For those who believe a crooning hunchback is responsible for
striking the bells atop the Powell Library Building, the giant
Altec-Lansing Horn Speakers are, apparently, not apparent
enough.
“I never paid much attention to what’s up
there,” Adam Mitchell, a second-year economics student, said.
“I don’t even like that bell because every time it
rings, I have to go to class. Actually, it means I’m late for
class. I don’t recognize any of the music they play, but they
should play that execution song “¦ the one used for death
marches to signify doom.”
Altec-Lansing Horn Speakers never get any respect. Located at
the center of UCLA, Powell Library serves as a second home to many
visitors, but few know or even care where the classical music comes
from (Schoenberg Hall) or when the hourly tradition began (1952).
Students too often take the oversize alarm clock for granted as
they scurry around campus.
“(Powell) reminds me of the Hill Valley clock tower from
“˜Back to the Future’ in terms of its role and
importance,” third-year religion student Walter Morales said.
“It’s like the hub of the community. Too bad most
people, including me, are clueless as to how the sound is
produced.”
Enter Schoenberg B314. The cramped basement room, which is
reached through a maze of stairways and corridors, can barely
accommodate three bodies, but it rarely has to. A carillon, a
Digital Chronobell and some wiring are all that is needed to send
music through underground cables and up to the horn speakers.
An organ-like instrument with eight octaves, the carillon
resembles a keyboard in its ability to mimic distinct sounds like
Flemish, Bourdon, harp and Celeste. There was a time when the
carillon had to be played live during the traditional 11:50 a.m.
and 5:00 p.m. extended pieces. Various renovations and upgrades
during the 1990s made the carillon completely automated as opposed
to the daily, manual set-the-timer procedure.
“We’re in the digital domain now,” senior
electronics technician Jeff Richmond said. “Occasionally, I
just see if the time is off by a little bit.”
Richmond is also responsible for shutting down the automated
system during unique events like the Sept. 11, 2001 memorial
services.
“We had to make sure that music doesn’t come on
during Gov. Gray Davis’ speech,” Richmond said.
“Sometimes we also turn it off when there are scenes being
filmed on campus.”
According to Richmond, former UCLA opera instructor and pianist
Peggy Sheffield was the last regular player to record and perform
music on the carillon. Appointed the official carillonneur by
then-chancellor Charles E. Young, Sheffield recorded some of her
personal opera favorites, which are still in use today. Richmond
also mentioned that Weird Al Yankovic once used the carillon for
his recordings.
The Digital Chronobell has essentially computerized the carillon
into an MP3 playlist featuring famous songs like “America,
the Beautiful,” “Ode to Joy” and “Canon in
D.” Manager of technical services John Hayes noted that these
songs were among the 30 five-minute pieces provided by carillon
manufacturer Maas-Rowe when the system was installed. The tunes are
played randomly, but imagine if students could call and request
certain songs “TRL” style.
“They need to play “˜Tiny Dancer’ by Elton John
or Metallica’s “˜Wherever I May Roam’ or rap songs
from Missy Elliott, if that’s even possible,” Morales
said. “That would get a huge laugh from everyone.”