Many know of the Michigan State University (MSU) clock tower in the heart of campus, with its music ringing out.
In 2026, for the 29th Annual Muelder Summer Carillon Series, there are several professional carollinists, trained musicians who play the carillon, a musical instrument consisting of a minimum of 23 cast bronze bells hung within a tower. The instrument requires both hand and foot coordination, as a keyboard of wooden keys and pedals are connected to the bell mechanisms.
The word carillon has French origins.
This week, Jeremy Chesman, music professor at Missouri State University, was the guest performer.
The concerts begin every Wednesday at 6 p.m. from July-August 5 at and around the lawn of the clock tower, where guests can set up lawn chairs or blankets and view the performance as closely or as far away as they would like.
The full lineup for this year’s weekly players can be found here.
Additionally, the MSU Dairy Store, which sources ingredients from MSU farms, serves ice cream across the street from the clock tower, at the back of the union.
The MSU Carillon concert program guide says despite the number of carillons in North America still being relatively rare, with fewer than 200 known, the art form is on the rise.
The carillon evolved over many years. Its main purpose was to communicate a call to prayer, signaling the time of day or bringing awareness to an emergency, according to the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America.
For the Muelder Concert series, director Jonathan Lehrer has a particular selection process.
“We're lucky in Michigan to have enough carillon concert series in close proximity that we can attract touring artists from all over the world,” Lehrer said. “I'm picky about carillon performance quality and I've taken on the volunteer Michigan summer carillon circuit info-sharing role to help boost the chances that we can offer these guests not just one concert but six to seven in-state concerts within a week.”
Lehrer said that coordination lets him curate the best lineup possible. He also said the concerts seem to bring about a calm in the audience.
“One attendee told me afterwards that she hadn't felt this relaxed in six years,” Lehrer said. “Another described it as a sort of quiet togetherness, soaking up community without having to be constantly conversing. We know that modern living can be exhausting, and that nature, artistic beauty, and gathering with others can slow and restore us.”
One notable event the Carillon tower is participating in is a Halloween spectacular on October 29, where the entire tower will be animated to live music after dark.
For those not in the area for the summer months, the carillon-created music is a year-long affair, able to be heard during both fall and spring semesters, every Wednesday from 12-12:30 p.m.
