1992-2021. She directed the Silver Lake College Handbell Ensemble from 2009-2020, is an active member of the Handbell Musicians of America and has served on their Area VII Board of Directors. She has been commissioned to write music for many events and for numerous individual handbell ensembles. Most recently, she received the honor of being given the esteemed Donald E. Allured Original Composition Award for the 2020 Week of Handbells in Bay View, MI.
She has over 600 pieces for handbells in publication as well as several sacred keyboard books and teaching collections for the incorporation of handbells in the music classroom. In 2013, Sandra had the honor of working alongside Doc Severinsen and the Fox Valley Symphony to include handbells in his holiday show, Jingle Bell Doc, at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center in Appleton, WI. Sandra’s compositions have been recently featured on the PBS Christmas special, Holiday Handbells, as well as concerts by noted groups across the country including The Raliegh Ringers and The Bells on Temple Square in Salt Lake City. She continues to work as a handbell clinician and conductor at numerous festivals and workshops throughout the United States. She has four grown children and currently resides in Appleton, WI,
Brenda Austin – Advanced Track
Brenda Austin is a dynamic and energetic conductor, clinician and composer connecting musicians through handbells. In 2019, Brenda joined the team at Hope Publishing Company in Carol Stream, IL as Editor. In 2023, she was named Music Director for Embellish handbell ensemble. Before joining Embellish, she served as the Artistic Director for the Detroit Handbell Ensemble since 2016. Under her baton, DHE was honored to open the Handbell Musicians of America National Seminar in 2018 and be the featured concert for HMA’s AREA 2 2019 Festival in Lancaster, PN. Additionally, she has served First United Methodist Church in Eaton Rapids, MI, as Director of Music since 2003. She is also active in the community directing Children’s musical theatre.
Brenda graduated with degrees in Vocal Performance from Western Michigan University and a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from the University of Missouri – Kansas City. She studied with Craig Arnold, Steve Zegree and Eph Ehly.
Brenda is in demand as a handbell clinician throughout the year and has been the conductor and clinician at numerous festivals and workshops including HMA National Seminar, and many of the Areas festivals. Additionally, she has had more than 85 titles published for handbells and sacred choral since 2015.
Feb. 23-25, 2024
Dave Harris – Intermediate Track
David M. Harris has been the director of The Raleigh Ringers since January of 1990, when he was instrumental in the formation of the group. Under his leadership, The Raleigh Ringers have performed across much of the United States; in France and England; on International Television on the “Hour of Power” program; as a showcase choir for the Handbell Musicians of America National Seminar and Area Festivals; with the North Carolina and Virginia Symphony Orchestras; and as special guest performers at the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, New York. The Raleigh Ringers are in constant demand as featured guest performers for various artist series and handbell festivals around the country.
The Raleigh Ringers have premiered hundreds of handbell compositions by nationally-known handbell composers including William Payn, Hart Morris, Arnold Sherman, Karen Buckwalter, Kevin McChesney, Cathy Moklebust, Bill Griffin, and Fred Gramann. The group has worked with major handbell publishers to produce both The Raleigh Ringers Series, and The Legacy Series; sets of handbell publications intended for advanced choirs. To date, The Raleigh Ringers have released eight very popular CDs and two full-length DVDs. Both DVDs have been featured in PBS Holiday specials syndicated across 250+ PBS stations and affiliates in 45 states. The Raleigh Ringers also record demonstration music several times a year for some of the leading publishers of handbell music.
David is a graduate of The Pennsylvania State University and has studied conducting privately with Dr. William Payn (Bucknell University). David was the director of the handbell program at Hudson Memorial Presbyterian Church, and has served The Handbell Musicians of America in several capacities: as All-Star Conductor, Ringing Track Conductor, Instructor for the National Seminar, North Carolina State Chairman, andas Area III Treasurer. He chaired the HMA national committee that planned the first Community/Professional Handbell Choir event, Pinnacle 2000, held in Las Vegas. He was elected in March 2023 to a six-year term on the HMA National Board of Directors. In July 2023, David was awarded Honorary Life Membership in HMA, the highest award presented by the organization. This distinction is reserved for individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the art of handbell ringing. Because of his strong interest in the development of community handbell programs, David and The Raleigh Ringers developed and sponsor the biennial event, Virtuoso, a performance-focused event for advanced ringers. In addition, David has led well over 200 handbell festivals and workshops in 39 states as well as in England, Puerto Rico, Canada and the Caribbean. He has also been the primary handbell clinician for several denominational music events, including Montreat (NC), Lake Junaluska (NC), Lutheridge (NC), Mo-Ranch (TX), Massanetta (VA) and the National Association of Pastoral Musicians (KY). David is also one of the co-founders of the very successful Capital Area Handbell Festival, held annually in Raleigh.
David has taken on a position as adjunct professor at Meredith College in Raleigh, where he leads the Meredith College Ringers. He also conducts the educational groups sponsored by The Raleigh Ringers, the Millbrook and Atlantic Ringers. He has written several articles for Overtones, the national publication of The Handbell Musicians of America.
After growing up in the Northeast, David moved to Raleigh with his wife, Kristina. Dave and Kris have three grown children and one granddaughter.
Matthew Compton – Advanced Track
Matthew Compton, a native of Colorado Springs, has been composing, arranging, and conducting music for handbells since 2007 when he was in the eighth grade. He had his first composition published at the age of fifteen, making him one of the youngest published handbell composers. Matthew graduated from Concordia University Wisconsin with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music with an emphasis in Composition and Conducting.
Based out of Vancouver, Washington now, he is the music director of the Bells of the Cascades in Portland, Oregon, Director of Music Ministries at Salmon Creek Church in Vancouver. In addition to being a guest clinician at handbell festivals across the country, his music is frequently used at local and national handbell festivals, like the Bay View Week of Handbells and Distinctly Bronze East and West. He has been the recipient of the Donald E. Allured Composition Award.
In his limited spare time, Matthew can be found streaming a variety of games and music performances on Twitch, going hiking, or enjoying any number of movies, anime, or tv shows!
