Originally published: VISIONS Magazine, Spring 2006

 

Tin-Shi Tam is sure there are folks who don't realize there's an actual person inside ISU's beloved Campanile. But for 12 years Tam has gone through the ritual of maneuvering her small frame through the twisted mangle of 78 stairs into the carillon chamber, where she makes the beautiful music that floats across campus every lunch hour.

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"During the semester I take requests on Fridays," says Tam, who has even played rock and roll favorites like "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Bohemian Rhapsody."

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Once an aspiring church organist, Tam says the carillon is an instrument that suits her well. "It is like a keyboard, but more percussive," she explains. "And we don't use our fingers; we use our fists." She says she frequently works up a sweat playing the massive instrument. The summers can be hot; the winters chilly.

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A member of ISU's music faculty, Tam teaches two music courses per semester while providing individual lessons to students who want to learn carillon. "I tell [potential students] that I have three prerequisites for carillon lessons: They have to be able to climb 78 steps without having a heart attack; they can't be afraid of heights; and they can't be worried about being cold in the winter."