The bells of UF’s Century Tower ring sweet tunes at the start of each class period. The melodies dance around campus, but most people don’t know that it’s actually students who play this carillon music. 

“Any time I tell people that people play the bells, they are shocked,” said Mark Zhang, a recent UF computer science graduate who has been one of the student musicians behind the scenes since 2022. “Playing my first key was surreal. You hear the bell, but using your hands and feet to make that sound appear was really cool.”

Before a student can climb the 194 steps of the 157-foot-tall Century Tower in the center of campus and chime away with the batons, they must practice extensively. Learning to play the carillon (a pitched percussion instrument with 61 bells) inside the bell tower requires a big learning curve, making it a multi-semester process.

Prior to graduating in the spring, the 22-year-old Zhang spent much of his time at UF studying for the Century Tower performances in the Carillon Studio – a space overseen by Laura Ellis, Ph.D., a professor and associate school director in UF’s School of Music.

With a 61-key keyboard and 25 foot pedals, the primary practice console is a digital carillon in the University Auditorium, emulating the Century Tower carillon. Zhang’s weekly practices ranged from three to five hours, normally with three periods of practice on the digital carillon and one period of private lessons with Ellis. 

“I put a lot of priority into it,” Zhang said. “It’s much more fun than sitting down and writing a paper.”

The self-taught pianist enjoyed having a professor as a mentor. Not only did he find the carillon instrument intriguing, but he said it helped improve his musicality. 

One of Zhang’s favorite pieces to perform was “On the San Antonio River,” and he put a lot of emotion into playing it. Certain songs move you in certain ways when playing the instrument, figuratively and literally, Zhang said, as the carillon requires both body movement and intricate footwork. 

Zhang got involved in the Carillon Studio during his junior year at UF, and his advice to other students is to partake in the opportunity as early as possible (there is, in fact, a waiting list to study in the studio).

“Do it as a freshman or sophomore,” Zhang said. “I feel like I could have learned so much more.”