Where Are All the Theremins?

OWhether I'm performing locally or traveling, I'm always amazed at the two most common reactions to the theremin: 1) The almost immediate fascination it instills in spectators, and 2) that the majority of spectators are seeing and hearing the theremin for the very first time. As for item #1, there are very few things in our newest, trendy hi-tech toy culture that consistently cause jaw-dropping astonishment. Regardless of the type of music or effects thereminsts choose to produce, everyone from children to adults alike falls under its spell very quickly. The urge to try it themselves is often very strong and in many cases, once a spectator tries a theremin for the first time, it engenders additional respect for the efforts of the thereminist. Item #2, while amazing to spectators, is equally so for me. For an instrument that's been around since the turn of the century, it still remains virtually unknown to most people. Type the word "theremin" into any search engine on the internet and the resulting hits would make it seem not only that the theremin is well known and popular, but also that people everywhere probably have one. So, where are all the theremins? Once theremins resurfaced in the 1960's (thanks to groups like the Beach Boys and Lothar and the Hand People), they began what I think of as the longest emergence in musical instrument history – an emergence that continues today. YouTube is brimming with hundreds of theremin videos. More musicians and artists all over the world are using them than ever before. There are frequently dozens of them for sale on Ebay at any given time. However, it's abundantly clear that the theremin is a specialty instrument, more often referred to as a novelty. On several occasions I've been with musicians or music scholars who have blatantly stated with great self-assurance that the theremin – and this is a direct quote – "is not a real musical instrument." When pressed, they weere unable to state precisely what qualifications for instrumenthood theremins fail to meet. Two of them, after hearing a few pieces played, retracted their opinions. There are a number of factors one can point to that help explain why the theremin remains firmly on the fringe. First, let's look at its status as a novelty. The dictionary defines "novelty" as something new, original and different; something that is interesting or exciting. Even though the theremin is a little over eighty-five years old they're still new to most people. As for "original and different," that's a resounding "yes." The theremin is also holding its own as interesting and exciting. What, then, is wrong with being a novelty? The answer is the second half of the definition, "though only for a short time." That phrase has a double resonance. For people who decide to take up the theremin, that short time can end up being very short as one discovers how much concentrated effort and practice is required to play it. The truth is, to play any instrument well a musician can expect to devote many hours toward becoming proficient. What is interesting is that by its very nature, the theremin appears to offer the enticing promise of instant result, partially because in many instances, controlled noise and tones in various artistic contexts are valid music and compositions. This is entirely acceptable when a theremin is involved but far less so with most other instruments. Many of us are introduced to music and instruments at an early age. often as part of a school music class or program like the band. It's usually parents who choose a child's first instrument, and it's difficult to imagine a theremin ever coming to mind, let alone presenting one to a child of 7 or 8 (even though kids that age love them). It's also hard to imagine a theremin being included in any school band program. There are virtually no musical scores written for the instrument in such a situation. Also to the theremin's detriment, there are less than a handful of people who are qualified to teach the instrument. The logistics of including theremins as regular members of the orchestra are considerable – from the issue of distance to the fact that more than one theremin per orchestra would create a number of audio problems. Here, too, there are almost no theremin scores for the typical orchestra repertoires. For theremins to be in the mainstream would certainly entail a far greater number of players who perform music that is in the mainstream. This means having many more thereminists who are capable of the precision playing of written music, composing mainstream compositions, and developing receptive, mainstream audiences. It's very much a chicken-or-the-egg scenario. All of the aforementioned would likely have to be occurring simultaneously on an ongoing basis. Still, as more and more people take the instrument up and more audiences in every type of venue are exposed to the wide variety of styles, the theremin will continue its perpetual emergence to the surface of its own special, if-not-main stream.