2018 – Mahanay Bell Tower

Santa & Mrs. Claus visit kids on Dec. 6.

Fusebox Marketing on December 3, 2018

Santa & Mrs. Claus will arrive in Jefferson at 6:15 pm on Thursday, Dec. 6 at the Thomas Jefferson Gardens. Everyone is invited to watch this annual tradition! They will light the community Christmas tree in the Gardens at 6:30 pm. This tree will remain lit through the Christmas holidays. Santa & Mrs. Claus will then make their way to the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower to visit with youngsters and their families from 6:45 – 7:30 pm. With the lights of the bells in the observation deck, this is a special location for kids to tell Santa their Christmas wishes. The admission to the Tower is free for all during this special evening!

Christmas Tower Tunes Live Concerts

Fusebox Marketing on November 16, 2018

Local musicians will play the Mahanay Memorial Carillon during the Christmas season. On Tuesdays and Thursdays between Thanksgiving and Christmas, special Tower Tunes Live Concerts will be played from 5:15 – 5:30 p.m. Musicians involved are Rick Morain, Pat Richards, Danille Curtis and Bonnie Orris. Each musician will select their own music so expect a great variety of wonderful holiday music.

Happy Birthday to the Bell Tower

Fusebox Marketing on October 25, 2018

http://greenecountynewsonline.com/2018/10/17/happy-birthday-to-the-bell-tower-2/#more-48743 Link to GreeneCountyNewsOnline story.

The Bell Tower Community Foundation treated the county supervisors to Deal’s apple cider donuts with birthday candles to mark the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower’s 52nd birthday Monday. The supervisors were game enough to sing the birthday song in return for the donuts.

Foundation president Carole Custer also presented the board with a framed certificate commemorating the dedication of the 47-bell carillon two years ago.

Supervisor Pete Bardole, ex officio member of the foundation, accepted the certificate. He and supervisor Dawn Rudolph are both the same age as the bell tower – 52.

52 yrs old

Fusebox Marketing on October 15, 2018

On Oct. 16, the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower is 52 yrs. old. To celebrate, the Tower will be open on Oct. 13 & 14 will be open from 10 – 4 with all persons 52 yrs old admitted free. Youth 18 and under are always free courtesy of Jefferson Hy-Vee. On Tuesday, Oct. 16, “Happy Birthday” will be played on the carillon right after each hour to celebrate.

The Mahanay Bell Tower will be open weekends in October from 10 -4 and is the perfect place to view the beautiful fall colors of rural Iowa from the 120 ft. Paul Nally Observation Deck accessed by elevator. The bells play the Westminster Chimes each quarter hour and 3 songs after each hour.

ISU carillonneur to play in Jefferson on Sept. 1

Fusebox Marketing on August 24, 2018

A special carillon concert to conclude the Tower Tunes Live summer series will be performed on Saturday, Sept. 1 at 11 a.m. by Iowa State University Carillonneur Dr. Tin-Shi Tam and five of her students. The Mahanay Memorial Carillon was expanded to forty-seven bells from fourteen in May of 2017 to allow for a larger repertoire and the ability for musicians to play the digital keyboard. The Foundation is pleased to announce this amazing opportunity of this concert partnering with the Thomas Jefferson Gardens Board of Directors. The Gardens and the Courthouse Square are perfect places to hear the concert and concert-goers are invited to bring a lawn chair to sit back and enjoy the music. A light lunch will follow at the Welcome Center in the Thomas Jefferson Gardens with attendees having a chance to listen to Dr. Tam and her students share their thoughts on playing the carillon. The public is invited to attend this free event.

The keyboard that Tin-Shi Tam plays at Iowa State University is a traditional carillon played by striking the batons with fists and pressing the pedal keyboard with feet. Dr. Tam and other musicians climb the stairs to the top of their carillon to play the instrument. The Mahanay Memorial Carillon is played with a traditional keyboard much like an electronic piano and it is located one level above the lobby accessed by a shorter set of stairs. Over 40 musicians with two years of piano experience through professional musicians have played the local carillon since the installation of the additional bells for a four octave carillon. This will be the first time that Dr. Tin-Shi Tam will play this instrument.

Bell Tower Community Foundation President Carole Custer explained, “Dr. Tin-Shi Tam is world-renown as a carillonneur. There are only four carillons in Iowa and Jefferson is fortunate to attract this caliber of expertise to our Mahanay Memorial Carillon.”

Thomas Jefferson Gardens Board member and one of the Mahanay Maestros, Becky Greiner shared, “Jefferson has had a long history of hosting outstanding musicians and bands. We look forward to featuring our first carillonneur. What an opportunity!”

Tin-Shi Tam, a native of Hong Kong, is the Cownie Professor of Music (University Carillonneur) and the Chair of the Keyboard Division. She holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in organ from The University of Michigan. At present, she is a jury of the Associate Carillonneur Examination Committee of The Guild of Carillonneurs in North America.

A celebrated artist on carillon and organ, TAM has given recitals in Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, and the United States. As an active clinician, TAM has given master classes, lectures and education programs extensively. Her carillon compact disk “The Bells of Iowa State” was released in 2004.

YOU can play the bells!

Fusebox Marketing on July 16, 2018

Would you like to have an experience of a lifetime – playing the Mahanay Memorial Carillon? You would be called a Mahanay Maestro! This rare opportunity to play the 4 octave carillon will be available to musicians with at least 2 years of piano experience.

The keyboard is electronically connected to the 47 bells in the tower. The community will be able to hear these concerts between 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Monday, July 23 in Jefferson. Musicians may sign up and pay the $10 fee at the 168 ft. Mahanay Bell Tower- which will be easy to locate in the downtown square. Maestros will need to climb the stairs to the level above the lobby area. For $10, one song selection can be played with music books available. Floyd Mahanay specified in his will that selections of sacred and patriotic music must be played 50% of the time. The Bell Tower Foundation has decided that 80’s music could be chosen to play on July 23 with a nod to the Highway to Bells Jefferson RAGBRAI theme. A staff member will assist the musicians in playing the carillon. Each will also receive a Mahanay Maestro button to declare their experience.

The Mahanay Bell Tower will be open to the public on July 23 from 10 am – 9 pm. The experienced Bell Tower Staff will share the story of the Tower and lead tours to the 120 ft. glass enclosed Paul Nally Observation Deck accessed by elevator. The view of rural Iowa is spectacular and unique. Rooftop art can only be seen from this vantage point. The long line of cyclists on the Highway to Bells will be quite the sight from the top of the Tower. A photo op in the observation deck will be available with people encouraged to #irodethehighwaytobells or #mahanaybelltower

The Mahanay Tower was built in 1966 with 14 bells. For the 50th anniversary in 2016, the Bell Tower Foundation Board raised funds and received grants to expand the tower to 47 bells. The additional bells were installed just one year ago. The Westminster Chimes play each hour and quarter hour. Two songs are played after each hour with a Tower Tunes Live Concert played daily by musicians from 12:15 – 12:30 p.m. The non-profit Bell Tower Foundation Board works to enhance the Tower collaboratively with the Greene County Board of Supervisors who own and maintain the Tower.

Admission to the Mahanay Bell Tower is $3 for over 18 yrs. and free to 18 & younger courtesy of the Jefferson Hy-Vee.

John Karras visits Mahanay Tower

Fusebox Marketing on July 2, 2018

One of the founding fathers of RAGBRAI visited Jefferson and the Mahanay Tower on Sunday, July 1. John Karras and his family spent the day with John Brunow of All Ability Cycles. They rode the Van Raam Fun2Go around the Square. They stopped that Mahanay Bell Tower to see the view and hear the bells. John and his family were amazed at the Rockin’ to RAGBRAI piano located on the plaza with John’s picture painted on it. This public piano is full of other likenesses – both local and state-wide – of those who cycling has been a big part of their lives.

Hy-Vee sponsors youth admissions for 2018

Fusebox Marketing on June 4, 2018

Hy-Vee of Jefferson is the 2018 sponsor for all youth to tour the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower free of charge. All visitors 18 years of age or younger will be free and adult admission is $3. Lori Subbert of Hy-Vee of Jefferson is pictured with a group of children who recently rode the elevator to the Paul Nally Observation Deck at 120 ft. high to see the spectacular view and hear the 47 bell carillon.

Bell Tower Community Foundation board member Jean Feldmann spoke with Lori about the sponsorship and shared that 2,123 youth 18 years and under visited the Tower in 2017 which is an increase of 322 over 2016. Almost 1,000 more people toured the Tower in 2017 than the year before with total admission reaching 6,000. The Foundation has decided to extend the daily hours through the month of September this year with visitors and students of all ages wishing to experience the autumn season. The Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower started their daily hours of 10 am – 4 pm over the Memorial Day weekend.

This sponsorship is appreciated by families of all ages as residents and visitors bring their children and grandchildren to the Tower. Pat Richards, Bell Tower staff coordinator, reports that daycare groups, youth organizations, and school classes are able to experience the Bell Tower through this generous sponsorship. The Bell Tower rack cards and an “Eye Spy” scavenger hunt is popular for kids will include Hy-Vee’s logo. Hy-Vee’s sponsorship is also noted on the front door.

New piano & rooftop art

Fusebox Marketing on May 26, 2018

Along with the fabulous view from 120 ft. up and hearing the sound of the 47 bells, there are other reasons to come to Jefferson and visit the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower. A new public piano with a RAGBRAI theme is now located on the plaza. A fourth rooftop art has been completed called Music Straight From the Heart. It is well-worth a visit to Jefferson to see these public art pieces and more.

Mahanay Maestros

Fusebox Marketing on May 16, 2018

Do you have at least 2 years of piano experience? Would you like to play a 15 minute concert as part of the Tower Tunes Live series on the 47 bell carillon? The Bell Tower Community Foundation invites musicians who would like to share their talents to contact us at mahanaybelltower@gmail.com with your name and contact information. We’ll send you a link to a calendar to sign up to play the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower. Tower Tunes Live Concerts will begin Memorial Day weekend and go through Labor Day weekend from 12:15 – 12:30 p.m. each day. Musicians select their own music. People enjoy music from all genres and composers. Sometimes the simpler the selection, the better it sounds! All of the volunteer musicians gain the title of Mahanay Maestro!