Showing posts with label Ondes Martenot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ondes Martenot. Show all posts

[S03E01] April 2021 - Christophe Duquesne and Grégoire Blanc

 Christophe Duquesne and Gregoire Blanc

Christophe Duquesne (left) and Grégoire Blanc (right)

The April 2021 episode of the Theremin 30 podcast features music from Canada, Japan, and the USA. Rick Reid interviews Christophe Duquesne of La Voix du Luthier and thereminist Grégoire Blanc.

▶️ Listen to this episode on your favorite podcast platform.


FEATURED MUSIC*

*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

SUPPORT THIS PODCAST

CONTACT

CREDITS 

Copyright 2021 Rick Reid 

-------------------

TRANSCRIPT

David Brower  00:04

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

Rick Reid  00:19

Well, hello there! This is episode 24 and the season three premiere of Theremin 30, the mostly monthly theremin music podcast. Thank you to all of the listeners, artists, and guests who have been along for the ride so far. And if you're new to the show, I encourage you to listen to all of the previous episodes for some great music and conversation. You can find a list with the links to all of the episodes on the website, Theremin30.com. In this episode, I've got new music from Canada, Japan, and the USA. And I'm happy to have as my interview guests this month Christophe Duquesne and Grégoire Blanc. They'll be visiting with me about some gorgeous high-end speakers from France that you can pair with your Moog Claravox Centennial theremin when that arrives sometime eventually.

Now let's start with some music. In a few minutes, I've got a brand new release from Japan Theremin Old School. But first, I've got the latest release from Stephen Hamm, Vancouver, Canada's "theremin man." The psychedelic rock track I'm about to play for you is available as a collectible 7-inch vinyl single. You can order it from Stephen's website. To get there, follow the link in this month's show notes. Now crank up your headphones and "Listen to the Sound of the Sun."

Rick Reid  10:07

We began the show with Stephen Hamm, "theremin man," with "Listen to the Sound of the Sun," the A-side from his current vinyl single release. Then we heard French composer Maurice Ravel's "Pavane pour une infante défunte" or "Pavane for a Dead Princess," the lead track of Renaissance and Evolution, a brand-new album produced by Masami Takeuchi of Mandarin Electron. It features recordings by two of Masami's theremin music projects, Japan Theremin Old School, and the 100-member matryomin ensemble Mabel and Da. For links to buy either of these tracks click on the artists' names in this month's show notes.

Rick Reid  10:47

It's time now for the Theremin 30 calendar of theremin events. On Sunday evenings through May 16, members of the Itchy-O marching band host a series of online electronic meditation sessions. The music history documentary Sisters with Transistors is available for streaming on-demand through mid-May. It features a segment about Clara Rockmore. On May 21 and 22nd Devotchka headlines two free concerts right here in Denver, Colorado. Also on May 22nd, the New York Theremin Society hosts a pair of online workshops with Dorit Chrysler. For details about these and other theremin-related events around the world, visit the calendar page on Theremin30.com.

Rick Reid  11:28

Later in the show, I'll play some theremin-infused piano jazz from Yelena Eckemoff. And after this break, we'll hear from loudspeaker designer Christophe Duquesne and thereminist Grégoire Blanc. So stay tuned.

Rick Reid  11:53

When Moog Music announced the Claravox Centennial theremin last Fall, they released a video featuring French thereminist Grégoire Blanc playing "Claire de Lune" on a prototype unit. In the video, he's playing through a beautiful pyramid-shaped amplified speaker from a French company called La Voix du Luthier or The Luthier's Voice. I've been seeing that speaker at music industry trade shows over the last few years along with another design called the Onde. So I thought it might be interesting to have their co-designer Christophe Duquesne on the podcast this month to tell us about them. And joining us is Grégoire Blanc to give us some insight from a thereminist's perspective. Christophe, tell me about how your company La Voix du Luthier got started and what's your involvement with it.

Christophe Duquesne  12:39

I'm also involved in Haken Audio on the development of the Continuum. I'm working on physical modeling. And there was always something I was not happy with. That was the sound of the speakers. And it happened that I met a stringed instrument maker. His name is Marc Lucas. He is also from France, too. And he was trying to embed some electronics in his instruments. That was a perfect match. And so we decided to work together. And for me, that was really the way to connect my electronic instrument and physical modeling stuff with the traditional skills of instrument makers. I'm not really the first to do this. Maurice Martenot already did this quite a long time ago. So that was also a kind of continuation of his work.

Rick Reid  13:21

I've seen your speakers at a NAMM Show a couple of years ago. They're beautiful. And what I thought was: it's a regular speaker in a beautiful cabinet. But there's actually more to it than that, right?

Christophe Duquesne  13:31

In fact, we don't call them "speakers" because there is no speaker inside. It's really fully built of wood with the same technique as you build soundboards for piano or for guitars. On the soundboard, you have transducers that are transmitting the vibration to the wood. So what you're hearing is really the vibration of the wood itself exactly as you hear it when you listen to a guitar. What you hear is is not the string. What you hear is the soundboard. The string itself is not loud enough. On an acoustic guitar, you have a bridge and the bridge transmits the vibration to the soundboard. And that's exactly the same thing we are doing. Instead of a bridge, we have exciters. An exciter is basically a magnet with a coil. When you put it on the wood then it transmits vibration as the bridge does on the guitar.

Rick Reid  14:16

So you have the Pyramide, which is a pyramid-shaped resonator with an amplifier, and the Onde is shaped somewhat like a grand piano. How do the two different systems sound different from each other? And how do they affect the sound of the instrument going into it?

Christophe Duquesne  14:32

Basically, you will have more low-end sound on the Pyramide and more sharper sound on the Onde. The Pyramide is also a bit louder. But some people prefer the Onde or they prefer the Pyramide. That's really a matter of taste, mainly. One is bigger than the other. The Onde is something you can carry like a guitar. It's very light. It's 2 and a half kilos. And so there's no trouble. The head of the Pyramide, the main resonator, is  6 kilos and the base is nearly 10. So, usually people just keep them in one single place.

Rick Reid  15:01

So, Grégoire, how do you use your speaker? Do you take it to gigs or is it mainly for use at home?

Grégoire Blanc  15:07

I got my...

Rick Reid  15:08

Oh! I called it a speaker. I'm sorry, your resonator...

Grégoire Blanc  15:12

I got mine just after the COVID started so I didn't have the opportunity to really perform gigs with it. Here what is interesting is that we can play purely acoustically. If you have a concert with other acoustic instruments and you don't want microphones and amplifiers for all the instruments, you can treat your theremin as if it were a pure, acoustic instrument. It's just amazing because you really get the feeling of a violin or something like that. And it definitely changes something, not necessarily in the way you play the theremin, but in the way you relate to it and the way you feel the sound. And it's a much more intimate, acoustic way to perform the theremin. The theremin is an electronic music instrument, right? But the way it is played by the musician like the ondes Martenot or the Continuum, it is very expressive in itself, so much closer to traditional musical instruments. So an acoustic amplifier brings the theremin back to a more classical root, I would say.

Christophe Duquesne  16:14

Unlike a speaker, which is very directional, a soundboard is omni-directional. When you play a violin in a classical venue you can hear the violin in all of the venue. It's not loud, but you hear it all over. And the Onde and the Pyramide behave exactly the same way because it uses the same principle as a violin or a piano. You can really hear them all over a venue. And if you're in a good classical venue, you don't need to go through an amplifier. You really can hear it as any other acoustic instrument.

Grégoire Blanc  16:40

I should mention, also, that these resonators are absolutely great to amplify other electronic sources. And with synthesizers, it's amazing.

Rick Reid  16:50

A lot of listeners, including me, have ordered the Claravox Centennial theremin. And it occurred to me that once I've spent probably the most money I will ever spend on a theremin, maybe I should have a good way to listen to it. And I saw the demo video that you had made, Grégoire, with the pyramid speaker. And I was wondering, are you getting inquiries from people who are planning to get a Claravox and want to learn more about the Onde and the Pyramide resonator to go with it?

Grégoire Blanc  17:19

Yeah. Definitely. It was interesting because when Moog contacted me to be part of the Claravox program and mentioned this demo video, I had this exact same feeling as you. It's a wonderful theremin. It's been a very long time since Moog did a professional theremin. And we were playing in such a very special place, the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, here in France. So immediately I thought about Christophe and the Pyramide. It was absolutely beautiful for the place and also the look, in itself, of the Pyramide was really going well with the look of the Claravox. And acoustically, it was wonderful. We mic'd the Pyramide with two microphones close to the Pyramide and also we used the global ambient mics for the theremin and the piano together. And it was naturally resonating in the standing acoustics of the place. So it totally made sense to have an acoustic resonator for this specific purpose. And yeah, it really brought some interest from people. I got plenty of messages, of course, questions about the Claravox, but also about the Pyramide from La Voix du Luthier. I didn't expect just by bringing a Pyramide with the Claravox to make it feel that natural. But it actually is. And I'm sure that a lot of people would have been inspired to think about "which speaker should we use for theremin?" And yeah, definitely the resonators from La Voix du Luthier are very, very, interesting options.

Rick Reid  18:50

Gregoire, can you share an example of how the resonator affects the sound of your performance on theremin?

Grégoire Blanc  18:56

Yeah, definitely. So I prepared for you two little samples. One of the Claravox dry. A very simple melody that you can hear now.

Grégoire Blanc  19:34

And this other one, it is recorded through the Onde speaker. I placed a microphone just in front of the resonator. And you can see that the sound is a little bit different.

Grégoire Blanc  20:14

What I usually do is that I split the output of my theremin to record both a dry signal to the DAW and a wet signal that goes through the Onde and a microphone. And then I can just add the touch of wood I want to the sound. Definitely the sound is very interesting to have with a theremin.

Grégoire Blanc  20:34

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit with me. I really have my eye on the Onde in particular. That's something that is on my shopping list for the future.

Christophe Duquesne  20:43

Thank you very much for your invitation. That was really a pleasure to talk together today.

Rick Reid  20:47

Now let's finish this segment of the podcast with a longer demo recording Grégoire made just for this show using his Onde resonator. Here is an excerpt from Tchaikovsky's "Nocturne" op. 19, no. 4.

Rick Reid  22:14

There's more theremin music coming up on the season 3 premiere episode of Theremin 30. So stick around.

Rick Reid  22:32

Let's end this third season premiere show with a wonderful track that's perfect for Spring. It's from Adventures of the Wildflower, the latest album by North Carolina-based jazz pianist and composer Yelena Eckemoff. The double album tells the musical story of the life of a columbine flower. Eckemoff recorded the album in Finland, and her band features Jorma Saari on guitar, glass harp, and theremin. Here is the lead-off track called "In the Ground."

Rick Reid  29:11

Thank you to Stephen Hamm, Japan Theremin Old School, and Yelena Eckemoff for sharing their new music with us. Also thanks to interview guests Christophe Duquesne of La Voix du Luthier and thereminist Grégoire Blanc. Coming up in the May episode, I plan to have new music from Javier Diez Ena, Charlie Draper, and maybe you, So be sure to subscribe to the show through your favorite podcast app and let me know if you have theremin music I can play on the show. Until next time, I'm your host, Rick Reid. Please continue to follow the pandemic restrictions in your area so we can all safely get together again soon. And in the meantime, I'll see you around on Facebook and Twitter.

David Brower  29:51

You've been listening to the Theremin 30 podcast. Visit Theremin 30 on the web at Theremin30.com.


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[S02E06] September 2020 - Mike Beauchamp



The September 2020 episode of the Theremin 30 podcast features music from the UK, Brazil, Japan, and Canada. Rick Reid's interview guest is Mike Beauchamp, designer of the Therevox electronic musical instrument. 




FEATURED MUSIC* 

"A Rare Request of Theocentric Heaven" - Alexx Mazonowicz (Birmingham, UK) 
"1972 (version 2)" - Andmo' (Kawabe-gun, Hyogo, Japan) 
"Teia" - Teia (
São Paulo, Brazil
)
"Live @ Eastern Bloc 2017/07/03" - Pat McMaster (Montreal, QC, Canada)

ADDITIONAL MUSIC 

"Opera Glasses" - Phlogiston Theory (Denver, CO, USA) and Ron Allen (Seattle, WA, USA)
"Time Shadows" - Phlogiston Theory (Denver, CO, USA) 
"No Static at All" - Phlogiston Theory (Denver, CO, USA)
"Therevox and Red Panda" - Mike Beauchamp, Mark Calcott, David Bergeron
"Therevox ET-4, Ableton and EH 2880 Synth Jam" - Martin Schiller (Windsor, ON, Canada)
"Untitled Therevox Improvisation" - Chris Koltay (Detroit, MI, USA)
"Vocalise" - Mark Calcott (Windsor, ON, Canada)

INTERVIEW

Mike Beauchamp is the designer of the Therevox electronic musical instrument. Learn more on the  Therevox website and Instagram page. 

CALENDAR OF THEREMIN EVENTS

Visit the Theremin 30 Calendar of Theremin Events for links and details of events mentioned in this episode. 

MEDIA LINKS

The Theremin 30 Playlist on YouTube includes music videos and concert performances of songs featured in this podcast. 

SUPPORT THIS PODCAST
CONTACT

CREDITS 


Copyright 2020 Rick Reid 


---------------------------------------

TRANSCRIPT

Please note: This is a machine-generated transcript that has not been manually edited. There will be numerous errors. Check back soon for a corrected version.

David Brower  0:04  
This is Theremin 3030 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  0:19  
Hello and welcome to the 18th episode of the Theremin 30 podcast, the only monthly Theremin music podcast in the entire world at least until somebody convinces me otherwise. In this September 2020 edition. I've got new music from Brazil, the UK and Japan and my special guest is Mike Beauchamp, designer of the Thera box electronic musical instrument. Let's get started now with thereminist Alex mehsana Vich with a wonderful track he produced just a few months ago in his home studio in Birmingham, England. This is called a rare request of theocentric heaven

Rick Reid  9:45  
We started that set with music by Alex Musonda Vich Alex compose produced and played all of the instruments on a rare request of theocentric Kevin. Then we heard a single edit of a new track called 1972 by the Japanese band and him Oh, featuring say, oh Rico Jima, Makoto Kikuchi and guest musician, so Tarot Kiera, you can watch antimo were formed the full length version of 1972 in the Theremin 30 playlist on YouTube. coming up soon I've got experimental music from Brazil. And later in the show I'll visit with Canadian instrument designer Mike Beauchamp so stay tuned.

Rick Reid  10:36  
Now it's time to take a look at the Theremin 30 calendar of Theremin events. Lydia Cavanagh continues her weekly online Theremin workshops every Sunday from Oxford, England. Andrew Levine has a bunch of live performances scheduled for mid October in Hamburg, Germany, and a band we heard earlier in the show and mo will be performing at the Big Apple and Kobe, Japan on Halloween night October 31. For details on all of these events, follow the links at calendar dot Theremin thirty.com. And to get your Theremin related events on the calendar and mentioned in the podcast, send me all the details through the contact form on the Theremin 30 website or on the Facebook page. Now let's listen to some fascinating experimental music by the Brazilian duo Taya. This track is also called Taya which means web in Portuguese

Rick Reid  16:30  
That was Taya featuring thereminist Juliet elisse and vocalist Ynez teta from their current album, which is also called Taya, and can be downloaded from bandcamp. You can learn more about Taya and all of the artists that appear on this podcast by clicking on their names in this month show notes at Theremin thirty.com. After the break, I'll visit with my special guest Mike Beauchamp, designer of the Thera box electronic musical instrument, so stay tuned.

Rick Reid  17:16  
In the olden days before the pandemic, I used to use my vacation time to travel to a few different music conventions and trade shows. One of the coolest instruments I got to try out at a couple of the events was the Thera box. The Thera box is made in Tecumseh, Ontario, Canada, which is not far from Detroit, Michigan. its inventor is Mike Beauchamp and he is my special guest this month. Thank you so much for being on Theremin 30.

Mike Beauchamp  17:41  
So happy to be here Rick sights man.

Rick Reid  17:43  
A few years ago, I was at mcg best, and I saw one of your instruments called the Theravada ox and I was really fascinated with it. Can you tell our listeners what is a Thera box

Mike Beauchamp  17:53  
This box is an instrument that I've been making for a really long time. The current model that you saw at moogfest is sort of my interpretation of an own Martino mixed with a classic synthesizer say like a Korg, Ms. 20, or Mini Moke. The unmarked uno is playing with your finger through a ring that's connected to a string, and your finger is underneath sort of like a mock keyboard that has divots for each semitone. So you're moving the pitch by moving your finger to these divots. And underneath your left hand is a touch sensitive piece that moves up and down and it controls the amplitude that's sort of equivalent to like what your left hand would be doing with a Thurman but it offers sort of like a squishy resistance. So you're not just moving your finger but you're pushing down harder and harder to make the sound go louder. And on the third box, specifically, I have two of those and two separate oscillators. So you're playing two voices at the same time and one of them can be disconnected from the ring. So it can be like a preset pitch. So it doesn't always have to follow the ring and it can sort of play accompaniment or bass notes at the same time.

Rick Reid  19:02  
Now how does the their evox relate to the Theremin besides the similarity in names,

Mike Beauchamp  19:09  
so I guess that's what I'd have to go back to the history of it. Probably back in the 90s I was playing like an indie rock band. And on stage I had a single antenna thirimanne I believe I got it from a company called Thoreau maniacs and was mostly kind of using it for sound effects at the time through like a tape echo. As I got more familiar with it, I was sort of starting to play more melodic small sections and quickly realizing that it's a very hard instrument to play. Well sort of trying to play guitar at the same time. There's too many things moving around. So it's very hard to get pitch right. So I kind of abandoned that. And then on Saturday Night Live I think it was I saw Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead playing and this was I think, just when QA came out, what I didn't know at the time he was playing an on Martino. All I saw was a shot of him making a very sermon like sound But his finger was in this metal ring. And he was moving his finger on this mock keyboard and pointing to the notes he won. So, you know, I had no idea what that was. So I went down into my parents basement, and probably in the next year, I started building sort of what I thought this thing was. So I took like an old function generator circuit. And I took a washer from a hose, the little green plastic washer, and that's what I put my finger around, and I put some string around it and I had this instrument that did kind of what I needed it to do. And so I guess that's why I called it a thorough Vox because, you know, I was going for the voice of a Thurman. I'd say that was maybe 2001. And I put it up on my personal website at the time, and I had gotten an email from somebody and he ran a website that was dedicated to the instrument, the electro thirimanne. Are you familiar with that one,

Rick Reid  20:52  
Rick, Paul Tanner, I think made that for the Beach Boys.

Mike Beauchamp  20:56  
Yeah, so after he messaged me, then I sort of had an idea for him. I'm like, Wow, so there was an instrument. It's a continuous pitched instrument. So then I started building things more similar to Paul Tanner's electro Theremin and that's sort of when the name thermo hawks kind of stuck because it made sense. So probably for the first 1012 years I was building small batches for people mostly in Beach Boys cover bands of one off electro Thurman's, then I stopped doing it or in 2007 and then I started learning about the en Martino and then I sort of went back to the original bring design and then came back to the on Martino sort of interface because I do think that made more sense compared to potaters electrode Theremin,

Rick Reid  21:42  
the Onde Martenot and the Theremin although they were developed independently at roughly the same time period, they both use hetero dining to create their sound. Did you incorporate that into your instrument

Mike Beauchamp  21:55  
is definitely one of the things that I tried because of the accuracy required on the own Martino I just found the the stability over temperature and overtime just wasn't there unless you sort of retune the instrument pretty regularly. So I went with a more traditional analog VCO type circuit that you find in like a synthesizer from the 70s.

Rick Reid  22:18  
What does the Thera Vox sound like?

Mike Beauchamp  22:22  
thermoblock sounds very sort of ethereal, angelic. But then it can also sound scary as hell. One person sort of described it as being able to do with the sound of a like air raid siren. When you do hear in films like The Handmaid's Tale, it's sort of just this pitchy dramatic reverb drenched, you can play it in a way that can sort of make things sound like they're not going quite right. That's the amazing flexibility that you have with an instrument that is a continuous pitching. You're not constrained, you know, but it can also be played just beautifully in vocally. And again, sort of similar to

Rick Reid  23:15  
what is the 85 model that you're working on

Mike Beauchamp  23:18  
the 84 I designed in 2010 2011. And I've been making that for eight or nine years now as sort of collecting feedback from people that use it over time on little extra features that they thought that it should have. Last year, I went to California and got to meet with some customers there. And while I was talking to them, I was sort of making notes of all the suggestions that they had with this instrument. And on the flight back, I think all six or seven hours, I was just scribbling away in my notebook with ideas for this instrument. And I came back this year, and I'm in the process of finishing up the first prototype, it's very similar to the 84. It's just every part of the deform is being sort of reconsidered. And it's being improved if there's a way to improve it. Small things that didn't get used by people are being removed in favor of new features that people have suggested that I think they're going to use. And the idea is to sort of just take what the 84 was, but to just continue it And further it and make it better.

Rick Reid  24:18  
Now, is this something that I can just walk into a store and buy? Or do you make the instrument as they're ordered?

Mike Beauchamp  24:24  
since I've started making the 80 fours, there's always been a waiting list. And sometimes it's been short, where if somebody needs one right away, I can get it to them within a month. But we have had to deal with a few stores. Noise bog in Los Angeles carries them when I do have stock so you can order them directly from them when I do have enough available for them.

Rick Reid  24:44  
So if somebody is interested in purchasing one of your instruments, and you've got this 85 in the works, can they get on a new waiting list for the new instrument right

Mike Beauchamp  24:52  
now I'm taking names for the 85 waiting list and I'm also sending out an email to everybody every month or so. So to kind of let them know how the developments coming and asking for feedback, and they can just go to Theremin fox.com, they won't see anything about the 85 yet, but you can just contact me through there. And you can see all the details for the 84 to kind of give you an idea of what the instruments are and what the price ranges are and what kind of features there are.

Rick Reid  25:18  
That's th e r e vox.com.

Mike Beauchamp  25:23  
Exactly. The other thing I want to mention to Rick, I'm gonna put up on our Instagram page, a copy of the book. I have it right here. It's called us conductors. Have you heard of that book?

Unknown Speaker  25:32  
I have.

Mike Beauchamp  25:33  
I think your listeners would really like it because of the sermon content. So I have a copy of this. I've read it. It's an awesome book, and I'm gonna put it up on Instagram for your listeners. And if they want to just drop their name in the comments. I'll pick a one to win the book and I'll mail it out to them.

Rick Reid  25:50  
Oh, that sounds great. Thank

Mike Beauchamp  25:51  
you. The Instagram page is Thoreau evox Hq that's th er e Vo x underscore HQ. Mike, thanks

Rick Reid  25:59  
so much for coming onto the podcast to tell us about the Thera box.

Mike Beauchamp  26:03  
Yeah, thanks, Rick. I really appreciate it.

Rick Reid  26:06  
To learn more about the Thera box and to follow Mike's Instagram account for a chance at snagging that book you mentioned follow the links in this month show notes. Unfortunately, we don't have time to squeeze in another full song. So I'm going to finish out the show with an excerpt from a live improvised performance by Thera box player Pat McMaster, you can watch the video of his full performance on the Theremin 30 YouTube playlist.

Rick Reid  28:44  
And that is all the time we have for this September 2020 edition of the Theremin 30 podcast. I want to thank Alex mehsana Vich Taya and mo and pat McMaster for sharing their music. And of course, Mike Beauchamp for telling us all about the Thera box. Coming up in the October episode we'll get into the Halloween spirit a bit with music from Simon Beck, the divine hand ensemble, and maybe you if you've got an original Theremin recording you'd like me to play in the podcast, contact me through the Facebook page or the website. And if you've been enjoying the podcast over the last year and a half, I would really be grateful if you would recommend it to your friends. I'm trying to decide if I want to continue the show after the Theremin 100th anniversary wraps up at the end of this year. helping me to attract a bigger audience and more Theremin recording artists would be an effective way to twist my arm. You can also drop a small gift in the virtual tip jar on the website. No tip is too small or too big for that matter. Until next time I'm your host Rick Reid Remember to wear a mask in public and try to keep people out of your control zone.

David Brower  29:51  
You've been listening to the Theremin 30 podcast visit Theremin 30 on the web at Theremin three zero.com

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[S01E05] August 2019 - Michelle Moog-Koussa (part 2)

Michelle Moog-Koussa

The August episode of the Theremin 30 podcast features music from USA, Germany, and England. Rick Reid concludes his interview with Michelle Moog-Koussa, executive director of the Bob Moog Foundation. Part one of Michelle's interview is in the July episode. 


FEATURED MUSIC*

"Song for Illusory Impressions Project 2017" - Aileen Adler (Austin, TX, USA)
"Improvisation 2" - Duet for Theremin and Lap Steel (Atlanta, GA, USA)
"Elektromat" - Schramm (Zinnowitz, Germany)
"Fantaisie for Ondes Martenot and Piano" - Charlie Draper (London, England)
"Mortante Elefanto" - Beat Frequency (Croxley Green, England)

ADDITIONAL MUSIC

"Opera Glasses" - Phlogiston Theory and Ron Allen (Denver, CO and Seattle, WA, USA)
"No Static at All" - Phlogiston Theory (Denver, CO, USA)
"Time Shadows" - Phlogiston Theory (Denver, CO, USA)

INTERVIEW

Michelle Moog-Koussa, Executive Director, Bob Moog Foundation and Moogseum (Asheville, NC, USA)

CALENDAR OF THEREMIN EVENTS

Visit the Theremin 30 Calendar of Theremin Events for links and details of events mentioned in this episode.

ON YOUTUBE

Theremin 30 Playlist

Submit your music, suggest a calendar event, or volunteer for an interview by writing to: theremin30podcast@gmail.com. Visit Theremin 30 on Facebook.

Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/theremin30/message

*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.

CREDITS

Producer/Writer/Host: Rick Reid
Opening and closing announcer: David Brower

Copyright 2019 Rick Reid

--------------------
TRANSCRIPT

Please note: This is a machine-generated transcript that has not been manually edited. There will be numerous errors. Check back soon for a corrected version.

David Brower  0:04  
This is Theremin 3030 minutes of Theremin 30 news events an interview with a new episode about every 30 days now here's your host from Denver, Colorado.

Rick Reid  0:19  
USA Well hello and welcome to the only regularly scheduled podcast devoted to Theremin music and Theremin events. In this August 2019 episode of Theremin 30, we'll teach you recordings from the USA, the UK and Germany all played with the permission of the artists. We'll take a look at the calendar of Theremin events. And we'll also hear the conclusion of my interview with Michelle Moga kusa, founder of the bob mug Foundation, and the new museum and Asheville North Carolina. Let's start off with some modern classical music from Austin, Texas. Here's thereminist alien Adler, accompanied by Katherine Davis at the piano

Rick Reid  5:45  
We started that set with Amy Adler and pianist Catherine Davis. Catherine wrote the song for a 2017 performance art exhibition called the illusory impressions project. Then we heard improvisation too from Atlanta based experimental artists do wet for Theremin and lap steel. duet is embarking on a concert tour very soon and I've got details in the Theremin 30 calendar of events. So let's do that right now. On the August calendar of Theremin events, Dr. G is touring the public libraries of Nova Scotia with his science focused concerts for kids. The new museum in Asheville, North Carolina celebrates Leon Theremin 's birthday and its own grand opening with three days of events from August 13 through the 15th. I'll have more details later in the show. in Montreal on August 23, and 24th Alex SHERMER teams with Gregoire blonk for an afternoon Theremin workshops and a concert premiere of a new work composed by Alec and among the September calendar highlights duet for Theremin and lap steel take their show on the road September 5 through the 14th with performances in Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio and Illinois. In mid September, Mandarin electronic hosts several Theremin 100 Japan events, including an attempt to set a new Theremin world record to get more details on these events and many more follow the links on the calendar at Theremin thirty.com. Our next recording comes from the German industrial band Shrum featuring Robert Meyer on Theremin I only took one semester of German in college so I don't know exactly what these lyrics are saying. So if you happen to be more fluent in German than I am Be warned that I haven't screened this tract or any explicit or offensive language. I do know that the song was inspired by the movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Robert tells me it's about how a love bombing can turn a healthy individual into a zombie. I just dig it for Roberts Theremin riffs. Here's Shrum with a track called electro Mont

Rick Reid  11:52  
you can see the official music video of electromech in the new Theremin 30 video playlist. There's a link on our website or just search for Theremin 30 on YouTube. There's more music to come on the Theremin 30 podcasts. And we'll play part two of my interview with Michel Moke kusa. So keep listening.

Rick Reid  12:20  
Remember, you can find links to all of the artists featured on this podcast at Theremin three zero.com right now I'm going to break my own rules. This next track does not feature a Theremin. Instead, Charlie Draper plays the owned martineau along with pianist Paul Jackson. This song is called fantasy for owned Martin oh and piano. It was written by French composer Pierre vai loan in 1930, but was never published. And fortunately for my podcast, it is lapsed into the public domain. This is believed to be the second musical composition ever written specifically for the owned Martin No. This live performance was recorded at the Theremin and owned Martin no workshop and recital held at Oxford University this past May

Rick Reid  17:51  
In the July episode of Theremin 30 I interviewed Michelle Moga kusa, the founder and executive director of the bob mo foundation. We talked about the mission of the foundation and about the cool Theremin exhibits at the new museum in Asheville, North Carolina. But we ran out of time. So let's play the rest of that interview now. What do you have lined up for the grand opening celebration?

Michelle Moog-Koussa 18:14  
We are still working on that. But I will let just your listeners know that we have secured a loan of the Moog prototype from the Henry Ford museum. And we will be featuring that and that herb Deutsch will be joining us for two different talks, listening parties and Q and A's and a dinner. And we are working on a couple other events as we speak. So people should check out our Facebook pages and sign up for E newsletters, and they will be able to get some updates then tell people how to find out about that information.

Rick Reid  18:47  
What is your website and Facebook page,

Michelle Moog-Koussa  18:50  
they can go to the Bob Moog Foundation website, which is Moog foundation.org. We've also started a magazine page, but we're still working on it, but they can always check it because it will be growing. And that's magium.org. That's m OGSEUM magium. And we also are on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, both as the Bob Moog Foundation and the moseying

Rick Reid  19:14  
and kind of a personal question for you. What are the challenges and the rewards of doing this work about your father?

Michelle Moog-Koussa  19:21  
That's a great question. Let's start with the challenges. The challenges are that it's in a extraordinarily complex and diverse legacy and requiring a lot of attention to detail as far as fully understanding and communicating it. Another challenge would be that people mistakenly think that Bob Moke was a multimillionaire which he most certainly was not, and that he left us millions of dollars to do this work, which is not the case. So people think We're privately funded through that source, when the truth is that we're quite small in our financial resources, and we are donor driven. Another challenge is that people think that we are part of the company mode music, which is also not true. We're completely independent, promote music, and that tends to create its own set of confusion. So we are constantly messaging to people just letting them know that mode, music manufacturers, the instruments, but we are the ones carrying on Bob's legacy through the educational and archival preservation, I would say those are probably the three biggest challenges, the rewards, those are both too many to list. And unmeasurable, Bob's legacy is so rich in not just technology, history, education, but there's a very special spiritual component to his legacy and the way that he and his work, connect with other people and inspire them to do great things on their own. And to be able to witness that through this work has been one of the most rewarding things that's ever happened to me. So just being able to carry on the legacy and continue to help people understand it is quite an immense honor on my part.

Rick Reid  21:23  
That's an experience that I'm sure that very few people get to have with their parents, even though he's not with us anymore. It seems like the relationship you have with him is transformed by the work you're doing.

Michelle Moog-Koussa 21:36  
Yes, it is. And it's been very interesting for me to learn more and more about his professional history, which I knew very little about before I started this job, which was after his passing, because he never really talked about his work. So a lot of what I've learned has been through the work with the foundation. And there will be times when I'm reading about what's happening, often the challenges and you know, even some of the low points in his career, and thinking about what's going on in our family life at that point, maybe how he was, what his stress level was, what other things happened. And it all kind of clicks for me. And that goes for some of the, you know, the positives, as well as not just the hard stuff. But you know, he spent a lot of time away from home. And as a kid, that you interpret that one way, and it might make you feel a certain way about yourself, depending on what kind of kid you are. But the more I read about all these fantastic relationships that my dad had with musicians, how devoted he was to helping them express their craft, and how they were really his beacon, and how deeply inspired they were not only by his work, but by his humility and the ease in which they could connect with him. It really helped me understand and appreciate why he was gone so much because he was gone working with those musicians. And, you know, finally, I would say that running the bob Foundation has not always been an easy to ask. And just about everyone in my family and a few other people have at different points suggested that I give up because it was too hard. And I have said to them, you know how many times in your life you get a chance to do something like this. If you're lucky, you get one chance. So no, I'm not giving up.

Rick Reid  23:20  
While I have you here. Tell me about the documentary film project you're working on.

Michelle Moog-Koussa  23:26  
Electronic wager is a documentary that follows me tracing my dad's footsteps in order to help people understand him well beyond his iconic status. And we've been working on the project for a few years, we have done extensive filming all up and down the East Coast and in Europe, and the director has spent the last four or five months doing some really fascinating editing. And they are hoping to have the editing done by the end of the year, I know that they will be at the grand opening. And they will be doing some additional filming. And Nashville will be doing some voiceover work. And we will be doing an additional set of interviewing and traveling in California, and then the project will wrap up. So we're really excited about it. Because at this point, there are over 100 hours of interviews for the 90 minute documentary and I think it's going to be incredibly interesting and insightful in ways that no other piece of material about Bob mo has been before.

Rick Reid  24:31  
I understand electronic Voyager has been crowdfunded. Is it too late for someone to buy into it or to preorder a copy of the finished film?

Michelle Moog-Koussa 24:39  
I'm not sure but I do know that in the latest Indiegogo campaign they were in a phase that was called something like extended which means you could basically participate after the official deadline. So if any of your listeners are interested they can go to Indiegogo campaign and search electronic Voyager And see if those opportunities are still open. But electronic voyageurs also has a website and they can check there. I know that the crew was looking into accepting donations and there are other ways that people can help. And that help is always welcome because producing a documentary is not only a ton of work, but it requires a lot of finances. So any support there is greatly appreciated. Well, thank

Rick Reid  25:22  
you. I'm curious, are you a Theremin player?

Michelle Moog-Koussa 25:24  
I am not. But I would love to learn how to play the theorem. And if you're only a little bit

Rick Reid  25:30  
so when I I've been at it for 10 years.

Michelle Moog-Koussa  25:34  
Right? And then that's part of it. You know, it's a yes, I would love to learn how to play the Theremin. And I have respectfully not even tried yet because I understand the dedication that it takes. I am in admiration and all of all of the practicing therapists out there.

Rick Reid  25:53  
Well, it sounds like you've got work that you're dedicated to that benefits salt. There are minutes so we really appreciate all you're doing for the electronic music community.

Michelle Moog-Koussa 26:02  
Oh, thank you. Okay, appreciate that. It's my honor.

Rick Reid  26:04  
In the time since I recorded that interview with Michelle, the museum grand opening has been expanded from one day to three days, a full slate of performances, presentations, museum tours, and a banquet have been scheduled for August 13 through the 15th special guests include electronic musicians herb Deutsch, Patrick Moran, Lisa, Bella, Donna and Larry fast you can get all the details online@mobium.org or follow the link on our website. Coming up I'll tell you about next month special guest joining us all the way from Japan. Right now let's go to the UK. Here's B frequency with a brief ambient track called more Dante elephant Oh.

Rick Reid  28:52  
From croxley green England that was beat frequency who many of you may know as Gordon Charlton? I want to thank Gordon alien duet for Theremin and lap steel Robert and Charlie for allowing me to play their music on this podcast and a special thank you goes to my interview guest Michel Moog kusa next month I'm planning to visit with Mario's Giovanna ellia about the Theremin 100 Japan project and the planned attempt to set a new Theremin world record. Also, in this September episode, we'll play some of your original Theremin music, but only if you send it into me, so be sure to contact me through the website to get all the details. Of course, I want to remind you that August is Leon Theremin his birth month. His birthday falls on either August 15 or August 27 depending on which calendar you use. So I'm just going to celebrate for the full two weeks. I hope you do too. I'm your host, Rick Reid. Thank you for tuning in.

David Brower  29:51  
You've been listening to the Theremin 30 podcast visit Theremin 30 on the web at Theremin threezero.com

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