{"id":302,"date":"2013-08-08T07:03:45","date_gmt":"2013-08-08T04:03:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/studio.theremintimes.ru\/randygeorge\/"},"modified":"2020-03-26T02:37:05","modified_gmt":"2020-03-25T23:37:05","slug":"randygeorge","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/theremin.today\/?page_id=302&lang=en","title":{"rendered":"Randy George"},"content":{"rendered":"

Randy George is one of a small handful of the world\u2019s finest theremin performers. Having appeared across the US and in Europe as soloist, chamber musician, studio player, and lecturer, Randy has made significant contributions to the increasing awareness and advancement of the theremin. Since 2006, his internet videos works featuring the instrument have been viewed over 20 million times. He has worked with artists, ensembles and organizations including among others: Danny Elfman, John Massari, Bleeding Fingers Music, Hollywood Symphony, Santa Monica Symphony, Dilijan Chamber Music, Gaudete Brass, Lines West, Moon Honey, SUNY Fredonia, Polytechnic University of Valencia, and Chapman University.
\nOfficial<\/span> :\u00a0\u00a0<\/a>http:\/\/randygeorgemusic.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

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What prompted you to\u00a0play theremin?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u00a0saw a\u00a0picture of\u00a0a\u00a0theremin in\u00a0January of\u00a02006. The friend that showed me\u00a0the photo gave me\u00a0a\u00a0brief explanation of\u00a0the way it\u00a0operates. Then without hearing it\u00a0or\u00a0watching a\u00a0video, I\u00a0already knew\u00a0I wanted to\u00a0play\u00a0it. I\u00a0told my\u00a0friend that\u00a0I would one day master the theremin, and he\u00a0violently disagreed. Two weeks later\u00a0I received my\u00a0first instrument in\u00a0the mail.<\/p>\n

What were your first feelings when you heard the sounds of\u00a0theremin and where did it\u00a0happen?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u00a0first heard the instrument through some video and audio on\u00a0the internet. In\u00a0January\/February of\u00a02006, there was not much available. I\u00a0did not pay much attention to\u00a0the typical areas of\u00a0music where theremin was previously used, so\u00a0my\u00a0perceptions about theremin sounds were not colored in\u00a0any way. I\u00a0only approached the instrument from a\u00a0very technical point of\u00a0view and so\u00a0I did not have feelings that\u00a0I can recall.<\/p>\n

What is\u00a0your musical philosophy and what place it\u00a0occupies a\u00a0theremin?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u00a0play music that\u00a0I enjoy and wish to\u00a0share with others. The theremin serves as\u00a0an\u00a0interface for the music to\u00a0be\u00a0heard. I\u00a0see the theremin as\u00a0a\u00a0voice, that sings through hands instead of\u00a0the human vocal chords. For me\u00a0the theremin is\u00a0another method which\u00a0I can use to\u00a0express. I\u00a0played the bassoon prior to\u00a0playing the theremin and\u00a0I would regard it\u00a0in\u00a0the exact same way.<\/p>\n

Prospects for theremin and its place in\u00a0modern music space\u00a0\u2014 how you see them?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u00a0feel like the theremin will eventually be\u00a0as\u00a0celebrated as\u00a0any instrument. It\u00a0has for a\u00a0long time, probably 40\u00a0years, been classified as\u00a0part of\u00a0the world of\u00a0unknown obscure instruments. I\u00a0believe this is\u00a0primarily because of\u00a0the way that it\u00a0has been used in\u00a0the recent past and the small number of\u00a0people who have become proficient at\u00a0it. I\u00a0feel like when the next wave of\u00a0awareness of\u00a0the theremin sweeps across the world, the theremin and its exponents will finally be\u00a0regarded as\u00a0equals with everything else in\u00a0modern music.<\/p>\n

Which manufacturer of\u00a0theremin do\u00a0you prefer?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u00a0do not have a\u00a0preference of\u00a0theremin manufacturer. I\u00a0currently play a\u00a0Moog Etherwave Pro that\u00a0I have tuned to\u00a0my\u00a0personal and musical requirements… If\u00a0I\u00a0were to\u00a0find an\u00a0instrument that offered a\u00a0better playing experience then\u00a0I would leave behind the old instrument and change to\u00a0the new one.<\/p>\n

What you can recommend for beginners thereminists, or\u00a0those who are just going to\u00a0start their way of\u00a0thereminist?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The theremin is\u00a0the most transparent musical interface that exists in\u00a0the world. Every nuance and fine movement of\u00a0a\u00a0person\u2019s body is\u00a0translated directly into sound. Therefore, it\u00a0is\u00a0important to\u00a0focus on\u00a0becoming aware of\u00a0how every little movement of\u00a0the body is\u00a0reflected in\u00a0the sound. The technical understanding of\u00a0theremin playing comes only after a\u00a0player first becomes acutely aware of\u00a0his\/her own body stillness. Since every person\u2019s body, environment, and theremin instrument are unique, the process of\u00a0learning theremin is\u00a0absolutely unique to\u00a0every single person. I\u00a0would say the first and most fundamental aspect of\u00a0playing that a\u00a0beginner must focus on\u00a0is\u00a0the effects their body movements have on\u00a0relative note spacing. The relative space between notes is\u00a0what forms the foundation of\u00a0muscle memory which is\u00a0just as\u00a0important as\u00a0having an\u00a0excellent sense of\u00a0relative pitch intonation.<\/p>\n