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February 13, 2006 Vol. 77,
no. 5S
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| TIMING
OF THE CHIMING:
Justin Kaderka practices the carillon at the top of the Campanile.
The mini-concerts at noon and 6 p.m. are most often performed
by carillon students like Kaderka. (Rachel Shafer photo)
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Bells at his fingers, bells at his toes
ME/MSE senior plays and studies the carillon high above campus
On Fridays at 6:10 p.m., the distinctive bells at the top of Sather
Tower, better known as the Campanile, ring out over campus. The songs
float through the air, rising and falling in sweet or melancholic or
rousing harmony. They can reach listeners over a mile away. Despite
a popular misconception, the music isn’t automated (only the
hourly chimes are). It’s a live performance by a small, select
group of Berkeley carillon students. One of those is ME/MSE senior
Justin Kaderka.
“It’s a good conversation starter,” he says, laughing. “I’ll
tell people, ‘I play the bells,’ and they say, ‘You
what??!!’ I explain it to them and they think it’s really
cool. It is so cool. It’s very unique to Berkeley.” This year, only 14 students successfully auditioned for the privilege
of playing and studying the carillon at Berkeley, considered one of
the finest among the 116 concert-class carillons in North America.
To be chosen, says Kaderka, you need a strong musical background. He
took piano lessons for 11 years and credits the experience with giving
him an edge into the class.
In beginning carillon, students learn the basics of playing the 61-bell
instrument, described on the University website as “a musical
instrument consisting of at least two octaves of carillon bells arranged
in chromatic series and played from a keyboard permitting control of
expression through variation of touch.”
Students learn to play, or “handle,” the keyboard by making
an open fist and striking the keys on the edge of the pinkie finger,
while also controlling numerous foot pedals. Another challenge, says
Kaderka, is adjusting to the keys themselves. For low notes, the keys
are harder to press because they’re directly connected to the
bells’ clappers, which are heavier and larger than the clappers
of the high notes. (Carillon bells do not swing, but are fixed to a
frame.)
Kaderka first learned of the carillon and its classes his freshman
year. He was living in the Foothill dorms and met a carillon student
who kindled his interest. In the spring of sophomore year, Kaderka
tried out on piano and won a berth in the beginning class of six.
“The first time I played, this huge sound came out above me. Wow, it
was really powerful,” he recalls. Though adjusted now, he sometimes
finds himself listening to the bells instead of concentrating on the
piece at hand. “I usually mess up once a song, but I just keep
on going,” he says, smiling. “There’s nothing you
can do about it, so I try not to worry.”
Michelle Yong, an engineering physics junior, also plays the carillon.
Kaderka encourages any musically inclined engineer to give it a try.
“You should go for it,” he says. “It’s a unique
experience that you won’t be able to have anywhere else.”
For more information, go to http://ls.berkeley.edu/dept/music/carillon.html.
DeCal is also offering an introductory carillon course. For more
information, go to www.decal.org/courses/course.php?id=52.
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