Theremin for the Home School

We're interested in introducing the Theremin to our 14-year old son as part of his home school curriculum, and are seeking opinions on two issues to that end. They are:

Choosing a Theremin
Which Theremin is recommended? There seem to be several makes, some with apparent extended tonal range, others of unknown quality or reputation. Price is not a factor; we'd rather buy something capable and enduring.
Living in Northeast Georgia we are 90-minutes from the Moog facility in Asheville, NC. Because they manufacture, sell direct and offer accessories they naturally are a point of interest.

Learning the Theremin
There are many learning DVDs -- anyone out there tried them with home schooling?

Any other thoughts/considerations will be appreciated.

Welcome to Theremin World, Lazzara55.



[i]Which Theremin is recommended?[/i]

In your circumstances, I would choose a Moog Etherwave theremin, possibly a Moog Etherwave Plus, although that is also an upgrade option on the Etherwave.

You will also require a microphone stand and an amplifier. I do not recommend the amplifier offered by Moog. The choice of amplifier is subjective, and it is worth bearing in mind that the output from a Moog Etherwave is compatible with the line-in socket on your home hi-fi system. You may like to consider deferring buying an amp until your son is competent enough to try out a range of amps at your local music store without assaulting the ears of other customers too much. :-)



[i]There are many learning DVDs[/i]

I'm aware of four, one by Peter Pringle (http://peterpringle.com), one by Thomas Grillo (http://www.thomasgrillo.com/) and the one that comes free with the Moog Etherwave, with clips of Clara Rockmore and an introduction to playing the instrument by Lydia Kavina. (The fourth one came free with the Moog Etherwave Pro - no longer in production - and featured Pamelia Kurstin.)

would also mention a couple of Method books, one by Clara Rockmore (http://www.scribd.com/doc/3944627/Method-For-Theremin-by-Clara-Rockmore), and one by Carolina Eyck. (http://carolina-eyck.de/)

A "price is not a factor" alternative would be to attend theremin summer-school with Barbara Buchholz. (http://www.theremin-workshop.com/) I strongly recommend this if it is at all possible. There is no substitute for face-to-face tuition.



[i]Any other thoughts/considerations will be appreciated.[/i]

Here is some stock advice. Learn from the thereminist you would most like to emulate. Also please note that the theremin is not considered to be a suitable first instrument to learn. Experience of another instrument (probably a fretless string instrument) is a good idea.

You might also like to buy Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey by Steven Martin (no relation to the comedian) on DVD as an introduction to the instrument and its rather fascinating history, along with the book Theremin: Ether Music And Espionage by Albert Glinsky for a more in-depth study.


Question. What skills do you hope your son will acquire from learning the theremin?

I ask this because all the above answers relate to tonal theremin playing. If your focus is on classical music theory, on improving pitch perception and on augmenting skills on an acoustic instrument then that is the path to take.

If however you are looking for a means of exploring acoustics and the perception of sound, and see the theremin as a gateway instrument into the world of electronic music and a broad appreciation of more [i]unusual[/i] musics, then you might like to consider a freestyle approach to playing the theremin. If this is the case then I shamelessly direct you to my modest pamphlet, The Beat Frequency Method. (http://tinyurl.com/beatfreqbook)

lazzara55 rote:

We're interested in introducing the Theremin to our 14-year old son as part of his home school curriculum....


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It seems like an odd choice of instrument for a parent to choose for a teenager. May I ask why you have chosen the theremin? Has your son shown an interest in the instrument?

What sort of music does your son like?

Is he a naturally disciplined and fairly obedient kind of kid, or is he more of a "Dad, willya get outta my face" sort of young man?

Has he had any experience with any other instrument? I ask this because most musicians agree with the late thereminist Clara Rockmore's statement that the theremin should never be someone's first instrument since you can't learn music on it.

An adult can "choose" an instrument for a child when that child is very young, perhaps 5 or 6 years old, but teenagers (particularly adolescent boys) already have minds, taste, and ideas of their own. It is usually best to encourage kids that age to pursue what they have already shown they are interested in and demonstrated an aptitude for.

I agree with Gordon that the best "entry level" theremin is the Moog Music standard Etherwave. You should buy the kit and encourage your son to assemble it himself. It will give him an understanding of how the instrument works and what is involved with it from the technical point of view. There's a bit of soldering but not too much and I'm sure someone could help him with that if he needs it.

British thereminist, Charlie Draper, started playing the theremin when he was about 14 years old (5 or 6 years ago) and today he is an excellent precision thereminist. He began learning with my DVD (How To Play The Theremin / Peter Pringle) but went on to modify his technique to suit his personal taste and abilities (which is as it should be).

REMEMBER: Don't take any advice on playing the theremin from anyone whose playing you do not like, or have not heard. That includes ME.

LOL

My thanks to GordonC and coalport for their thoughtful responses. I've also had the opportunity to correspond with Thomas Grillo and Don Burns, both being exceedingly helpful. Collectively you've saved me hours of Googling, while giving excellent guidance in the decision-making process.

I wasn't aware, for example, of the tonal differences between manufacturers; and the suggestion of considering the instruments of preferred Theremin musicians makes complete sense.

My responses to questions in-kind:

GordonC
"Question. What skills do you hope your son will acquire from learning the theremin?"

Skill development is not so much the goal as using the Theremin as a device for furthering his general interest in music. My son, Robby, is already acquainted with the Classics, and is interested in revisiting them with the addition of a Theremin.

Robby also studied electronics last year, so the Theremin seems a practical, artistic extension of those studies.

coalport
"It seems like an odd choice of instrument for a parent to choose for a teenager. May I ask why you have chosen the theremin?"

Robby's been exposed to a year of drum and then keyboard. Despite initial enthusiasm his interest was short-lived. Violin was our next choice, until he heard what he thought was a violin but was actually a Theremin.

"Has your son shown an interest in the instrument?"

Yes. The more we've looked into Theremins, the more his interest has grown.

"What sort of music does your son like?"

Classical (he's a 4-year student of Ballet), Techno, Surf and Heavy Metal. Actually, reverse that order and you'll have his preference (for better or worse!)

"Is he a naturally disciplined and fairly obedient kind of kid, or is he more of a "Dad, willya get outta my face" sort of young man?"

He's naturally disciplined; we've a terrific relationship (perhaps an affect of my wife and I being "older" parents, 50+).

"Has he had any experience with any other instrument? I ask this because most musicians agree with the late thereminist Clara Rockmore's statement that the theremin should never be someone's first instrument since you can't learn music on it."

Robby was tutored both on drums and later keyboard. I would counter that if Robby's interest in music is furthered due to the Theremin -- if his creativity is expanded by "re-mixing" the Classics, cinematic scores and even Rock -- and if the Theremin causes him to develop a better "ear" for music, then the Theremin would indeed have succeeded where traditional instruments failed. As for reading music, there are abundant texts on the subject. And as for composing, I'm not certain Robby would aspire to that on any instrument. At least not yet. However, as I myself am not an accomplished musician it's likely I don't understand or appreciate why someone could not learn music with a Theremin. To that point I must yield to the opinions of Ms. Rockmore and others.

Many thanks once again for the thoughtful advice and excellent questions. Your responses will benefit not only my immediate family but our network of like-minded home schooling families.

[i]Despite initial enthusiasm his interest was short-lived.[/i]

This sets off some alarm bells. The major stumbling block for classical theremin playing is the challenge of playing "in tune" - it is a very slow learning curve with little instant gratification. (And one of the reasons I chose to follow a different path.)


[i]as for composing, I'm not certain Robby would aspire to that on any instrument[/i]

"Composing" does not just refer to the musical greats of yesteryear. All music is composed, from the simplest nursery jingle to the grandest opera. Even Heavy Metal! (Improvisation can be considered as real-time composition.)

I would imagine that after learning about, for instance, chord progressions, you would reinforce the lesson by inviting your son to devise a simple progression based on the theory he has learned. If so, then Robby is composing and, in doing so, he is acquiring insight into the processes involved and the intentions of composers, which can only serve to improve his ability to appreciate and interpret the music he plays.


[i]it's likely I don't understand or appreciate why someone could not learn music with a Theremin[/i]

I will leave an explanation of that to a classical thereminist. My rather unusual approach turns many conceptions about the theremin on their head, including this one. I started composing my own pieces from the get-go. (But have learned very little about other sorts of music.)


[i]REMEMBER: Don't take any advice on playing the theremin from anyone whose playing you do not like, or have not heard. That includes ME.[/i]

And that includes me even more than Peter! - I am decidedly "minority appeal," but your son should probably decide for himself. You will find some examples on my youTube account (http://www.youtube.com/GordonCharlton) in the Beat Frequency playlist. It is best to go for the high-quality version where that is available, and route the sound through a sound system with a powerful bass response. If your focus to date has been on classical theremin performances I can guarantee that you will be surprised, and I can only hope that it is pleasantly so. :-)

GordonC wrote:

"..it's likely I don't understand or appreciate why someone could not learn music with a Theremin..."

I will leave an explanation of that to a classical thereminist.

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Thereminists have the same problem as singers. The latter are often urged to study an instrument - preferably one on which they can accompany themselves. The difficulty with the theremin is that there is nothing at all to relate to visually, so it is impossible to "see" the elements of theory and harmony that the student is trying to understand.

With a keyboard, everything is laid out before you in black and white. Scales, chords, etc. can be seen, as well as the interval relationships between notes.

Singers and thereminists often require ear training, part of which is the recognition of the pitch (relative or absolute) of single notes. You just have to watch an episode or two of AMERICAN IDOL to know that pitch is frequently a problem for aspiring vocalists. It can also be a problem for precision thereminists.

The late Clara Rockmore, arguably the finest theremin virtuoso who ever lived, said that the most important thing for any beginner thereminist is to know where he or she wants to go before starting. If your goal is to play METALLICA then your path will be quite different from someone who wants to play AIDA.

You know, Peter, you might just be right there. In music lessons when I was at school, Classical Music was portrayed as The Golden Path, but, well, let's just say I can't imagine a sorrier idea for an album than "The London Philharmonic play Metallica."

There are, of course, notable exceptions. In the theremin world the first that springs to my mind is Lydia Kavina. Much emphasis is placed on her classical skills, but she is just as comfortable with old school Russian Avant Garde, and, Lazzara55, you might like to point your son in the direction of Russian surf punks Messer Chups. In her collaborations with them, dude, she ROCKS!

GordonC wrote:

I can't imagine a sorrier idea for an album than "The London Philharmonic play Metallica."

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Really!

Well how about the San Francisco Symphony?

San Francisco Symphony Plays Metallica (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziThYl6B2vw)

I've enjoyed these exchanges and thank you both for furthering the conversation. Talking points:

Interest level
My son's interest may very well be more infatuation at this point; in-fact I would admit so for myself. So we're going to Moog in Asheville for both a learning and hands-on experience (we're planning for September). While a brief hands-on demo won't determine if his interest level is more than infatuation, there's little more we can do in advance of purchase. No one rents Theremins, and so we thought about buying used or even an inexpensive single antenna unit. But in the end we'll likely buy a more-capable unit and risk short term interest.

Our Expectations
If a Theremin changes Robby's musical interest from passive to active, mission accomplished. Whether he plays along with a chamber music ensemble or the sountrack from Forbidden Planet makes little difference to me. I'll be content to see the Theremin as a segway to any and all other musical forms and instruments, or stand on it's own as his primary focus.

Kind Regards -

Peter. That's not what I meant - that's "Metallica employ an orchestra for backing". It's when orchestras decide to cash in on the big pop/rock audience and produce a novelty cover album that it goes horribly wrong...


Lazzara55 - Forbidden Planet. Interesting. Did you know that was the sound of self-destructive circuits - simple circuits that would overload and burn out, recorded and collaged together on tape?

But it suggests a possible route, building on Robby's electronics experience.

While a pitch only theremin is no good for melodic work, it's a good introduction into that style of electronic music where exact pitch is not a criterion (An etherwave is still better, but it can be an upgrade rather than necessarily a starting point.) The Art Harrison Minimum Theremin (http://home.att.net/~theremin1/101/101.html) is a good science-fair project. Add a volume pedal and a kill-switch (aka Articulation Regulator - a simple push to break button - the opposite logic to a doorbell - here (http://www.flickr.com/photos/8666613@N04/1756172850/sizes/o/)'s a photo of mine) and you have one of the prototypes that Theremin experimented with before he invented the volume loop.

Straight away you can play it through your computer and apply effects via software (if you have a Mac, the included GarageBand application is great!) and then chop up the recordings and treat them with more effects and construct a piece of electronic music out of the bits.

And you can build on this by constructing simple effects - filters, distortion, ring-mod (essential for that Forbidden Planet sound!), oscillators and so on - on an ongoing basis and gradually transferring functionality from the computer into home-made hardware piece by piece.