[S04E05] October 2022 - Wilco Botermans and Thierry Frenkel

 



In the October 2022 episode of the Theremin 30 podcast, host Rick Reid plays theremin music from the USA and the Netherlands. Rick interviews Wilco Botermans and Thierry Frenkel, instructors at Theremin Academy Lippstadt, November 11-13, 2022.

FEATURED MUSIC*

  • "I am the Zephyr" - preset1 (Seattle, WA, USA)
  • "Get Out, Get In, and Drive" - Darth Presley (New Bedford, MA, USA)
  • "Live in Amsterdam" (excerpt) - Electric Storks (The Hague, Netherlands) 
*The full-length recordings featured in this show were used with the knowledge and permission of the artists and composers. Please support the artists by visiting their websites, purchasing their recordings, and attending their performances. 

ADDITIONAL MUSIC

INTERVIEW GUEST

CALENDAR OF THEREMIN EVENTS

MEDIA LINKS

CONTACT

CREDITS 

Copyright 2022 Rick Reid 


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TRANSCRIPT

This transcript was created with an AI speech-to-text system. It may contain errors.

David Brower  00:25

This is Theremin 30. 30 minutes of theremin music news events and interviews with a new episode about every 30 days. Now here's your host from Denver, Colorado, USA, Rick Reid.

 

Rick Reid  00:39

Hey there. I'm your humble host Rick Reid and welcome to another edition of the Theremin 30 podcast this month. I'm actually not in Denver, Colorado. I'm on vacation on one of the Azores Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. My rental apartment here is kind of echoey so I decided to record out on the patio and just let the background noise do what it does. In this episode, I have Theremin music from the USA and the Netherlands. My special guests are filco boater mons from the Netherlands and Thierry Franco from France. They will be hosting the next Theremin Academy and Lipstadt Germany November 11 through the 13th. To start the show I have a new track from preset one a music project of my longtime friend Ron Allen from the Seattle Washington area. Ron and I recorded that Theremin 30 theme song in his basement studio many years ago. I played Theremin and keyboards and Ron played everything else and handled the editing and mixing. Since then Ron has built probably the last most ether wave plus kit ever sold. And the track I'm about to play is his first new song to feature that Theremin. Here is I am the Zephyr.

 

Rick Reid  11:19

We started the show with I am the Zephyr by preset one, a project of Ron Allen. Ron and I were college buddies way back in the 20th century, and we recorded that Theremin 30 theme song years before I ever decided to start this show. If you happen to be in the Seattle area, you can catch Ron onstage as the bass player for the wonderful Celtic folk band called C star. After that I played get out get in and drive by Darth Presley music project of James Bond from New Bedford Massachusetts when James isn't playing Theremin, and sometimes when he is he is a music professor at Stonehill College. To hear more music from both of these artists. Click on their names in this month's show notes at Theremin thirty.com. After the break, I'll take a look at the Theremin 30 calendar and I'll visit with filco voter months and Thierry Frankel about the Theremin Academy scheduled for Lipstadt. Germany in early November. So stay tuned

 

Rick Reid  13:12

It's time now for a look at the Theremin 30 calendar of Theremin events. On Friday October 14 Arman Rouge will perform in Bogota Colombia. Dora at Chrysler has performances in The Netherlands on October 21 and November 4, as part of the orchestra for the new dance opera Ginko. The next RCA Theremin evening, a YouTube live streaming recital from Japan is set for Saturday, October 22. Also on the 22nd Steven Ham has a gig and Roberts Creek, British Columbia, Canada. cineplexes synthesizer convention returns to Burbank, California October 27 through the 30th and itchy Oh performs a couple of Halloween concerts in Denver, Colorado, October 29, and 30th. Also, Lydia Cabanon continues her online workshops on most Sundays. For details about these events and more, check out the interactive calendar on Theremin thirty.com. I am way behind on posting some individual club shows around the world. So give me a reminder if you'd like to get your particular performance on the calendar. Send me all the details through the website, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. And of course one of the big events coming up is the Theremin Academy and Lipstadt, Germany on the weekend of November 9. A few weeks ago I visited with Theremin Academy instructors velco boater months and tre Branko to find out some of the details. Wilco and Thierry thank you so much for being on the Theremin 30 podcast.

 

Wilco Botermans  14:42

Hey Rick, good to see you.

 

Thierry Frenkel  14:43

Thank you for inviting us.

 

Rick Reid  14:45

You guys are involved in something called Theremin Academy. Tell me a little bit about how it got started.

 

Thierry Frenkel  14:51

Basically, he got started with different events, settlement related events gatherings, here and there in Europe, but there was no central The organization they were granted the famous hands off festivals in England there were the without touch festivals which were started in Lipstadt. The time by Baba boo quits with the Kubota months and will have come to tape though the former director of the reputed Music School and over the time by the idea which basically Karolina I and I had, we tried to formalize everything and to get a common organization because before events would happen or would not happen if there were volunteers to organize or to not to organize. And we tried to set up a kind of system which allowed us to reproduce the organization in different times in different locations, but everything with a common structure. And so it has come that we started with the first event of this kind in 2010, in Coloma with Karolina and myself as teachers. Later we added regular events every spring in Leipzig, data and Berlin as Codina moved over afterwards, we were asked by will of contributo if we could also take over the organization of his with our touch festivals because he was no longer the director of the music school but he became the culture referendum of the town of leapstart as an assistant of the mayor, so we did that too. And at the end Coover, the aina, who was organizing more general electronic music festival every two years in Lausanne Switzerland, asked us if we couldn't install also a regular Theremin corner inside this note festival. And so we have a fourth event since 2016. in Luzon, Switzerland, winter Academy.

 

Rick Reid  16:51

So a lot of people who listen to the podcast are familiar with the Theremin Academy online that happened last year, but we haven't had any in person events for a while because of COVID, of course. So the next one coming up is in November. Tell me about that one,

 

Wilco Botermans  17:07

the Thurman Academy and Lipstadt will be from the 11th to the 13th of November. And there will be several ensemble groups that all the participants are following. So they are either in Karis Group practicing classical ensemble playing, or they are in my group. And we will do the sonic stuff the experimental group sets where there's a moment to do things with Theremin and different electronics. So it's a bit more experimental than the other ones, where the focus is more on classical Theramin. Playing Jimmy himself, you make these great arrangements, classical music for therapists to play them in ensembles,

 

Thierry Frenkel  17:54

we decided to set up a program which comprises lots of group workshops, seminars, and Theremin orchestra or thermal ensemble classes. So that people get, again used to make music together, people would really play together, would listen together would study together,

 

Wilco Botermans  18:18

there will be the possibility to book individual lessons with Jerry and with me,

 

Thierry Frenkel  18:23

and or throw him care and service. But this will not be the priority in this event.

 

Rick Reid  18:32

And then there are some performances as well, right? Yeah, this

 

Thierry Frenkel  18:35

year since we restart or reboot everything. We didn't plan a public concert for the Academy. But as for all academies, there will be an on Sunday afternoon and eternal students concert, where the groups who have worked together improvisation or gender music workshops, will present the result where people who have acquired new things during their individual lessons can also present the result. Normally, it's thing of about one and a half hour or two hours, where everybody plays at least once and all the others listen. And everybody normally is happy about the progress which has been made in these three days.

 

19:22

Now is this something that is open to beginning Theremin players? It's open

 

Thierry Frenkel  19:25

to everybody, and also the group workshops and everything our planet to accept players of every level. So from the beginner to the advanced player, there is a place for everybody. There's a role for everybody and everybody independent of their current playing level. Everybody's important to contribute in a very constructive and positive way to the common feeling.

 

Rick Reid  19:54

I assume people would bring their own instruments does it matter which model they have if they have an open Theramin or a mug, or burns or whatever

 

Thierry Frenkel  20:02

we are open. That means that people can bring their own instruments. Sometimes we have students which travel from very far, and who can't perhaps not take their instrument with them. In that case, this vehicle or myself will bring one or more expense from our stock. And to the people. Usually, there

 

Wilco Botermans  20:24

are many to wage standards. And plus, I'm hoping that somebody brings a new eat away. Well, I will, I won't bring one. But, of course, me clarify, of course, there are probably many people who would like to try that out.

 

Thierry Frenkel  20:36

Basically, we can deal with everything out of the ether wave Pro, either a Pro has so much radiation and creates so much interference, that if you have one in a room, all other instruments are highly distorted. And so you really can't do chamber music or orchestra passes, if in one room, or on the same floor. If there

 

Rick Reid  21:02

isn't either way through Well, I did not know that.

 

Thierry Frenkel  21:06

The owners of either wave Pro are asked to bring either an other instrument, or we then one just for the workshop, so everybody can can partake.

 

Rick Reid  21:19

Have you had any experience like that with declara? Vox does it have the same problem?

 

Thierry Frenkel  21:24

I don't know yet. I have not enough experience with excetera works, I have this assembled already too. But I have have never had more than one in a room together with under instruments. So it will be it will be a new experience this November. And in case of I will have some spare instruments looking for,

 

Rick Reid  21:49

say you have a mug ether wave, and it's got an electrical cord for England. Will that work in Germany? Or do you need to have some sort of adapter or

 

Wilco Botermans  22:01

in Germany, we have 240 volts on the mains. So if you're not from Europe, and you are used to 120 Falls, then sell this to charity, and we will make sure that there is a suitable power supply for you. Oh, what

 

Rick Reid  22:17

are some of the fun things that people can do in Lipstadt while they're there for the event?

 

Thierry Frenkel  22:24

That is a relatively small drum town. And it has nothing of particular interest besides of the very big music school where we have 80 other conditions, a nice team, many rooms and big rooms to help our Thurman Academy. That's why we organized the food program in the music school. And we have naturally also a social program. That means there is traditionally always one evening where all participants met in both consoles, and to eat wreck that together. So one of the two nights is already covered with a social event. And usually the other night, people will also gather together in a restaurant or have some beer together at least. So basically, besides of the night, the stay covered from morning to evening.

 

Rick Reid  23:16

Thank you very much for taking the time we visit with us about the Theremin Academy. I have not been to with air and when Academy but I did go through a hands off festival back in 2011 in Scarborough, England. And for anybody who hasn't gone to an event of this type, I gotta tell you, it was a once in a lifetime event for me to be able to be surrounded by other Theremini players and enthusiasts and meeting some of the most skilled Theremin players in the world was just just really a wonderful experience. And so if you have a chance to go to either this Theremin academy or the ones held in other cities around Europe, I definitely recommend it. I wish I could be there this year. But hopefully I'll get to go to one soon.

 

Wilco Botermans  23:58

Yeah, that would be great. Would be good to see you again.

 

Thierry Frenkel  24:01

Thank you for having invited us again.

 

Rick Reid  24:04

To sign up for the Theremin academy or to learn about the other Theremin Academy events around Europe throughout the year. Visit their website at Theremin dot Academy. I also have a link in this month's show notes. After a quick break I'll wrap up the show with a brand new release from electric storks featuring Theremin Academy instructor Phil go boater months, so don't touch that pause button.


Rick Reid  25:10

Electric storks is an experimental music project of keyboardist Jean Carl and their minister Philco boater months. On September 7, they released their first album. It's a compilation of three extended improvisational recordings. 100 vinyl copies are available from Bandcamp. Or you can download the digital album there. Wilco told me the band chose September 7 as the release date to commemorate the birthdate of his late wife Jessica Hummel, who I'm sure many of you knew through Facebook. The album is also dedicated to her Let's listen now to just a portion of the nearly 21 minute third track here are electric storks with live in Amsterdam?

 

Rick Reid  29:47

That was an excerpt from live in Amsterdam by electric storks, featuring one of my guests Ville co boater months, he'll be teaching at the Theremin Academy lips docked in early November. I want to take a final moment now to thank reset one Darth Presley and electric storks for allowing me to play their music. Also, thanks to my special guests Bilco boater munch and tre Franco for sharing information about the Theremin Academy in Woodstock. And the big thank you always goes to the listeners who support the show that small one time and monthly donations or by purchasing T shirts, bumper stickers and other logo swag from the merch store. If you're new to the show, every previous episode is available to listen to at your leisure. So check them out. Until next time, and when I'm back in North America. I'm your host, Rick Reid. I'll see you somewhere in the ether.

 

David Brower  30:41

You've been listening to the Theremin 30 podcast. Visit Theremin 30 on the web at Theremin 30 dot com

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