It was another BUSY day at the festival. I got to bed so late last night that I accidentally overslept this morning and missed Lydia Kavina's morning master class! I can't believe it! I arrived in time to watch her teach a course on composing for the theremin. Lydia has a great philosophy on theremin music; she embraces all types of theremin music, including the "spooky" sound (the "Spellbound Concerto", for example). She encouraged the composers in the audience to pay attention to the specific capabilities of the theremin and work with them. During her talk, she demonstrated several specific techniques to illustrate her points. I caught this event on tape and will be uploading it to the site very soon.
Next, Pamelia Kurstin gave a workshop on playing walking basslines on the theremin and on using a looping pedal. She makes it look so effortless! After her talk, I gave it a try. Once you tweak the volume knob to give yourself a very fast response, it's much easier to "pluck" the volume antenna and simulate a string sound. I also caught this session on tape and will be posting it soon.
Next, Wilco Botermans gave an excellent workshop on using effects pedals with the theremin. He also intended to show how to use the theremin as a MIDI controller but ran out of time, so he'll finish it up in the morning. He had a big table FULL of Moogerfooger pedals and walked us through the capabilities of each individually, then together. Wilco is incredibly talented and worked closely with the particular nuances of each effect with a magical touch. Again... I got it on tape!
After Wilco's set, I took a break and walked around Asheville a bit. I took some pictures of a drum circle, and then just stood around on the street answering questions about the theremin when people asked me about the "ThereminHispano.com" shirt I was wearing :) I think a few of them showed up at the concerts tonight, so it was time well spent.
After dinner (Hannah Flanagan's Irish Pub!), I went back to the Orange Peel to catch the end of the documentary "Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey" and all of "The Day the Earth Stood Still". The audience was really engaged in both shows, which greatly added to the experience.
Next, Pamelia and Barbez took the stage and rocked out for nearly 2 hours! My ears will definitely be ringing tomorrow, but it was completely worth it. She is an amazing performer in all aspects.
So it's about 1:30am and I'm going to rest up before the final day. I'll catch the rest of Wilco's demo tomorrow morning and then well have some "closing ceremonies," where the winner of the theremin composition contest will be announced. (shhh... I know who it is already - you'll love it!)
Next, Pamelia Kurstin gave a workshop on playing walking basslines on the theremin and on using a looping pedal. She makes it look so effortless! After her talk, I gave it a try. Once you tweak the volume knob to give yourself a very fast response, it's much easier to "pluck" the volume antenna and simulate a string sound. I also caught this session on tape and will be posting it soon.
Next, Wilco Botermans gave an excellent workshop on using effects pedals with the theremin. He also intended to show how to use the theremin as a MIDI controller but ran out of time, so he'll finish it up in the morning. He had a big table FULL of Moogerfooger pedals and walked us through the capabilities of each individually, then together. Wilco is incredibly talented and worked closely with the particular nuances of each effect with a magical touch. Again... I got it on tape!
After Wilco's set, I took a break and walked around Asheville a bit. I took some pictures of a drum circle, and then just stood around on the street answering questions about the theremin when people asked me about the "ThereminHispano.com" shirt I was wearing :) I think a few of them showed up at the concerts tonight, so it was time well spent.
After dinner (Hannah Flanagan's Irish Pub!), I went back to the Orange Peel to catch the end of the documentary "Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey" and all of "The Day the Earth Stood Still". The audience was really engaged in both shows, which greatly added to the experience.
Next, Pamelia and Barbez took the stage and rocked out for nearly 2 hours! My ears will definitely be ringing tomorrow, but it was completely worth it. She is an amazing performer in all aspects.
So it's about 1:30am and I'm going to rest up before the final day. I'll catch the rest of Wilco's demo tomorrow morning and then well have some "closing ceremonies," where the winner of the theremin composition contest will be announced. (shhh... I know who it is already - you'll love it!)
