- The idea for a bell tower to accompany the chapel at the University of Tampa campus was hatched nearly 20 years ago.

Former university President Ron Vaughn and John Sykes partnered with the Paccard family in France, eight generations of bell makers with an exciting new concept called an ARS Sonora.

Together, they created the most technologically advanced bell tower in the world.

(bell ringing) - I remember telling Dr. Vaughn that we had created something, something new, that we call ARS Sonora, which would bring so much more opportunities than a simple bell tower.

(engaging music) - So they offered a new technology that would electronically tie into a keyboard, where each key was tied into a bell note.

This offered a really important advantage, that anyone could play bell music through this new technology.

(birds chirping) - Well, I think the ARS Sonora is kind of a, it's one of those once-in-a-lifetime projects that I think people that go into architecture and construction kind of dream about doing.

(dramatic music) - Where we are now is the bringing it all together into what now is a sculpture, and we're here watching that happen before our eyes.

- So what's important to us right now is when this prefabricated structure shows up to Tampa, does it all fit together?

(bell ringing) (gentle music) When the nine containers arrived on site, we were able to then assemble the entire sculpture in four days.

That process took us four weeks in France.

So we definitely learned a lot from that process, and it went very smoothly in the US because of it.

You know, when the Sykes and the Vaughns and the rest of the project team were sitting there, watching this final piece be placed, it was nice just to take that moment to pause and reflect on everything we've accomplished, and just marvel at this sculpture that we'd created.

- You know, it's just a great shared feeling that we have done this, even though we got a bit more to go.

(vehicle beeping) (bell ringing) - Here we've got this sculpture outside in a big plaza, so we still have a lot of adjustment, a lot of tuning of the responses of the keyboard.

- This work has to be done with the musicians, of course.

(light, tinkly bell music) - You can hear the right hand.

- Yeah, it's much better over there.

- I feel that I have to play it too loud to hear it from here, but what does it sound like out there?

(light, tinkly bell music) - [Philippe] So we asked Thomas to use the software developed to rearrange, rebalance this work.

- Yeah, it's perfect.

- Okay, I'm glad.

- Yeah, thank you.

Yeah, I'm happy.

- We now have our musical department set up, and it's gonna culminate into the first performance, and we're really excited to hear it.

- [Renee] It will just be a huge crescendo on campus.

- I can't wait.

(chuckles) (peaceful music) - One of my goals for this concert was to just show off that variety of not just what kind of music we can play, but with whom we can also play and collaborate with.

- It's been really cool to hear it with all the different instruments and the vocalists.

I think it's gonna offer a lot of really cool opportunities for performing.

- Yeah, for sure.

Like now we have another performance space, which is like super cool.

- We're so lucky.

- Yeah, we really are.

(complex, intriguing music) - Awesome.

I mean, I can't explain it.

- The amount of people that showed up to hear this incredible instrument is really, I think, inspiring and it gives me a lot of hope for the concerts I have planned for the future.

(light, tinkly bell music) I think it's important to have music like this in our everyday lives.

It's something I feel is oftentimes taken for granted.

Students come to me and say they look forward to the music every day.

It just sort of sparks a little bit of joy, I think, in some people.

- It's just beautiful, just like a masterpiece to look at and to hear.

It's just a great way to get like the UT community together in song.

- It's so special, I think, to have an instrument like this, in the center of our campus, to bring everybody together and for them to have that one thing in common.

(crowd applauding and cheering) (gentle music) - To me, UT has always been a very special place, and most people see that in a variety of different ways.

This adds to the specialness.

I hope it'll inspire people and add to the enjoyment on the campus.

- I hope that this ARS Sonora will bring the students in UT hope when they need it, love when they need it, and music and spirit when they need it.

(inspirational music) - [Dalia] For more information, visit ut.edu/arssonora.