Lynnli Wang remembers the first time she heard the bells. An undergrad at Yale she followed the sound until she was at the base of the campus carillon.
Ten years later Wang is now a masters student at the Jacobs School of Music and the only instructor of the carillon at IU. She practices her craft on IU’s Metz Grand Carillon as one of only around 100 certified carillonneurs in the world. The instrument is played simultaneously with hands and feet. The carillon is considered one of the most advanced and rare instruments to be mastered.
Carillonneur Lynnli Wang explains how the carillon is played, how she got involved in playing the unique instrument and her experience teaching IU students.
Every Saturday at Noon over the past school year Wang has played her “Meet me at the Metz” concerts on the Metz Grand Carillon. Most of her other time is spent not playing but teaching. Undergrad and graduate students, often also from the Jacobs School of Music, come for individual one-on-one lessons and eventually to join her in playing at the Saturday concerts.
“I really love teaching,” Wang said. “It’s so much fun getting to introduce someone to a new instrument. Them being able to create beautiful sounds for campus to hear is an amazing opportunity to hear.”
Students learn in a 70-foot tower in IU’s arboretum. The Metz Grand Carillon was completed in January of 2021 replacing a smaller carillon located near state road 45 that was removed in 2018. The new carillon has 65 bells and is one of less than 30 in the world for it’s number and array of bells that produce different pitches. The carillon has allowed Wang to thrive in her first year at IU.
“Carillons are just so much fun,” Wang said. “I love that I get to be at IU, sharing my music, teaching music and just working with so many different students either from playing concerts for people to attend, taking song requests, doing tours, working with athletics and working with student composers.”
Lynnli Wang plays the Metz Grand Carillon at her weekly Meet Me at the Metz concert in the IU arboretum on March 27, 2021.
Besides performing on Saturday Wang has performed in corroboration with a variety of other campus groups and events. Her Saturday concerts are themed such as “Tunes from the Past” and Spring Fling Dance Party.” One specific concert worked with IU’s cultural centers to incorporate musical pieces that embraced and celebrated diversity.
Wang will often transcribe popular songs ranging from Bach to Disney from piano to carillon sheet music. “I have to do a lot of work in terms of arranging, transcribing the music myself which is always difficult and time consuming but well worth it,” Wang said.
Wang tries to play recognizable songs for Hoosiers strolling through campus. That included partnering with IU athletics to play the fight song after every home IU football touchdown and victory last fall. She also was filmed playing the CBS March Madness theme song before IU hosted March Madness NCAA tournament men’s basketball games.
In a trying year music has been an outlet to many. Wang hopes the magical bell sounds that once drew her to the carillon will now bring a light to others.
“All of it has been such a treat especially during the pandemic when I know a lot of us are a little bit more down in spirit,” Wang said. “Hopefully I have been able to bring a little bit of joy to people around campus.”
