Graduation Project Interview

Hello everyone. I'm building and researching a theremin for my senior graduation project and I need to do an interview with someone who knows something about theremins.

If someone could please respond answering these questions:

First I will need your full name (first and last).

On with the questions:
1. How did you first get interested in the theremin?
2. When was the first time you heard a theremin?
3. What inspired you to buy/build a theremin?
4. What is your favorite type of theremin (vacuum tube/Moog/RCA/kit/other)?
5. What is your advice to a person building their first theremin?
6. What advice would you give to someone trying to learn how to play the theremin?
7. What is your favorite composition done on theremin?
8. What is your favorite song to play on theremin?
9. How would you, personally, describe the sound of the theremin?
10. What is the difference between a theremin and a tannerin (the thing that the Beach Boys used on Good Vibrations)?

Thanks so much in advance for the help. I NEED this as soon as possible.

~Brendan Pope

Answers by Thomas Grillo

1. How did you first get interested in the theremin?
A: An curiosity based impulse buy while helping a friend look for keyboards online in 2006.

2. When was the first time you heard a theremin?
A: In a doccumentary about theremins on educational eelevision, and Day The Earth Stood Still.

3. What inspired you to buy/build a theremin?
A: Pure, insatiable curiosity

4. What is your favorite type of theremin (vacuum tube/Moog/RCA/kit/other)?
A: Moog Etherwave Pro theremin.

5. What is your advice to a person building their first theremin?
A: Work slowly, bulding small portions at a time, and be patient, and methodical. Don't rush, and don't use non-standard parts, at least in the beginning.

6. What advice would you give to someone trying to learn how to play the theremin?
A: If a teacher is not available, get the DVDs watch them from a close distance from the TV, Read everything you can find, Go to workshops, and practice, practice, practice many hours a day.

7. What is your favorite composition done on theremin?
A: Requiebros.


8. What is your favorite song to play on theremin?
A: Requiebros.

9. How would you, personally, describe the sound of the theremin?
A: A monophonic, string-vocal like tone with portamento qualities.

10. What is the difference between a theremin and a tannerin (the thing that the Beach Boys used on Good Vibrations)?
A: A theremin uses a non-tactile interface (magnetic fields) to control tone generating oscilators, while the tannerin uses a tactile interface consisting of a sliding key mounted on a bar, to which is attatched a pulley which controls a potiometer that in turn affects the frequency of a tone generating oscilator.

Good luck with your project. ;)

Thank you sooooo much..... You were a BIG help.

Thomas,

Nice response to the interview. I learned a new thing or two. Good job.

I would like to see Brendan Pope's senior graduation project posted here on Theremin World. What do you think Brendan? Could you manage that?

Bill

Sure it can be done. I don't exactly know where to start with the whole idea of putting my project on here. Any help with that would be greatly appreciated. Since I am going to be building one, I decided that I would compare designs with the help of my mentor (a local musician and audio electronics engineer specializing in tube amps). Together we decided that we would use the design found here: http://home.att.net/~theremin1/126/126.htm the design is good and it gives a complete parts list, plus the idea of vacuum tubes was intriguing to me. (Thanks to Theremin World for the link that I used to get that design)!!!

I'll definately keep in touch on here to give updates on the project. Thanks for everyone's support!!!

~Brendan