The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Monday, April 2, 2007 - SA ARTS IN BRIEF MUSIC 'Lawns' just a good workout Panther Secret Lawns Fryk Beat Panther's trademark is what he likes to call "floor dancing." This involves convulsing while supine, performing cheerleading moves, fist pumping, maybe variations on the worm. But when you're trying to release an album without any visual accompaniment, the stage hysterics just don't translate. Secret Lawns shows us what the Fiery Furnaces would be like without the lyrical qualities of the Friedbergers. On "Here We Stand" cacophonous background junk from synths and drum machines feels scattered and forced even before the derivative lyrics begin. The album suffers another defeat with "Rely on Scent." An obnoxiously syncopated riff (vaguely reminiscent of Super Mario) meets dreadful lyrics: "These people didn't invite you / They had a piece of pie / And you could smell the scent / And you could smell thatscent." Later, Pan- University alum Steven Ball plays the carillon in Central Campus's Burton Memorial Tower. Instrument of the people ferc reorrs to vocal v ariationsor the word "oh" - it's like Beyonce's "Crazy in Love" without the pop or sex appeal. Though it's rare, Panther does have some better selling points. "How Well Can You Swim" offers a hypnotic lyrical drone, meshed together with layered vocal wails - almost like a TV on the Radio effort - held together by snappy drum machine. The song is intermittently chopped apart by strangely appropriate sounds of shattering glass. The track remains danceable throughout and never slips into boredom or complete obnoxiousness. Secret Lawns would better serve as the accompaniment than as the main feature. Even if floor dancing is the next big craze - and Panther certainly has it down to near perfection - maybe he'd be better off releasing a work-out video as opposed to an album. MATT EMERY By ABIGAIL B. COLODNER DailyFineArts Editor At noon, the sound of bells chimes over campus, marking the time with 12 strokes. Moments later the air fills with music, be it Handel or the "Star Wars" theme. Each weekday, from noon to 12:30 p.m., the public recitals fill the air with different music. It comes like a gift from the sky, without explana- tion, although some curious pedes- trians may stop to wonder about the source. Steven Ball knows what goes through their heads: "Miscon- ception No. 1: Where are the speak- ers?" Music from the Burton Memorial Tower means that someone has sat down at an oversized keyboard of levers that strike the tower's mas- sive bronze bells, or "carillons." Ball is a graduate student instructor inthe University's Caril- lon Department, the first of its kind in the country, and a carillon per- former - or carillonneur - him- self. About 25 University students, undergraduates and graduates, are enrolled in his credited carillon class, which is open to audition to any University student with expe- rience on a keyboard instrument. Although all music from the tower is performed live, the chimes marking the quarter-hours and hour are rung automatically, rais- ing the question of why all the car- illon sounds aren't programmed. Ball balked at the idea of trying to replace carollineurs with a pro- gram: "It's like playing a huge Steinway. It would be as ridiculous as using a player piano to perform Rachmaninoff," he said. All bells are not created equal - carillons are quite distinct from church bells, for instance. Ball called the latter "signaling devic- es," bigger and louder bells used chiefly to announce events. Those bells produce noise by being swung, while carillons are played using a piano-like keyboard of levers that are highly sensitive to pressure. To allow a more delicate touch, the bells remain stationary and are struck from within, with the clappers, some weighing 400 lbs, attached by wires to the keyboard. According to Ball, carillon songs evolved out of the "warning strikes" given before the hour was rung, grabbing people's attention before the time count started. To distinguish their respective caril- lons from those of other cities, dif- ferent towns would elaborate on a simple warning strike. "The carillon is originally a civic instrument, rather than ecclesi- astical," Ball said. "Later carillon players were hired by cities." Out of these utilitarian elaborations grew both original music for carillon and adaptations of existing pieces for the instrument. The Central Campus bells were made in England in 1936, the same year as the Tower. Last Thursday, evening performances honor- ing Arthur Miller took place from North Campus's Lurie Tower, near the Walgreen Drama Center where the new Arthur Miller theater opening was taking place. Although the Tower houses classrooms for music courses and club meetings, Ball said the build- ing is essentially in service of the bells. "The building's purpose is to get the carillonsoundto campus. Every part of the architecture is designed to get that sound out," Ball said. The guy playing 'Star Wars' during your lunch. The ninth floor houses the bells, the largest of which weighs 12 tons. They can be seen behind the building's clock face. That space is open to the public between noon and 12:45 p.m., when carillonneurs have their daily public recital. Visi- tors may walk around the instru- ments in the open air at the top of the tower. "None of the technology up here post-dates the 16th century," Ball said, gesturing to the stacks of bells. He stood inside one huge carillon to demonstrate its over- tones and undertones, gently press- ing the 400-lb clapper against the sloping interior. The bell's lowest tones reverberated inside the bell. Tapping the surface with one of his many keys produced a high, buzzy ringing. Standing in the center of the bell makes the bell inaudible, as sound waves cancel each other out. There are only about 200 car- illons in the United States, and they're especially scarce in Europe, where they originated. Part of their scarcity because of collateral dam- age from World War II - Hitler melted down many bells for their valuable bronze. The only threat to the Universi- ty's bells is the air pollution that, over time, will degrade the mate- rial and alter the bells' pitch, bring- ing the Tower out of tune. "I really think this is the city's instrument, the students' instru- ment - I'd like to see as many people take advantage of this as possible," Ball said. The Tower is remarkably acces- sible for those who've heard of the opportunity. In addition, concerts take place throughout the summer and even accompany movie screen- ings. In another sense, one can take advantage of "the people's instru- ment" simply by walking across campus with your ears open. But you could also survey the city from nine stories up, look out over cam- pus from behind the face of a really giant clock, and see your daily trek - and your aural landscape - from a whole new perspective. I s take a course or two at Cleveland State University ... and transfer those credits back to the college you're attending. * More than 900 courses " Accelerate your degree program ... or get back on schedule * Complete general education courses * Complete a two-semester science course sequence in just 12 weeks! 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