- 10,000 Hours to Mastery: Hour Zero
Tomorrow, I will finally start to play the theremin after receiving it in September. This is after a number of hurdles and milestones. First, my local music store had to shut down after multiple break-ins. Then, I tried (and failed) to get a special stand for my theremin off of Reverb. Thankfully, my theremin doesn’t require a special stand (the one I was looking at it is just the same aesthetic). And the latest reason is that my last paycheque never arrived.
But finally, after months of waiting and chomping at the bit, tomorrow, I’m finally getting paid and can finally pick up some sweet gear at my local music store. I’m getting a stand, an amp, and an interface to plug my theremin into my computer. I am getting an interface because, in spite of the Claravox having a USB port on the back, I’m not 100% sure how it works.
I’m hoping to get as much practice as I can before the snow starts to melt. And I’d love to be the next theremin virtuoso. But first, to answer the most obvious question people might have…
What the hell is a theremin?
Now, for those of you who don’t know what a theremin is, it is the first electronic music instrument. It was invented by a Russian physicist named Leon Theremin and it is the only musical instrument you play by not touching it. Here is a video of someone playing a theremin.
The technique is using your hands to manipulate the electromagnetic field around the two antennae on the theremin. The one that is a long pole sticking up is the pitch antenna. The one that looks more like a loop is the volume antenna.
Apparently, it’s also pretty popular in Japan, as I’ve seen theremin performances in anime before. In fact, Grégoire Blanc in the video above also performed in the anime Kimi no iro. I’m hoping that I can not only learn how to play this beautiful, bizarre instrument but also make my own music with it.
So, what next?
Carolina Eyck has a book on how to play the theremin, along with a playlist of courses to help me get started. I’m also planning on participating in jam sessions when I can. I also intend to start practising regularly on Twitch and by myself. But tomorrow, I’m going to start with taking a cab down to the music store and getting some gear to actually get started.
Wish me luck!
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