The development and implementation of movement and rhythmic warm-up exercises for the teaching of Handbells to a selected group of young adults in Hong Kong

This is a descriptive study of the effectiveness of movement and rhythmic exercises for Handbell choir. The study examined the design and evaluation of movement and rhythmic exercises for the teaching of Handbells. Four main types of exercises were developed: (1) Wrist Loosening Exercises; (2) Elliptical Motion Exercises; (3) Individual Rhythmic Exercises and (4) Group Rhythmic Exercises. The effects of movement-based instruction on aural perception, choral and instrumental training has been widely investigated and the positive effects reported in the literature. The subjects were a group of eleven Handbell ringers. Eight were undergraduate music elective students and three had already graduated from the same institution. The methodologies used were observation of the target group, interviews with participants and evaluation by an independent judge. After two preliminary tests in late August and Early September, the exercises were employed regularly for 10 sessions from 26 October to 18 January 2003. Results revealed that all of the exercises were beneficial for the Handbell ringers, especially the wrist loosening exercises, which assisted the ringers to control the tone and volume of the Handbells. The ringers also found the combination of rhythmic activities effective and enjoyable. Copyright © 2003 The Hong Kong Institute of Education.