This story was written by Jennifer Brady and published by the UA News Center.
Denny Chimes is the location of many graduation photos and likely a few marriage proposals. While visitors see and hear her daily, the history of this beloved icon is now preserved for all to enjoy — thanks to an official website spearheaded by recent Culverhouse graduate Luke Turner.
The recognition it deserves
As a classical pianist who has studied since the age of four, Turner always appreciated Denny Chimes. He knew it, as most people do, for its hourly tolling and as the backdrop for countless graduation photos. Then he researched the carillon and was fascinated by its history and anatomy.
But Turner found there was very little information about the chimes publicly available. He sought the opportunity to change that when choosing a topic for his Randall Research Scholars passion presentation. He decided to create an official website where students, alumni and visitors could easily find and explore the history and traditions of this beloved campus icon.
Working Dr. Amir Zaheri, associate professor, head of music composition and UA’s carillonneur, Turner embarked on the project, which took him around the Southeast and gave him the opportunity to play the carillon himself.
Luke Turner plays the carillon inside Denny Chimes.
Luke Turner plays the console that controls the 25-bell carillon inside Denny Chimes. A carillon is a set of bells tuned to produce harmony when played.
“Denny Chimes is one of the most unique instruments, probably the most unique instrument I’ve ever played. I’ve played the piano and the cello and played other instruments, but typically, when you play those instruments, the only people hearing it are those in the same room as you,” Turner explained.
“But with Denny Chimes, the entire campus can hear it. So, it’s a unique feeling as a musician, thinking that anything I produce in this room can be heard by not just students and faculty, but community members, alumni and people throughout the city of Tuscaloosa.”
Turner, who graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in both management information systems and music, along with his master’s in the former, was excited to combine his degrees to do something fun, but meaningful.
“As an MIS major, I was really excited to get to do this website from the ground up,” said Turner. “Working with UA’s Office of Information Technology, they were able to get the domain. That is important to me because I wanted it to really be the authoritative source for anything about Denny Chimes.”
“From there I had a blank site, so I was able to use all my coding skills and then also some of the skills I’ve gained about storytelling and sharing information in a digestible and engaging way.”
Zaheri believes this student-driven initiative will bring deserved attention to what Denny Chimes represents.
“As an advisor and instructor, a professional musician and someone in the arts, someone who cares about art tremendously, anytime someone takes an interest and actively pursues that interest to this degree, it does make me feel good, but more so it gives me hope,” he said.
“It gives me hope for future generations. It gives me hope for the continuation of these traditions. And it gives me hope that traditions like this at UA will be cared for and protected.”
Collecting the history of the Chimes
Gathering stories, photographs and more came through several avenues. The first of those was the ASSURE grant program, which allowed Turner to travel to research other carillons around the Southeast.
“I applied last fall for one as a School of Music student and was thankful to receive that funding. It really allowed us to film the video (on the website) and then also go on a spring break trip to visit a bunch of carillons,” Turner said. “That was really valuable, not only to understand how Denny Chimes compares, but just to get some greater context about the Southeast carillon tradition. It was actually on this trip that I learned to play the carillon — getting to learn from carillonneurs at those sites.”
Back on campus, Turner tapped into UA Libraries resources and archives for historical documents.
“The Hoole Special Collections was really valuable for a lot of the historical information. I was able to find blueprints and a lot of information about the very beginning of Denny Chimes. I even found some of the renovation efforts,” said Turner. “Even just looking through old Crimson White articles to understand what students thought of Denny Chimes and what role it played on campus.”
Turner also discovered that several people, over time, held a deeper connection to the structure.
“I knew in the past that there were some graduate assistants who had played Denny Chimes to receive a stipend to fund their graduate studies at UA. So, I reached out to some of those to understand what it was like to be a student also playing the chimes,” he said.
“I reached out to a long-time UA employee who was in charge of maintaining Denny Chimes over the years. I even reached out to a couple who got engaged on the steps.”
The impact of reach
While this project and website will have a lasting impact by preserving and elevating the campus landmark, it has also left an enduring mark on Turner.
“I think it’s a testament to all the faculty and the different University programs and initiatives that have really poured into me. They’ve allowed me the resources to be able to pursue this project,” Turner said.
“Even getting access to just go inside and document Denny Chimes and work with a creative media student who volunteered his time to help produce a video to tell the story in a concise and engaging way. It just speaks to how much I’ve been able to gain from this university and how many resources there are for students.”
“One of the things I routinely talk about with the carillon, with Denny Chimes, it is on our campus. It is UA’s,” added Zaheri. “But what comes out of the tower truly does belong to everyone.”
See the history and stories that make Denny Chimes the campus icon it is on its official website – dennychimes.ua.edu.