Biography as Musician/Theremin Player

Early exposure:
Probably became hooked on electronic music after repeatedly viewing "Forbidden Planet" (1956) on TV in the 1960s. May have seen a theremin for the first time on TV, perhaps on "You Asked For It," and always remembered it as something of a spiritual apparition.

Musical training:
Studied piano at the age of 6 (clarinet later, then percussion) and began composing music and arranging for the school orchestra at 13. Studied advanced classical music theory at Princeton High School in New Jersey.

In High School:
Became a prolific composer and developed a pyrotechnic piano style. Played xylophone and timpani for the school band and orchestra. Had an obsession with avant-garde film, poetry and music. Built a complex electronic music machine with a half dozen tube and transistor oscillators, a switching multiplexer, stereo mixer and reverb, controlled by potentiometers and wafer switches. My parents had to remove a seat out of their car to transport the floor-standing, wheeled monster to school affairs and parties. Played a Farfisa organ in a garage rock band called "The End." Converted big old TVs into oscilloscopes for local rock concert light shows.

In the 1970s:
Played and sang piano bar. Soloed on piano at church services and weddings.

In the 1980s:
Played contra dance (New England version of square dance) piano, culminating in jointly creating two bands: "The Hammer Schlepper Company" with Hammered Dulcimer maestra Lucille Reilly, and "Teenage Dinosaurs" with David Laurence on fiddle and Richard D. Smith on mandolin.

Richard D. Smith wrote the book "Can't You Hear Me Callin': The Life of Bill Monroe, Father of Bluegrass" (352 pages July 2000 Little, Brown & Co.) which was reviewed in the Sept 17 2000 Sunday New York Times book section.

1990s-today:
Composing music, as a sideline, for video games. At one time scored about five games per year and mixed classical, rock, Latin, and Philip Glass styles.

Learned about "Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey" when the film first came out but didn't see it until the June 2000 video release. Fell in love with Clara Rockmore, searched the Internet, and found my EtherWave. Built it in 3 hours and at first coudn't stand to be away from it for more than a day. Currently practicing only for private or public performances.

Theremin Playing Style:
Since I invented my own piano playing style, I went ahead and invented a theremin style, borrowing a little from Clara and Lydia.

I stand about six inches behind the expression loop, with my left hand about four inches above the loop. My left hand and fingers move freely to accomplish a wide variety of expressive effects.

I hold my right hand about an inch over the box like a karate chop but with loose fingers, thumb up for balance, and knuckles pointing towards the pitch rod. One or more knuckles or fingers may reach towards or away from the rod to accomplish small interval jumps. Vibrato is accomplished with rotating vibration of the entire hand using the muscles of the forearm.

For the highest register (c. one inch from the rod) the middle finger may reach out to do the fine pitch work. For the lowest register, I ball my hand and instead of rotating it, I produce vibrato by shaking it towards and away from the rod.

PICTURE POST

MP3 FILES

Theremin solo: The Swan by Saint Saens, from his Carnival of the Animals series, recorded November 7, 2002. Piano accompaniment is myself on a MIDI disc, arranged by ear and inspired by Nadia Reisenberg's interpretation. The instrument is a Big Briar Etherwave theremin.