Area 8 2026 Elections

Noah Hartsfield began ringing handbells in 2nd grade at First United Methodist Church in Kirksville, Missouri and has been ringing ever since.  Over the course of 30+ years of ringing, he has rung with multiple church choirs as well as with the Columbia Handbell Ensemble (CHE), a community handbell ensemble. In his 13-year career with CHE he performed with the ensemble at multiple high profile concert engagements including for Area 8 in Topeka, Kansas; Area 1 in Amherst, Massachusetts; and the 2011 National Director’s Seminar for the Handbell Musicians of America in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  In addition to ringing with CHE, he served as the ensembles business manager and treasurer for many years.

Noah is currently the Director of Handbells at First Baptist Church in Columbia, Missouri.  In this role, he leads the Chancel Bell ensemble as well as drives initiatives to introduce new ringers of all ages to handbell music.  He has organized ecumenical mass ring events with the Columbia community and worked with local non-profits on special events.  Additionally, he has assisted local churches as a guest clinician and helped new ensembles organize and get started.

Noah is passionate about handbell music and is always looking for ways to introduce handbells to new audiences.  He has experience as a large and small ensemble ringer, a handbell soloist, conductor, and is an aspiring composer.  Noah has served as a faculty member for handbell festivals and conferences teaching classes on bass bell techniques as well as community ensemble management and organization.  In 2024, Noah assisted the Area 8 Board by serving as the local liaison for the Festival Conference in Columbia, Missouri.  Beyond handbells, Noah has served on the board and as an officer in non-profits around the Columbia area.  Noah holds a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies with concentrations in Psychology, Sociology, and Music from the University of Missouri.  In his “day job”, Noah is an HR professional and currently works as an HR Recruitment Consultant for the College of Veterianry Medicine at the University of Missouri.

I am honored to stand as a candidate for Chair of Area 8 Handbell Musicians of America. My journey with handbells began in the early 1970s at St. John’s United Methodist Church in Davenport, Iowa, where I was first introduced to ringing by Mike Farrell. Since then, handbells have been a lifelong passion, and today I continue to serve as a ringer at St. John’s, and the director of RiverBend Bronze.

My musical foundation began in band as a trombonist, leading to a Bachelor of Music in Trombone Performance and Music Education from The University of Iowa and a Master of Arts in Music Education with an emphasis on conducting from Northwest Missouri State University (now Truman State University). Over the course of my career, I have taught band in three Iowa school districts, working with students from 5th through 12th grade. These years in education sharpened my skills in planning, rehearsal techniques, and leadership—skills that I now bring to the handbell community.

Since joining RiverBend Bronze in 2018, I have actively participated in the Handbell Musicians of America National Seminar, the Area 8 Festival, and numerous area events. Although I have rung most of my life, RiverBend Bronze deepened my appreciation for the artistry of handbell ringing and inspired me to further develop my skills as both a ringer and conductor. I have even ventured into the realm of solo ringing, expanding my understanding of the instrument and its expressive possibilities.

As Chair, I would bring:

• Experience as both educator and performer, ensuring strong support for ringers and directors alike.
• Commitment to growth and engagement, encouraging participation across all levels of Area 8.
• Passion for collaboration, fostering connections between ensembles, festivals, and individual musicians.

Handbells have given me a lifetime of joy, community, and artistry. I am eager to serve Area 8 by supporting its members, strengthening its programs, and helping our art form continue to thrive.

Laura Kastens came to handbells as a young adult just out of college with a music ed degree (1979) from the University of Illinois in hand. The church she attended (Prospect Heights Community, Prospect Heights, IL) wanted to start a handbell choir so she volunteered to learn as much as she could about the instrument and set about recruiting ringers. That was more than 40 years ago. Since then, she has served as handbell director at Missouri United Methodist Church (Columbia, MO), and her current position at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church (Iowa City, IA) where she directs several ensembles, including an advanced women’s ensemble and an advanced adult choir as well as pick-up small ensembles (duets, trios, quartets). She rang with St. Mark’s United Methodist church in Bloomington, IN when she lived in that community and was recently a member of RiverBend Bronze based in the Quad Cities. She attended her first Area 8 festival in 2024 and loved the experience!

Since retiring from the University of Iowa she finds herself agreeing with her parents that retirement is busier than her working years. She is a member of the Chamber Singers of Iowa City, an auditioned vocal ensemble, and sings in her church choir at St Andrew Presbyterian Church. She is a long-time member of the international music fraternity Sigma Alpha Iota, and an honorary member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. As an active clarinetist she plays in the New Horizons band during the year and with the Cedar Rapids Municipal band during the summer. In her “free time” she takes Senior College classes at the University, ushers at various venues in the Iowa City area, and enjoys reading and walking. 

EmJ Jackle-Hugh  began ringing handbells in high school in a church choir in Geneseo, Illinois and has been ringing ever since. She currently enjoys ringing bass and low bass bells, although she can be talked into ringing upper bells for small group pieces.

EmJ currently plays with Bells In Motion based in Decatur IL and with the choir at Pana First United Methodist Church in Pana IL. She also enjoys playing duets and trios with her family. In 2024, EmJ joined the Area 8 Illinois Committee and helped organize their first state festival post-Covid. EmJ has attended Area 8 Festivals several times and is looking forward to attending her first National Seminar in 2026.

In addition to playing handbells, EmJ plays bassoon, flute, and clarinet. She keeps a busy music schedule playing in several groups throughout central Illinois. EmJ lives in Pana IL with her spouse and child where she works part time for the local hospital wellness department. In early 2025, EmJ was appointed by the governor to serve on the Illinois Rare Disease Commission. She has over 25 years of experience with various non-profits. In her free time, EmJ enjoys reading and all things Star Trek. Her favorite food group is chocolate.

Julia Cozad-Callighan has been a bell player since the age of 8 and began ringing in a church choir in her hometown of Bettendorf, IA with her mother.  She was immediately drawn to the low bass and has pretty much stayed down there ever since, though she will play smaller bells if you ask nicely.

Julia currently plays in Riverbend Bronze, a community group based in the Quad Cities, where she resides (Rock Island, IL).  She also plays in Bells in Motion, based in Decatur, IL.  In October of 2023, Julia participated in her first Distinctly Bronze West under the direction of Hart Morris.  In August 2024 she attended the International Handbell Symposium in Hamamatsu, Japan.

Outside of handbells, Julia works at an NPR-affiliate radio station and enjoys board games, making costumes and weightlifting.  She shares her home with her spouse named Shaun, two guinea pigs named Moose and Bear and a crested gecko named Gecko.

Julia is excited about the opportunity to be more involved in Area 8.  She currently serves as treasurer for a small local organization and welcomes the chance to stretch her skills further.

Nancy Youngman has been a handbell choir director since 1984, serving two churches since 1991.  She is the founder/artistic director of Bell-issimo, Lincoln Nebraska’s auditioned Community Handbell Choir.  Nancy has degrees in Instrumental Music and German, and is retired from Lincoln Public Schools where she taught both subjects.  Since 1990, she has been a member of the Nebraska State Handbell Committee and has served 2 four-year terms as State Chair. She served on the Area 8 Board of HMA as Secretary from 1996 – 1998, and is currently the Area 8 Chimes Chair. 

Nancy has taught at workshops throughout Nebraska and neighboring states, as well as at Area 8 Festivals, and has served as guest clinician for several handbell workshops.  This past summer, she was honored to be chosen to teach a class at Pinnacle and is also scheduled to teach this January during HMA’s Virtual Winter Workshop.  As a ringer, Nancy has taken part in several Area Bronze Fests and is a regular participant in the Bay View Week of Handbells.  Nancy’s adult children, daughter-in-law, and husband (who is a CPA and could be VERY helpful in the role of Treasurer!) are all handbell ringers.