Sharon Sparlin. . . .
joined her first handbell ensemble back in 1980 and after watching joined her first handbell ensemble back in 1980. After watching a solo handbell performance at a local conference, the fascination with the art of solo ringing quickly engulfed her life and she has been ringing ever since. You will generally see her with four treble bells in her hands and a big smile on her face. Sharon has been involved with a variety of small ensemble groups, performing within and outside of churches. In addition to her busy schedule with Sonoran Bells, she also maintains an active calendar that includes performances in a quartet, trio, and duet, and of course solo ringing.Sharon joined Sonoran Bells at its inception. After reading about the formation of a new community choir, she decided to audition for a position, only to discover an obstacle she had hitherto avoided: she would need to know how to read music! (Note: We are happy to report that Sharon not only reads music just fine, thank you, she sight-reads better than some who learned music in grade school.)
Now retired from the computer technology industry, Sharon has the luxury of being able to volunteer for numerous activities in her church and community, finding fulfillment in life by making herself available to others when needed. You may find her driving a patient to the cancer center for chemo treatment, helping with a grocery purchase, mentoring, or visiting a shut-in. She commits several hours weekly to Sonoran Bells and is currently serving on the Executive Committee as Treasurer for the 2007 season. In addition, she is Secretary/Treasurer for AGEHR’s Area XI. Oh yes, she also works part-time for American Airlines.
Sharon was born in Wilson, North Carolina. She has been married for 34 years to husband, Mike, who is a retired educator. They have 3 grown children and 6 grandchildren. In addition to handbells, her hobbies include scuba diving, cycling, golf, and traveling. In particular, her travels have taken her to 70 countries. Although several trips were for pleasure, Sharon & her husband served 7 years with Teen Missions International, which sent them 3 months at a time to various locations around the world. And if she could, she would love to travel into space and even to the moon.
Sharon says her favorite color is red, which symbolizes energy, strength, power, determination, passion, desire, and love. Her mother always called Sharon her "social butterfly," probably because of her love for people. You would no doubt agree if you should visit the Bell House, right next to Sharon’s home, where you would see pictures of many handbell composers and conductors posing with a delighted Sharon.