About the Director

Michael Lamb, founder of Bells In Motion, has been a handbell director and ringer since 1983.  He is currently the Handbell Director at the First Congregational Church in Springfield and has directed its handbell program since its inception and was previously Director of Music for 10 years.  Mr. Lamb has studied conducting and music at the University of Illinois and at Illinois State University.  In 2003, he completed a Master Conducting class under the instruction of Dr. William Payn.

Besides directing and conducting beginning and advanced handbell clinics throughout the year, Michael is also an accomplished musician on the tuba, piano, voice, and solo handbells.  He has sung with the Illinois Symphony Chorus and has performed handbell solos at concerts, church services, and weddings throughout the Midwest.  He was a featured handbell soloist during the Wollan Memorial Concert Series in October of 1997 and performs each year with the Distinctly Bronze handbell festival in South Carolina.  At Pinnacle 2002, he was selected through audition to be on the Dream Team handbell choir.

When not involved in music, Mr. Lamb works as Director of Finance and Administration at Andrews Engineering in Springfield.

About the Members

	Bradley Ashby	has been ringing handbells since he was in Junior High in Decatur.  Since then he's only taken one ill-advised break, and came back to ringing after realizing his mistake.  He currently lives in Champaign, where he works for Volition Inc., a video game studio.
	Vickie Courtney	is a physical education teacher in the Girard school district.  She has been ringing since 1987 and also rings with her church choir.  With a background in percussion, Vickie finds handbells to be a way to continue performing and making music.
	Helen Ely	retired after teaching math at Riverton High School and is currently teaching math for Lincoln Land Community College.  She is the organist, choir accompanist, and bell choir director at Elliott Avenue Baptist Church in Springfield IL.  One of Helen's hobbies is accompanying the Springfield Children's Choir.
	David Lamb	is the newest member of Bells In Motion (after years of intensive handbell study and extreme parental nagging).  When not involved in theatre and bells, David moonlights as a junior at Porta High School.
	Kathy Lamb	is working and saving money to study in England (only one step away from living in her car....).  We are grateful that she finds the time to play with Bells in Motion in between working two jobs and taking classes at Lincoln Land Community College.
	Tami Lamb	- her first musical loves were the piano and the vocal music worlds, and she sang with the Springfield Choral Society.  But in 1984 she was introduced to handbells, and since then has rung in many small ensembles as well as a solo ringer.  When she is not ringing professionally, Tami rings with her church choir and at home with her husband and two children on the family set of bells.
	Nancy Leigh	lives in Fulton County on Bacon Hill Farm, which is operated by her husband, youngest son, and daughter-in-law.  She teaches math and chemistry at the local community college, dual credit classes at Macomb High School, and summer classes for Western Illinois University. Nancy has recently "volunteered?" to direct a young ringers handbell choir for Macomb Wesley United Methodist Church.
	Eric Potratz	resides in Cedar Rapids, IA.  He is a Software Engineer at Rockwell Collins, where he works on Global Positioning Systems for commercial airplanes.
	Cathy Rowe	works at Independent Bankers' Bank as a programmer and operates an album-to-CD conversion business from her home.  She has performed several times with Distinctly Bronze and was selected through audition to ring with the Pinnacle 2004 Dream Team in Dallas TX.  In addition to being Bells In Motion's webmaster, Cathy enjoys maintaining 3 other websites for her favorite businesses.
	Jessica Sharp	has been ringing handbells since 1985 with Mike Lamb. She works with Pre-K and Kindergartners ringing Bell Tones, and with 1st thru 5th graders ringing Choirchimes at Sugar Creek UMC in Chatham. Jess enjoys traveling with BIM, especially when husband "Bud" is able to go along.  As an empty nester, Jess stays busy helping Bud keep their cocker spaniel Noche from separation anxiety while the kids are at college.
	Denean Smith	works as the Fuel Accounting Manager for Integrys Energy Group and resides in DePere WI.  She combines visits with family in Central Illinois to attend Bells In Motion rehearsals.  Denean was selected to ring on the Pinnacle Dream Team in 2004 and currently rings with two church bell choirs in Green Bay.
	Janet Sublett	teaches at Lanphier High School and directs the handbell choirs at Douglas Avenue United Methodist Church.  Traveling to perform with Bells In Motion has always proven to be very rewarding musically and just plain fun.  Janet is looking forward to our future trips and can be packed and ready to go in half an hour!
	Pam Wall	teaches third grade and works for an auction company.  She has been ringing bells since 1974 and has had the opportunity to ring in six countries!  After traveling thousands of miles by plane, bus, car, taxi, and even boat with Bells In Motion, Pam returns home to ring with the handbell ensemble at First Congregational Church.

Interns --

Bells in Motion 2007-2008 Board Members --

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