Call it his office or his stage — one thing is certain. Jonathan Lehrer has the most unique deskspace of any Spartan employee. For the past four years, Lehrer is the man making music at the top of Beaumont Tower.
Educated at the Royal Carillon School “Jef Denyn,” International Institute of Carillon Arts, in Mechelen, Belgium, Lehrer is Michigan State University’s carillonist.
What does your position as Michigan State University’s carillonist entail?
While there's a lot of performing and teaching, the carillonist is stewarding a shared university resource that most people have never even heard of, so you need to be the one envisioning how the Tower and its music can add value to Spartan life and then get others excited about those possibilities.
Collaboration has been a huge part of my work. I partner often with the Alumni Office, President’s Office, University Communications and Marketing, and have some great joint events with University Health and Wellbeing, College of Arts and Letters, and Abrams Planetarium.
Do you have a favorite event or project you are working on?
Perhaps the most exciting event to date is “The Ringing,” the multimodal music and projections concert for Halloween, where we animate the entire Tower with student-designed video and effects. Watch for this event on October 29 after dusk.
I also teach in the College of Music where we are working now on getting composition students and professors opportunities to write for carillon and building capacity for ensemble music involving the carillon for big celebration days or arts events. We're also working to expand teaching studio capacity since there has been a marked uptick in student interest to learn how to play.
Are you from Michigan? Did you go to MSU?
I went to high school in New York and graduated from Yale University with a degree in math. I was very active in Yale’s Guild of Carillonneurs and the Yale Glee Club. This led me to pursue my education further at Royal Carillon School.
What brought you to MSU?
I had been living in Vancouver for over a decade working in data science. In the carillon field, almost all the North American jobs are in the U.S., so it was likely going to be a matter of time before I moved back to the U.S.
MSU has been an incredible place to base myself for my work in this field with so many great people and resources and collaboration potential. The Tower, listening area and instrument are world class.
How is the carillon relevant today?
Beaumont is an important university symbol and — used well— it adds vibrancy to the built environment, increases arts presence on campus, builds and anchors communal meaning and identity, provides a felt sense of consistency and seasonal rhythms in changing times and, of course, helps unite us in celebrations and hard times alike. John W. Beaumont and President Shaw spoke explicitly about many of these functions, and I try to fulfill that vision as best I can.
You became a Canadian citizen during your time living in Vancouver. How does your dual citizenship inform your understanding of both countries?
I suppose like learning a new language or visiting a culture different from your own, dual nationality exposes me to different possibilities and ways of thinking. Both countries are particularly good at certain things, and it helps me appreciate there is more than one way things can work.
What was your connection to Canada growing up? What is your connection to Canada now?
We visited when I was young, but the possibility of living in Canada never really crossed my mind until I married a Canadian and moved to Vancouver. One of my favorite movies as a child was “Green Card,” with Gérard Depardieu and Andie MacDowell, about a sham marriage for immigration purposes. I did not have one of those, but my parents recently reminded me that we first saw that in a movie theater to escape a rainy day, on a trip we took to visit Vancouver, so perhaps some subtle foreshadowing there.
For anyone unfamiliar with Canada, where do you recommend people visit or explore?
I lived my whole 11 years in Canada in the same house right off Commercial Drive in Vancouver, which is a great neighborhood. I have not had a chance to visit the Maritimes, but it’s the region I am most excited to see next. I'm very fond of Scandinave Whistler, so beautiful and restorative, and my partner and I held our wedding reception at the historic Hy's steakhouse in downtown Vancouver, so I try to go back there when we visit.
I loved the transit and bikeability of Vancouver, and multiculturalism is an official federally enshrined value. Not to play into stereotypes, but I also appreciate never having to ask if the pancakes come with real maple syrup.
To learn about carillon events at MSU, visit the College of Music and follow @msubeaumont on Instagram.