Disney soundtracks, The Beatles and Lady Gaga music can all be heard across the Syracuse University campus when Crouse College’s chimes ring in the morning and evening.

Behind the towering walls of the Hogwarts look-alike playing the bells is an unnamed on-campus organization. The group is composed of seven musicians from the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

It’s not every day that Crouse’s historic bell tower is opened to the public. But this Saturday, alumni and students will have the opportunity to experience the bells first-hand as a part of Syracuse’s Orange Central events. From 8:30 to 9:15 a.m., the Setnor School of Music will open its doors, displaying an organ demonstration and offering a tour of Crouse College chimes.

Carolyn Goldstein, a senior in VPA studying violin performance and music history, is one of Crouse’s seven chime-masters.

“My main role is like the majority of the chime-masters: to ring at my scheduled slot, to be very professional about it and really respect the tradition that I hold. It’s an honor to be part of the organization,” Goldstein said.

She, along with the six other students who work the chimes, sometimes wake up to ring the chimes at 8 a.m. Despite the large level of commitment, Goldstein finds it a very rewarding experience. She admitted the 8 a.m. shifts are sometimes hard to get up for in the morning, but said it was a privilege to wake up the campus.

Michelle Taylor, assistant director for operations at the Setnor School of Music, also believes that the early ringing is an enjoyable tradition at SU.

“Most of the time, the first ringing in the morning people are walking to their first class or into work or into teach and they hear the chime. It’s a great way to start the day,” Taylor said.

Taylor praised the work ethic of the chime-masters — all of the music performed is completely transposed and written by the students. She said the arrangements have to be meticulously laid out, because of the limited amount of notes that they are able to play.

“It’s student-based. They’re not buying arrangements or walking up to the bell tower and finding old books of music with Lady Gaga songs,” Taylor said.

One chime-master, senior cello performance and music history major Brian Savage, said the chime-masters this semester do not have an easy job. He said that performing for thousands of people within a one-mile radius of Crouse can definitely be nerve-wracking. He explained how the mental barrier is difficult to overcome, but once that is done, the joy that follows is worth it.

Savage has been arranging and performing bell-tunes since his sophomore year. He explained that the process of picking new performers is tough, as the chimers work to keep the tower sacred and selective.

Much like Lorne Michaels and Saturday Night Live, Savage and a group of chime-masters don’t hold open auditions for new performers. If someone is talented enough, they will find him or her.

“It’s been sort of an internal system where we seek out the people we know will be the best at reading and arranging music and who would adapt to the instrument and would also treat it with respect. We don’t take just anybody up there,” Savage said.

Published on October 20, 2015 at 9:50 pm

Contact A.J.: ajgersh@syr.edu