ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Pamelia Kurstin - Theremin player
Pamelia Kurstin excavates a dusty artifact from the prehistoric strata of electronic music -- and demonstrates how to squeeze soul from an instrument you can't even touch.

Why you should listen

The theremin, the first electronic instrument ever invented, was on the brink of historic oblivion when it was rescued from obscurity by director Steven Martin's classic 1994 documentary Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey . And while a few brave souls have sought to master this temperamental instrument since then, none have done so with more sly effervescence than Pamelia Kurstin.

From the rock-steady composure she assumes behind the instrument (necessary lest her breathing drive the sensors out of tune), one might presume a shrinking conservatory personality, but a quick glance at the MySpace page of the self-described "bird-punching rollerskating thereminist" will quickly dash any of these quaint notions. Far from being a quirky curiosity, however, Kurstin is a sensitive, emotional stylist capable of coaxing sublime melodic content out of an instrument usually doomed to B-movie sci-fi soundtracks. (And her walking bass imitation is pretty cool too.)

Born in Los Angeles, Kurstin currently resides in Vienna, and performs with her latest project Blueblut, among many others. Her latest solo CD, Thinking Out Loud, was released in 2007 on John Zorn's legendary Tzadik label. She'll bathe your dog and give you a haircut ("if you're daring," she warns) in exchange for a six-pack.

More profile about the speaker
Pamelia Kurstin | Speaker | TED.com
TED2002

Pamelia Kurstin: The untouchable music of the theremin

Pamelia Kurstin theremin-a jotzen du -- musika ukiezina

Filmed:
2,115,903 views

Pamelia Kurstin adituak theremina jo eta hartaz hitz egiten gaitu, zientzia fikziozko filmetarako bakarrik erabiltzen ez den instrumentua, ukitu gabe jotzen dena. Abestien artean "Autumn Leves", "Lush Life" eta Advid Mash-en "Listen, Words Are Gone" daude.
- Theremin player
Pamelia Kurstin excavates a dusty artifact from the prehistoric strata of electronic music -- and demonstrates how to squeeze soul from an instrument you can't even touch. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
(Music)
0
0
308000
(Musika)
05:20
(Applause)
1
308000
9000
(Txaloak)
05:35
Thank you. Ooh, I'm like, "Phew, phew, calm down. Get back into my body now." (Laughter)
2
323000
5000
Lasaitu. Nire gorputzera bueltatu.
05:40
Usually when I play out, the first thing that happens is
3
328000
4000
Normalean, jotzen hasten nahizenean gertatzen den lehenengo gauza
05:44
people scream out, "What's she doing?!"
4
332000
3000
jedeak zera ohiukatzen duela da: "zertan ari da?"
05:47
I'll play at these rock shows, be on stage
5
335000
3000
Badakizue, rock kontzertuetan joko dut, eszenatokian egon,
05:50
standing completely still, and they're like,
6
338000
2000
guztiz geldirik, badakizue...
05:52
"What's she doing?! What's she doing?!"
7
340000
3000
Galdetzen dute "Zertan ari da? Zertan ari da?" Badakizue
05:55
And then I'll kind of be like -- (Vvvwow!) -- and then they're like, "Whoa!"
8
343000
4000
Eta gero... Wow!, badakizue, eta gero...
05:59
(Laughter)
9
347000
2000
(Barreak)
06:01
I'm sure you're trying to figure out,
10
349000
4000
Ziur nago nola funtzionatzen duen imaginatzen
06:05
"Well, how does this thing work?"
11
353000
2000
zaiatzen ari zaretela.
06:07
Well, what I'm doing is
12
355000
4000
Ongi da, egiten ari nahizena da -- oh! --
06:11
controlling the pitch with my left hand.
13
359000
5000
nire ezker eskuarekin tonua kontolatzen.
06:18
See, the closer I get to this antenna, the higher the note gets --
14
366000
5000
Ikusten duzue, zenbat eta antenatik urbilago egon orduan eta nota altuagoak lortzen ditut.
06:23
(Portamento) --
15
371000
3000
(Eskala bat egiten du)
06:26
and you can get it really low.
16
374000
2000
Oso baxua egin daiteke.
06:28
And with this hand I'm controlling the volume,
17
376000
3000
Eta esku honekin bolumena kontrolatzen ari naiz,
06:31
so the further away my right hand gets, the louder it gets.
18
379000
4000
beraz, zenbat eta hurrunago egon nire eskuin eskua geroz eta zaratatsuago da.
06:35
(Tones)
19
383000
3000
(Tonuak)
06:38
So basically, with both of your hands
20
386000
2000
Beraz, funtsean, zure eskuekin
06:40
you're controlling pitch and volume and kind of
21
388000
4000
bolumena eta tonua kontrolatzen ari zara,
06:44
trying to create the illusion that you're doing separate notes,
22
392000
4000
nota moztuak jotzearen ilusioa lortzen saiatzen,
06:48
when really it's continuously going ...
23
396000
2000
egitan, nota jarraiak direnean.
06:50
(Flourish ... Beep)
24
398000
4000
(Apaingarria ... txistua)
06:54
(Laughter)
25
402000
3000
(Barreak)
07:03
Sometimes I startle myself: I'll forget that I have it on,
26
411000
2000
Batzuetan asaldatu egiten naiz: piztuta daukatela ahazten dut
07:05
and I'll lean over to pick up something,
27
413000
3000
eta makurtu egiten nahiz zerbait artzeko,
07:08
and then it goes like -- (Blip) -- "Oh!"
28
416000
3000
eta gero badoa, oh! Badakizue.
07:11
And it's like a funny sound effect that follows you around
29
419000
3000
Eta soinu efektu barregarri bat egiten du
07:14
if you don't turn the thing off.
30
422000
2000
gailua ez baduzu itzaltzen.
07:16
(Laughter)
31
424000
5000
(Barreak)
07:21
Maybe we'll go into the next tune,
32
429000
4000
Agian urrengo musika-lanera joango gara,
07:25
because I totally lost where this is going.
33
433000
4000
hau guztia nora doan guztiz ahaztu dudalako.
07:29
We're going to do a song by David Mash called "Listen: the Words Are Gone,"
34
437000
5000
David Mash-en "Listen: Words Are Gone" joko dugu,
07:34
and maybe I'll have words come back into me afterwards if I can relax.
35
442000
4000
eta agian gero bergogoratuko dut esan behar nuena.
07:38
(Music)
36
446000
174000
(Musika)
10:32
(Applause)
37
620000
10000
(Txaloak)
10:44
So, I'm trying to think of some of the questions
38
632000
3000
Beraz, normalean galdetzen diren galdera batzuk
10:47
that are commonly asked; there are so many.
39
635000
2000
gogoratzen saiatzen ari nahiz. Asko daude.
10:49
And ... Well, I guess I could tell you
40
637000
3000
Eta, ongi, uste dut kontatu dezakedala
10:52
a little of the history of the theremin.
41
640000
2000
theremin-ari buruzko historia pixka bat.
10:54
It was invented around the 1920s, and the inventor, Léon Theremin
42
642000
6000
1920ko hamarkadan asmatu zen eta asmatzaileak, Léon Theremin,
11:00
-- he also was a musician besides an inventor --
43
648000
5000
-- musikaria ere bada asmatzaileaz aparte --
11:05
he came up with the idea for making the theremin,
44
653000
5000
erabaki zuen theremin-a egitea.
11:10
I think, when he was working on some shortwave radios.
45
658000
4000
Uste dut bera zeinale motzeko irrati batzuekin lan egiten ari zela
11:14
And there'd be that sound in the signal -- it's like (Screeching) --
46
662000
3000
eta soinu hori entzun zuen seinalean -- honelako zerbait -- (Garrazia)
11:17
and he thought, "Oh, what if I could control that sound
47
665000
4000
eta pentsatu zuen "Oh, zer gertatuko litzateke soinu hori kontrolatu ahal banu
11:21
and turn it into an instrument, because there are pitches in it."
48
669000
4000
eta musika tresna batean bihurtu, tonuak soltzeko gai bait da.
11:25
And so somehow through developing that,
49
673000
3000
Eta honela, gailu hori eraikitzen
11:28
he eventually came to make the theremin the way it is now.
50
676000
4000
theremin-a egin zuen gaur den modu berberan.
11:35
And a lot of times, even kids nowadays,
51
683000
4000
Eta askotan gaur, umeak ere,
11:39
they'll make reference to a theremin by going, "Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo,"
52
687000
4000
whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo soinuarekin lotzen dute theremin-a
11:43
because in the '50s it was used in the sci-fi horror movies,
53
691000
2000
50ko hamarkadan zientzia fikziozko eta beldurrezko filmeetan erabiltzen zelako:
11:45
that sound that's like ... (Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo)
54
693000
4000
soinua honelakoa da ... (woo-ooo)
11:49
(Laughter)
55
697000
3000
(Barreak)
11:52
It's kind of a funny, goofy sound to do.
56
700000
4000
Egiten duten soinu barregarriaren ondorioz da hori.
11:58
And sometimes if I have too much coffee,
57
706000
2000
Eta batzuetan kafe asko hartzen badut,
12:00
then my vibrato gets out of hand.
58
708000
2000
bibratoa ezin dut kontrolatu.
12:02
You're really sensitive to your body and its functions
59
710000
3000
Oso sensiblea zara zure gorputzarekin eta bere funtzioekin
12:05
when you're behind this thing.
60
713000
2000
gauza honen atzean zaudenean
12:07
You have to stay so still if you want to have the most control.
61
715000
3000
Oso geldirik egon behar zara kontrola mantendu nahi baduzu.
12:10
It reminds me of the balancing act earlier on -- what Michael was doing --
62
718000
5000
Michael-ek egin duena gogorarazten dit, kulunkatzen ari zenean lehenago
12:15
because you're fighting so hard to keep the balance
63
723000
3000
hain gogor saiatzen ari zarelako oreka mantentzen
12:18
with what you're playing with and stay in tune, and at the same time
64
726000
6000
eta musikan mantentzeko era berean
12:24
you don't want to focus so much on being in tune all the time;
65
732000
3000
ez duzu musika-lanean hainbeste arreta jarri nahi denbora guztian;
12:27
you want to be feeling the music.
66
735000
3000
musika sentitu nahi duzu.
12:30
And then also, you're trying to stay very, very, very still
67
738000
4000
Eta gero oso, oso, oso geldirik mantentzen saiatzen ari zara
12:34
because little movements with other parts of your body
68
742000
4000
beste gorputz atalekin mugimendu txikiak egiteak
12:38
will affect the pitch, or sometimes if you're holding a low note -- (Tone rising out of key) --
69
746000
4000
tonua aldatuko duelako, edo, batzuetan, nota baxu bat jotzen ari bazara
12:45
and breathing will make it ...
70
753000
3000
eta arnasa hartzen, badakizu, honelako zerbait egingo du... (Tonua igotzen)
12:48
(Laughter)
71
756000
1000
(Barreak)
12:49
If I pass out on the next song ...
72
757000
3000
Hurrengo abestira joaten bagara --
12:52
(Laughter)
73
760000
2000
(Barreak)
12:54
I think of it almost like
74
762000
4000
Baina azkenean da, uste dut dela
12:58
like a yoga instrument because it makes you so aware
75
766000
3000
yoga instrumentu bat bezala ia, egiten duelako konturatzea
13:01
of every little crazy thing your body is doing,
76
769000
4000
zure gorputzak egiten dituen mugimendu txiki guztiez
13:05
or just aware of what you don't want it to be doing
77
773000
5000
edo bakarrik konturatzea zer ez duzu nahi egitea
13:10
while you're playing; you don't want to have any sudden movements.
78
778000
4000
jotzen ari zarenean: badakizue, bat-bateko mugimenduak izateaz.
13:14
And if I go to a club and play a gig, people are like,
79
782000
3000
Eta, badakizue, club batera banoa eta kontzertu bat ematen badut, jendeak esaten dit:
13:17
"Here, have some drinks on us!"
80
785000
2000
"Har itzazu trago batzuk gurekin!"
13:19
And it's like, "Well, I'm about to go on soon;
81
787000
3000
Eta goiz joan behar banintz bezala da;
13:22
I don't want to be like -- (Teetering tones) -- you know?"
82
790000
4000
ez du nahi egin horrelako gauzarik... (Nota dardaratsuak)
13:26
It really does reflect the mood that you're in also,
83
794000
3000
Benetan nire umorea erakusten du, baita ere,
13:29
if you're ...
84
797000
2000
bazarete, badakizue, bazarete --
13:31
it's similar to being a vocalist, except
85
799000
3000
abeslaria izatetik gertu dago,
13:34
instead of it coming out of your throat,
86
802000
2000
eztarritik ateratzea izan ezik,
13:36
you're controlling it just in the air
87
804000
2000
airean kontrolatzen ari zara
13:38
and you don't really have a point of reference;
88
806000
3000
eta ez duzu benetan erreferentzia puntu bat;
13:41
you're always relying on your ears and adjusting constantly.
89
809000
5000
zure belarrietaz fidatzen ari zara beti eta egokitzen beti.
13:46
You just have to always adjust to what's happening
90
814000
2000
Gertatzen ari denari egokitu behar zara beti
13:48
and realize you'll have bummer notes come here and there
91
816000
4000
eta konturatu nota arraroak izango dituzula hemen eta hor
13:52
and listen to it, adjust it, and just move on,
92
820000
3000
eta entzun itzazu, egokitu itzazu eta mugidu
13:55
or else you'll get too tied up and go crazy. Like me.
93
823000
7000
edo bestela oso geldirik egongo zara eta zoratu egingo zara. Ni bezala.
14:04
I think we will play another tune now.
94
832000
4000
Uste dut beste musika-lan bat joko dudala orain.
14:09
I'm going to do "Lush Life." It's one of my favorite tunes to play.
95
837000
3000
"Lush Life" joko dut: jotzeko nire musika-lanik gustukoen bat.
14:12
(Music)
96
840000
290000
(Musika)
19:02
(Applause)
97
1130000
3000
(Txaloak)
Translated by Martin Segovia
Reviewed by Jon Goikolea

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Pamelia Kurstin - Theremin player
Pamelia Kurstin excavates a dusty artifact from the prehistoric strata of electronic music -- and demonstrates how to squeeze soul from an instrument you can't even touch.

Why you should listen

The theremin, the first electronic instrument ever invented, was on the brink of historic oblivion when it was rescued from obscurity by director Steven Martin's classic 1994 documentary Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey . And while a few brave souls have sought to master this temperamental instrument since then, none have done so with more sly effervescence than Pamelia Kurstin.

From the rock-steady composure she assumes behind the instrument (necessary lest her breathing drive the sensors out of tune), one might presume a shrinking conservatory personality, but a quick glance at the MySpace page of the self-described "bird-punching rollerskating thereminist" will quickly dash any of these quaint notions. Far from being a quirky curiosity, however, Kurstin is a sensitive, emotional stylist capable of coaxing sublime melodic content out of an instrument usually doomed to B-movie sci-fi soundtracks. (And her walking bass imitation is pretty cool too.)

Born in Los Angeles, Kurstin currently resides in Vienna, and performs with her latest project Blueblut, among many others. Her latest solo CD, Thinking Out Loud, was released in 2007 on John Zorn's legendary Tzadik label. She'll bathe your dog and give you a haircut ("if you're daring," she warns) in exchange for a six-pack.

More profile about the speaker
Pamelia Kurstin | Speaker | TED.com