...he's a dead ringer for his brother.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKZcLEY2qEY

His replacement is likely to be a real ding-a-ling.

Maybe you don't have the bells now, but I've got a hunch you'll be back.

The one at UT always wanted to play songs that would sound good on the piano, unaware of the dissonance caused by ringing too many damned bells at once

I've always wanted a chance to play a carillon. Maybe I should move.

Bok Tower and Gardens is pretty damn nice. Worth the drive from Orlando for a change of pace from the theme parks.

This guy could handle the job:

Damn unfetchable images...

This guy could handle the job:

http://www.castinbronze.com/

That's a pretty nice place yall. It's all florida native plants because mr Bok was dutch but got all geeked about florida and wanted it that way. I heard the bells there once and got married there once. It also boasts the highest point in florida, which is like 300 feet above sea level (298). I wouldn't say the bells sound much like... music... exactly. It sounded nearly random to me. Maybe that's why they want someone to compose too, heh.



I'm the guy on the right. That's Bok Tower in the background.
/Play Freebird!

I met Bill DeTurk once. Not only is he a bang-up carillonneur, he was in charge of the archive of the carillonneurs' guild. Carillons are a Flemish invention, so they still maintain the low countries' tradition of guild education, exams, etc.

Anyway, I was banging around on a practice clavier at a convention. Claviers are what you practice on to avoid farking up your music in earshot of everybody in 1/2 mile radius. (Notice how everything about carillons requires intense explanation? Yeah, they're like that. So are you, if you want to learn to play.)

Anyway, I was making awful tentative noises on this clavier thing, and DeTurk was pretty gracious about it. I motioned over, "wanna try it out?" He just said, "Continue!" Not "go ahead," not "have at it" - "continue." That is the kind of person who makes a good carillonneur.

A little Carrillon music from my alma mater. They even let you go up in the tower to watch the guy play every weekday at noon...

I've been to Bok a couple times. Listening to the tower play Christmas music is pretty damn awesome.

Nice place. Don't go if you're arachnophobic.

Went there once...was a tree lined stretch of path leading up to the tower, GIANT webs going across from tree to tree, all the way down.

I actually have played the carrillon, at UCR (Riverside CA). Had the keys to the tower and everything. VERY different than any other "keyboard" instrument. Hard on the (sides of the) hands, too. But excellent for upper arm strengthening. And a real power trip!

Trapper439: Who wants to be a carillonneur?

[images.t-nation.com image 419x291]

For the most part, organists. They have the pedal ability. More important perhaps, they have that understanding of what it is to hide in plain sight. No one sees them, but everyone hears them.

The similarities don't end there - it's a tight-knit community.

Back in the old days they'd just make a guy who looked like this to pull on bell ropes.

They should get Skrillex to do that job, can't say he looks just like Quasimodo but it should make for interesting listening.

There's a church with a carillon close to where my boyfriend lives. Last month we were doing the nasty and it starts playing the theme from the Addams family. Way to ruin the mood, asshole carillonneur!