Meet Encore!

Meet Our Director

Paul McKlveen

Email: director@EncoreHandbellEnsemble.org

Paul began ringing handbells in 1974, and continues to pursue his hobby as a director, clinician, festival conductor, and composer. Currently, he is serving as the Music Director for Encore! Handbell Ensemble, a community ensemble based in Oshkosh, WI. He has served as the Handbell Program coordinator at First Presbyterian Church, Neenah WI; conductor of Rezound!, an auditioned community handbell ensemble located in the Kansas City area; and was the Director of Handbell Ministries at White Plains United Methodist Church in Cary, NC for four and a half years. For six and a half years he served as the Assistant Director of the Raleigh Ringers, an auditioned community handbell ensemble which he helped to form. He also directed an adult handbell choir at First Baptist Church in Cary, NC and youth, adult, and children handbell choirs at First Baptist Church in Matthews, NC. 


Paul enjoys composing and has won several composition contests. He currently has approximately 100 published compositions. He has served Handbell Musicians of America in Area 3 as the North Carolina State Chairman, Secretary, and Chairman, as well as the website administrator for Area 7.


Paul is employed by Schneider National as an Enterprise Application Integration Engineer within the Information Technology department. He received a BS in Computer Science and a BS in Mathematics from North Carolina State University. He makes his home in De Pere, Wisconsin with his wife, Sue, his daughter, Alyssa, their two Boston Terriers, Calvin and Hobbes, and their Frenchton, Webster.

Meet Our Ringers

Emily Loper

Emily has played bells since grade school when she was drafted to sub in her church choir. She became a full member the next year and has rung or directed handbells ever since. She plays the cello, and also the washtub bass with Dr. Kickbutt's Orchestra of Death, a local jug band. When not playing music, she can also be found knitting, pretty much non-stop. 

Deb Madel

Deb was introduced to handbell ringing in youth group at her church, and has been playing on and off since, accruing over 28 years of ringing. Her passion for ringing handbells led her to become a founding member of Encore!  in 2007. In addition to playing in ensembles, she has performed in quartets, duets, and as a solo ringer. She also enjoys singing in her church choir and with the Oshkosh Chamber Singers. 

Denean Smith

Denean Smith has been ringing handbells since the nineties, initially “drafted” to ring in her church handbell choir in Decatur, IL. Her prior handbell experience includes ringing with Bells in Motion (Springfield, IL), Week of Handbells (Bayview, MI), numerous national and regional events sponsored by Handbell Musicians of America, and Grace Lutheran handbell choir Green Bay, WI. She and her husband Mark live in De Pere.

Corinne Delfosse

Corinne began ringing handbells in junior high with a Fond du Lac church choir in the 1990s. She took a brief hiatus during college and started ringing again in 2007 with a church choir in Kaukauna. In 2010, she began directing the newly-formed hand chime choir while still being a ringer in the handbell choir, and in 2015, took over directing the handbell choir. Corinne was introduced to Encore! in 2018 and is enjoying ringing with a community group. Corinne lives in Appleton with her husband, Matt, and three girls, Erin, Elsa, & Eve, and works as a court reporter.


Tom Lee

Tom started ringing handbells in 2018 but is no stranger to music. He has been playing piano since grade school; and spent many of his early years playing percussion, specializing in mallet instruments. In addition to music, Tom enjoys playing tennis and pickleball, board games, and volunteering in the Appleton community.

John Asmus

An avid musician since high school, John was formally introduced to handbells his freshman year at UW-Eau Claire, when he was invited to play in (and later direct) their handbell choir. Since then, he's had the privilege of learning and ringing bells across the state and country. In addition to handbells, John stays busy as a performer, playing reeds for his local band, orchestra, and theatre groups. His latest passions include contemporary music and nonprofit arts management, which occasionally compete with his other interests, such as sleeping.

Mary Rank

Mary was introduced to hand bells as a middle school student and returned to playing them 20 years later as a member of a church hand bell choir and then Encore!. She loves the challenge of playing hand bell music of this caliber and the camaraderie that is built within this special organization.

Mary's musical talents extend beyond hand bells, as she has played percussion since she was 11, and is percussion section leader of the Oshkosh Area Community Band. She has been the elementary music teacher in the School District of Omro since 2011, and gets the opportunity to pass on her love of all things music to her students every day! Mary and her husband, John live in Omro, with their two kitties, Xyla and Iggy.

Bethany Rink

Bethany grew up in her parents’ church, where she began ringing as a 5th grader. Since then, in addition to Encore!, she has rung in various church bell choirs and for the UW Oshkosh handbell ensemble. She enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter when she’s not ringing bells or teaching 4K.

Nancy Engels

Nancy was introduced to handbells in high school by her grandmother and music has always played an important part in her life. She joined an Appleton church handbell choir shortly after her family moved there in 2006. The love of handbells returned to her heart. She is excited to be joining Encore for the 2019-2020 season. Nancy and her family live in the Darboy/Appleton area where they have been involved in both school and community theater. Nancy also enjoys time up north, quilting and refurbishing furniture.

Martha Paalman

As the child of two church musicians, Martha has been ringing handbells since she could see over the tables. She has been a member of various choirs throughout the years and is currently the director of The Bells of St Mary Handbell Choir at St Mary Parish in Appleton. Martha lives in Neenah with her husband and cats and works as a Plant Controller at Amcor Flexibles North America.

Erica Schedel

Erica began ringing in high school with her church handbell choir.  After a long hiatus she was recently reminded of the joy of ringing and sought out Encore! to resume playing.  Erica is a psychologist at a correctional facility and lives with her family in Oshkosh.   

Danyan Liu

Danyan began ringing handbells with UWO handbell choir in 2018 and has been playing on and off for three semesters. She joined Encore! in 2022 and is enjoying ringing with a community ensemble. She is excited to ring the challenged music with this group. She also enjoys playing piano in her church and singing with the Oshkosh Chamber Singers. Danyan lives in Oshkosh with her husband and three boys. She likes traveling with her family.

Lydia Harrington

Lydia was introduced to handbells in college where she had the pleasure of studying under Sandra Eithun, who inspired her love of handbells. Lydia is a private piano instructor, member of OAMTA and MMTA (music teachers organizations), and enjoys composing/arranging as well as strumming on her ukulele. She is currently pursuing her Music Teachers National Certification and is passionate about piano technique, specifically the Taubman Approach. Besides music, she loves spending time with her family and friends and enjoying the outdoors. She lives in Oshkosh with her husband Michael and two bunnies.

Terri Somers

Terri was introduced to handbells in 2001 when she rang bells in a church handbell choir in Fond du Lac, WI.  She took a 20 year break from bells, but wanted to get back into ringing at some point.  That opportunity presented itself in early 2023 when she found us at Encore!.  She is excited to be ringing bells again. Terri and her husband, Jeff, live in Oshkosh.  She likes to go on bike rides, camp, and spend time outside. Inside hobbies include sewing and stained glass.

Willem Bosma

Willem is the newest member of Encore! Handbell Ensemble. He learned to play handbells as a youth in his church handbell choir. This year he decided to take on the additional challenge of ringing in an auditioned community choir. Willem is a recent graduate of UW Oshkosh.