Sticky: Roll Call! - 2009!

Welcome PlantPerson, I'm John too.
I am so glad you're diving in.
Once you've got it built, play every day, listen hard and just keep playing. There's a couple tons of information here, and lots of help. You can definitely get the scales and a whole lot more.

Thanks guys. Still struggling with the scales but I did manage a fairly good semblance of "The Hills Are Alive With the Sound of Music" earlier. I'll keep playing and reading. I'm already markedly better than I was yesterday.

...and the link between The Sound Of Music and the theremin is...

The Bonzo Dog Band (*)

Who (a) Covered The Sound Of Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gWQzqd6Bh0) and (b) recorded Noises From The Leg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r28gaMsJ61w) with a theremin lead. (On the album Keynsham - the first album I owned with a theremin in it, although I did not know that at the time.) The theremin was encased in a shop mannequin leg. It was played and built by band member Roger Ruskin Spear, robot maker and trouser fanatic.

Photos: The Leg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/illperson/94454504/sizes/o/in/set-72057594057942733/) - Ruskin-Spear with Leg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/illperson/94454563/sizes/o/in/set-72057594057942733/)



(*) The name went through several variations and was originally The Bonzo Dog [i]Dada[/i] Band, which explains a lot.

first gig with a theremin
ifinally plucked up the courage to play for the first time in public.It went quite well if i do say so myself.Admitedly i only did three songs but it has hopefully conquered my fear of playing in public.I wonder if anyone has any words of advice about playing live or tales of their first gig be it good or bad,David,England

Congratulations davidcordwell, once you've done your work it's important to get out there and play for people. I've had so many things happen in different performances over the years, I think of every one as a sort of scripted improvisation.
So when's your next?

My first public outing began as a nightmare, but worked out in the end.

I was getting a *terrible* hum and distortion from my Burns B3 Deluxe when I set up in the afternoon. I'm an audio engineer by profession, but nothing in my bag of hum-and-noise stopping tricks helped. I was in despair. I went out for dinner and came back, deciding to try it one more time before canceling the gig. I powered everything up and... it worked fine! I was able to play the show (jamming with a DJ for an "ambient" club night) without a problem. But later that night I went to show someone the theremin and - it hummed again!

But I have to say that Dan Burns was great about making it right. When I e-mailed him about the trouble he said to send my B3 back, and he sent out a new unit right away, even before he got mine in return - he even paid for the shipping.

He chalked it up to component failure, which happens sometimes - certainly not his fault. The replacement he sent out works perfectly and Dan Burns gets high marks from me for great customer service.

Greetings!!!!!!!!!!
Bigger Brothers and Sisters of the Ether:

My name is Juan Sala from San Juan, Puerto Rico; that is P.R. for your convenience!

My story goes back to 199-something when I started to work in local, now defunct, record shop.

The manager at the time, asked me (actually ordered) to draft the company's "Basic musical instruments sales manual" and prepare a seminar on it!

Naturally, I refused this task because I'm no musician at all! I'm just the regular guy with a taste for music, who landed a dream job at a record shop!
Ok the thing is, manager told me: "Got 2 words for you: Insubordination or Research" followed by an explosive "It's up 2 U!"
Well, needless to say second course of action prevailed, and this was my first encounter with the "bringer-of-unlimited-fun" device known as the theremin.
My curiosity has grown stronger up to the point that I want to be fully thereminized! And i feel the theremin will be my sole companion for the rest of my life.
Currently saving money for Moog etherwave or a B-3 Deluxe or both!!!.
This is Juan and I pledge allegiance to Theremin World!!!!

bienvenido Juan welcome
I am John and I pledge allegiance to ThereminWord.
I hope you can get the Moog.
The theremin has been a fantastic part of my life.
get one
and
play every day
do that and
no matter what
the aether
will enfold you.
saludos - jh

My name is Sam Harris. I live in a small town just outside Greenville, NC. called Fountain. Minister of Music at Parkers Chapel Free Will Baptist Church since 1991.

Playing unique instruments is a passion: Wine Glasses, Hand Saw, Spoons, Hammered Dulcimer, Typewriter (see Leroy Anderson) and now the Theremin.

Purchased a "non-functioning" Moog “Etherwave” off eBay. It has been fixed and tuned. Now I’m researching how to play it.

I am using the Clara Rockmore Method. Working on exercise #1. At the same time I enjoy playing along with Peter Pringle's YouTube video "Over The Rainbow." This is one tune I know pretty well for it is a standard tune for the musical saw.

I do not have any videos of any thing but the musical saw. http://video.google.com/videoplay?
docid=1155185928260294764&ei=OQ_YScWPKY_-qwLVhakX&q. Hopefully in the near future a website dedicated to these “unique” instruments can be created.

This is a great forum and one which has already helped this newbie a lot. I am looking forward to learning a lot by reading the forums regularly.

Sam Harris - Greenville, NC

Welcome to ThereminWorld Playerpianoshop!
WOW sure sounds like the Theremin is right up your alley. So glad TW has been helpful, don't hesitate to ask new questions in the forum. The Rockmore method is a solid place to start.

It's so encouraging to see that World Thereminization has reached the town called Fountain, NC.
Keep On Playing!