Wednesday, September 15, 2004

Instrument plays without a touch

'Woo-woo device' is winning fans with its spooky sound.

Port Huron Times Herald


MARYSVILLE — Woooooeeeee-ooooo.

That’s the sound of the theremin — more or less.

“Someone (at a show) referred to it as ‘the woo-woo device,”’ said Brian Hunter, who played the instrument in the experimental Port Huron band Complete Audio Device.

The theremin not only sounds a little “out there,” but it is also the only instrument that is played without being touched. Its spooky sound, conjuring up images of alien invasions and good vibrations, is generated by moving your hands in the air.

The story of its inventor, a Soviet spy and physicist, is nearly as strange as the instrument itself.

Hunter, who was preparing to return to Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, isn’t the only local connection to this rare instrument. Port Huron Museum Director Stephen R. Williams also owns a theremin.

“If you go on eBay, you’ll see all kinds of evidence there’s more interest in the theremin than ever,” Williams said.

More than 20 theremins were for sale on the Web site recently, and there were dozens more auctions of theremin accessories, recordings and paraphernalia.

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Last Modified:2004-09-15 1116 Reads