National Events - Canada Rings! - St. Albert, Alberta
Janet Nordstrand, M. Ed.
Janet Nordstrand is a retired Kindergarten to Grade 7 Music Teacher. Winner of the British Columbia Music Educators’ Association Elementary Professional Award in 2016, Janet provided musical experiences in Orff, Choral, Recorder, Guitar, Ukulele. Handbells, Handchimes and Musical Theatre.
In addition to her teaching, Janet directed Sound Wave Handbell Choir, her Burnaby District extra-curricular ensemble since 1999. Winners of the 2019 CBC Canadian Music Class Competition, Sound Wave was a passion and joy to work with youth from many different schools in Grades 6 to 12.
As of January 2025 Janet is the new director of Fusion Handbell Choir (formerly known as Resilience Ringers) - a community adult handbell choir. She also began the Deer Lake Handbell Choir in September, 2025.
Janet has conducted most recently at the BCGEHR Provincial Conference in May 2025 in Vernon, BC. A career highlight was directing 750 ringers in a mass choir at the International Handbell Symposium in Vancouver in July, 2016. She has also conducted at the Ringing Link and other BC conferences and events.
An active clinician, she has presented workshops on topics of interest at the provincial, national and international handbell conferences as well as the national Orff conference.
Currently Secretary of the Burnaby Music Educator Association, she is a past board member of Phoenix Choir and the British Columbia Guild of English Handbell Ringers.
A chorister at heart, Janet currently sings alto in her church choir and is a past member for 19 years with Phoenix Chamber Choir.
Janet lives in Port Moody with her husband Ray, and their dog Belle.
Workshop Details:
Friday, November 6 Workshop for Directors/Leaders:
Lessons I've Learned From my Ringers - Empowering Shared Leadership in Adult Handbell Choirs
Adult handbell choirs are made up of whole people—musicians who gather around a shared set of bells and bring with them their lived experiences, challenges, and deep commitment to the ensemble. In this reflective and practical workshop, Janet Nordstrand explores the leadership lessons learned not from the podium, but from the ringers themselves.
Through stories from rehearsal and performance, participants will examine how empowering ringers to lead, teach one another, and speak openly transforms both the music and the community. This session emphasizes the importance of listening—to musical ideas, personal concerns, and the unspoken realities that surface when life events such as illness, anxiety, or caregiving intersect with rehearsal.
Grounded in principles of vulnerability, deep listening, and shared ownership (inspired by the work of Brené Brown and others), this workshop invites directors to move from directive leadership toward a more collaborative model. Together, we will explore how open discussion and collective brainstorming can lead to creative, compassionate solutions—while still pursuing musical excellence.
Saturday, November 7 Workshop for Ringers/Leaders:
What They See Is What They Hear Developing Artistry Beyond the Printed Page
In handbell performance, sound and sight are inseparable. Audiences don’t just hear the music—they experience the movement, the energy, and the visual story created on stage. What they see is what they hear.
This workshop invites directors and ringers to look beyond the notes on the page and explore how movement, posture, facial expression, staging, and visual cohesion shape musical impact. Participants will examine how intentional artistry elevates performance, transforming accurate playing into meaningful communication.
