Michigan State University’s Beaumont Tower became a canvas for light, animation, and music as the annual Halloween carillon concert returned with a collection of haunting melodies and large-scale animated projections. The performance drew more than 700 attendees and brought together the creative talents of students, alumni, faculty, and staff from across the university, including contributors from MSU’s College of Arts and Letters.
The event, “The Ringing 3: Music for All Hallows’ Eve,” combined a live carillon performance by University Carillonist Jon Lehrer with animated imagery projected onto the exterior of Beaumont Tower. The production highlighted the intersection of music, theatre, technology, and visual storytelling, transforming one of MSU’s most recognizable landmarks into an immersive experience.
Central contributors to this year’s production include Luis Guzman, an MFA candidate in Theatre Design in MSU’s Department of Theatre, who served as projections technician, and James Peters, Stage Manager at the MSU Auditorium/Fairchild Theatre and an MSU alum who graduated with a B.A. in Theatre, who served as the lighting technician. Guzman and Peters worked on the production alongside head animator Alison Dobbins, a former MSU Department of Theatre professor who now serves as Professor and Chair of Music, Theatre, and Dance at Christopher Newport University.
Showcasing the collaborative nature of the project, the production featured additional animations created by recent MSU alum Joe Gill, who graduated in 2025 with a B.A. in Media and Information, and current MSU student Mariana Feo Varon, who is majoring in Electrical Engineering.
Together, the creative and technical contributors combined digital animation, lighting, and projection technology with the historic architecture of Beaumont Tower, creating a visual experience that complemented the music performed on the tower’s carillon.
The concert unfolded across eight themed chapters, each exploring a different aspect of Halloween through music and imagery. Beginning with “Night Falls,” the program then moved through sections titled “Evil Stepfathers,” “Rest in Peace,” “Undead Rising,” “Candy Break,” “Hidden Away,” “Back to Life,” and “Last Dance.”
The evening opened with “Sonorities” by John Courter, a Lansing-raised composer and carillonist who earned his bachelor’s degree in choral music education from MSU in 1962. Other musical selections ranged from classical compositions by Mozart, Frédéric Chopin, and Camille Saint-Saëns to contemporary works featured in films, video games, and popular music. Among the selections were pieces from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Pan’s Labyrinth, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, along with music by the rock band Evanescence.
“The Ringing 3” was generously sponsored by Jim and Rose Zacks in partnership with MSU’s College of Music and MSU’s College of Arts and Letters. The production demonstrated how theatre design, digital media, and interdisciplinary collaboration can extend creative expression beyond traditional performance spaces. Bringing together current students, alumni, and faculty, the concert also highlighted the lasting creative connections within MSU’s arts community and the role of the arts in bringing people together.
Watch the Performance
A recording of “The Ringing 3: Music for All Hallows’ Eve,” created by Chris Kohler, Digital Storytelling major at MSU, is available for viewing, allowing others to experience the music and animated projections from the Oct. 29 performance.
By Kim Popiolek
