Kathy Toth and Team Tour The Charles Baird Carillon in Burton Memorial Tower on U of M Main Campus

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20140925_103637Kathy Toth & Team toured the Charles Baird Carillon located in the Burton Memorial Tower on The University of Michigan central campus Thursday, 9.25.14.burton towerSeptember 25, 2014.  The tour was worth every minute. We all enjoyed hearing the history of the Carillon from Kipp Cortez, the University Carillonneur.

Charles Baird, a University of Michigan alumnus, and The University of Michigan’s first athletic director, donated the Bells to the University of Michigan. This amazing instrument,The Charles M. Baird Carillon, is one of the largest instruments in North America. 9.25.2014 kip cortez President Marian Burton, in his 1921 commencement address, suggested the erection of a bell tower to commemorate the 236 University students who lost their lives during World War I.  Four years after Marian Burton’s death in 1921 The Secretary of the University, Shirley Smith, revived the plan to Build the bell tower. With the onset of the Depression, plans were put on hold and then revived in 1935. Please read the full History of the Burton Memorial Tower.

Students and residents within earshot can hear the Largest Bell, the ‘Bourdon Bell’, strike the hour every day.  This bourdon bell weighs 12 tons.

University of Michigan Charles Baird Carillon Facts:

  1. Designed by Albert Kahn
  2. 212 Feet High Structure
  3. Total of 53 Bells the smallest bell 4 ½ octaves higher weighs 21 pounds.
  4. The Charles Baird Carillon was dedicated, December 4, 1936.
  5. The bells are housed on the tenth floor in a 40-foot high chamber that provides ample openings to maximize their sound.Carillon
  6. Carillons are instruments consisting of at least 2 full octaves – 24 bells in chromatic progression.
  7. The keyboard consists of wooden levers and foot pedals played with fists and feet.
  8. The levers connect to hammers inside the bell, when the levers are pressed the hammer strikes the bell and rings it.
  9. The bells are programmed to ring every quarter-hour. This takes us back to the Renaissance, when city-dwellers depended on church bells to tell time.

In 2011, the carillon underwent a complete restoration, returning the original highest two octaves of bells and the original clavier.

The University of Michigan is fortunate enough to not only have one Carillon, but two!  The University of Michigan added a second carillon in 1996 on North Campus. The Ann and Robert H. Lurie Carillon and consists of 60 bells.The Robert and Ann Lurie Carillon was a gift to the School of Engineering from the Robert and Ann Lurie Family Foundation, The Royal Eijsbouts Bell Foundry of Asten, The Netherlands, cast the bells. In any case, the carillons are unique and an important part of the Ann Arbor Community.

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The next time you hear the bells, stop, listen, and enjoy hearing one of the largest instruments in North America.  Tomorrow bring your blankets, and capture the sound of the bells.

 

Kathy Toth & Team Sails Ahead with Boat Meetings

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Ann Arbor waterfront homesWhat’s the best way to float a new idea, or launch a sales strategy? It might just be from a boat! Kathy Toth & Team is about to enjoy an “out-of-the-box-meeting” on Portage Lake and the Chain of Lakes. The team meeting will include breakfast on the boat and plenty of brainstorming.

“Fresh air leads to fresh ideas,” says Kathy Toth. “There’s a mistaken notion that meetings are supposed to be held in stuffy conference rooms. Well, when is the last time you walked out of a conference room feeling refreshed and energized?”

While boat meetings are undeniably fun, Kathy says there’s another advantage. “There’s nothing like first-hand appreciation for our Chain of Lakes. We help buyers and sellers with waterfront property. By showing my team these homes from the water, they’re better equipped to market these properties.”

K14 - 2athy owns a home on Little Portage Lake, and is very familiar with the waterways of the Chain of Lakes. “I love to fish with my family, and we enjoy swimming and water-tubing,” she says. “Best of all, this wonderful recreation is only 20 minutes from Ann Arbor. You don’t have to drive for hours to have an incredible vacation lifestyle – it’s all right here!”14 - 5

Kathy Toth & Team have been serving Washtenaw County real estate including Dexter, Ann Arbor, Chelsea and Saline clients for over 24 years. They are among the top one percent of REALTORS® nationally and have been featured twice on House Hunters HGTV. Toth works directly with  listing and buyer representative partners, with a goal of exceeding her client’s expectations while meeting their real estate purchase or sale objectives.