TED2002
Pamelia Kurstin: The untouchable music of the theremin
Pamelia Kurstin 彈奏「特雷門」---- 一種無法碰觸的音樂
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藝術家Pamelia Kurstin 表演並討論她帶來的特雷門，一種不是只有科幻小說才出現的電子樂器，彈奏這種樂器時是不需經由碰觸的。演奏的歌曲有「秋天的葉子」、「茂盛的生命」和David Mash的「聽，無言」。
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. Full bio
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)
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(音樂演奏中)♫♫
05:20
(Applause)
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(觀眾掌聲)
05:35
Thank you. Ooh, I'm like, "Phew, phew, calm down. Get back into my body now." (Laughter)
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冷靜。回過神來。
05:40
Usually when I play out, the first thing that happens is
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通常我演奏結束時，第一件發生的事情是
05:44
people scream out, "What's she doing?!"
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人們會喊說：她在做什麼?
05:47
I'll play at these rock shows, be on stage
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你知道的，我在那些搖滾節目的舞台上，
05:50
standing completely still, and they're like,
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站著一動也不動，(就像你們看到的一樣，)在演奏。
05:52
"What's she doing?! What's she doing?!"
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就像(模仿：她在做什麼?她在做什麼?)這樣子。
05:55
And then I'll kind of be like -- (Vvvwow!) -- and then they're like, "Whoa!"
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然後我就會做出像這樣(聲音 )的動作，接著觀眾就「什麼！」
05:59
(Laughter)
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(笑聲四起)
06:01
I'm sure you're trying to figure out,
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我確定你們試著搞清楚
06:05
"Well, how does this thing work?"
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這東西怎麼操作呢?
06:07
Well, what I'm doing is
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嗯 我所做的就是 喔!
06:11
controlling the pitch with my left hand.
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用左手來控制音調
06:18
See, the closer I get to this antenna, the higher the note gets --
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你看! 我越靠近這個天線，音調就越高
06:23
(Portamento) --
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(滑音)
06:26
and you can get it really low.
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你也可以彈很低的音
06:28
And with this hand I'm controlling the volume,
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我藉由右手來控制音量
06:31
so the further away my right hand gets, the louder it gets.
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我右手離的越遠，聲音就越大聲。
06:35
(Tones)
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(音調)♪♪
06:38
So basically, with both of your hands
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基本上，使用兩隻手
06:40
you're controlling pitch and volume and kind of
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你就在控制音高跟音量。 有一點試著
06:44
trying to create the illusion that you're doing separate notes,
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讓人錯以為你在逐個地彈音符
06:48
when really it's continuously going ...
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但事實上，是連續的音
06:50
(Flourish ... Beep)
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(音樂.....嗶)
06:54
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
07:03
Sometimes I startle myself: I'll forget that I have it on,
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有時，會被自己嚇到：因為忘了機器是開著的。
07:05
and I'll lean over to pick up something,
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我會傾身過去拿東西。
07:08
and then it goes like -- (Blip) -- "Oh!"
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琴就響了，喔!!嚇一跳!!
07:11
And it's like a funny sound effect that follows you around
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就像有個奇怪的聲音一直跟著你
07:14
if you don't turn the thing off.
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如果你不把琴關掉的話
07:16
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
07:21
Maybe we'll go into the next tune,
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我可能要開始演奏下一首
07:25
because I totally lost where this is going.
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因為我完全忘詞了
07:29
We're going to do a song by David Mash called "Listen: the Words Are Gone,"
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接下來的曲子是David Mash的「聽，無言」
07:34
and maybe I'll have words come back into me afterwards if I can relax.
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或許演奏完我就想起要說什麼了
07:38
(Music)
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(音樂)
10:32
(Applause)
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(掌聲)
10:44
So, I'm trying to think of some of the questions
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我試著思考一些常被問到的問題
10:47
that are commonly asked; there are so many.
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實在是太多了
10:49
And ... Well, I guess I could tell you
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我想我可以告訴你們
10:52
a little of the history of the theremin.
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一點「特雷門」的歷史
10:54
It was invented around the 1920s, and the inventor, Léon Theremin
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它在1920年代被Léon Theremin 發明
11:00
-- he also was a musician besides an inventor --
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他除了是個發明家也是個音樂家
11:05
he came up with the idea for making the theremin,
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他想出了製作theremin的主意
11:10
I think, when he was working on some shortwave radios.
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當他操作短波收音機時，
11:14
And there'd be that sound in the signal -- it's like (Screeching) --
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然後有著像訊號般的聲音----就像(聲音模仿)
11:17
and he thought, "Oh, what if I could control that sound
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他就想，或許我可以控制這聲音
11:21
and turn it into an instrument, because there are pitches in it."
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然後它就轉變成樂器，因為它含有不同的音高
11:25
And so somehow through developing that,
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然而，經由研發
11:28
he eventually came to make the theremin the way it is now.
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他終於製作出像現在的特雷門
11:35
And a lot of times, even kids nowadays,
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現今很多時候，甚至連小孩
11:39
they'll make reference to a theremin by going, "Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo,"
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他們會以嗚～嗚～嗚～的聲音引涉特雷門
11:43
because in the '50s it was used in the sci-fi horror movies,
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因在50年代，這聲音被用在科幻恐怖電影裡：
11:45
that sound that's like ... (Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo)
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那聲音就像...(嗚嗚嗚)
11:49
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
11:52
It's kind of a funny, goofy sound to do.
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這是他們做出的滑稽的聲音
11:58
And sometimes if I have too much coffee,
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有時候我喝太多咖啡
12:00
then my vibrato gets out of hand.
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手無法控制顫音
12:02
You're really sensitive to your body and its functions
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你會對自身及其運作變的敏感
12:05
when you're behind this thing.
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尤其在操作這台機器時
12:07
You have to stay so still if you want to have the most control.
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如果你想控制的好，你必須站的非常穩
12:10
It reminds me of the balancing act earlier on -- what Michael was doing --
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這讓我想到稍早Michael在做的平衡動作
12:15
because you're fighting so hard to keep the balance
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因為你很努力的保持平衡
12:18
with what you're playing with and stay in tune, and at the same time
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並同時要彈奏和保持音調
12:24
you don't want to focus so much on being in tune all the time;
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你不想要一直在注意音調的控制
12:27
you want to be feeling the music.
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你想要感受音樂
12:30
And then also, you're trying to stay very, very, very still
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但你也要試著保持靜止不動
12:34
because little movements with other parts of your body
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因為身體其他部位的小小的動作
12:38
will affect the pitch, or sometimes if you're holding a low note -- (Tone rising out of key) --
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可能會影響音調，或如果你在談低音時
12:45
and breathing will make it ...
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加上呼吸，聲音就(變調了)
12:48
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
12:49
If I pass out on the next song ...
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如果我彈奏下一首時昏倒....
12:52
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
12:54
I think of it almost like
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我想一定程度上，這
12:58
like a yoga instrument because it makes you so aware
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像一種瑜珈樂器，因為它讓你注意到
13:01
of every little crazy thing your body is doing,
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自己身體的任何動靜
13:05
or just aware of what you don't want it to be doing
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或試著不讓身體做出動作
13:10
while you're playing; you don't want to have any sudden movements.
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當你在彈奏時：突然地移動
13:14
And if I go to a club and play a gig, people are like,
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如果我去酒吧演奏，人們會：
13:17
"Here, have some drinks on us!"
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「來!我們請你喝點酒」
13:19
And it's like, "Well, I'm about to go on soon;
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喔 我馬上就要接著演奏了
13:22
I don't want to be like -- (Teetering tones) -- you know?"
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我不想要像這樣(搖晃不定的音調)
13:26
It really does reflect the mood that you're in also,
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它也會反映出你的心情
13:29
if you're ...
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你知道就像
13:31
it's similar to being a vocalist, except
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一個歌手，除了
13:34
instead of it coming out of your throat,
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聲音不是從你的喉嚨出來
13:36
you're controlling it just in the air
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而是你在空中控制的
13:38
and you don't really have a point of reference;
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且你沒有任何參考點
13:41
you're always relying on your ears and adjusting constantly.
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你必須完全仰賴聽覺，不斷地作調整
13:46
You just have to always adjust to what's happening
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你總是需要調整正在發生的事情
13:48
and realize you'll have bummer notes come here and there
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然後恍然大悟，有外來的聲音從四處傳來
13:52
and listen to it, adjust it, and just move on,
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聽並調整它，然後繼續演奏
13:55
or else you'll get too tied up and go crazy. Like me.
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要不然你會很累，然後發瘋。就像我ㄧ樣
14:04
I think we will play another tune now.
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我想我現在要在彈奏另外一首
14:09
I'm going to do "Lush Life." It's one of my favorite tunes to play.
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我要彈的是「茂盛的生命」。是我最喜歡彈奏的一首
14:12
(Music)
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(音樂)♫♫
19:02
(Applause)
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(掌聲)
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Pamelia Kurstin - Theremin playerPamelia 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.
Pamelia Kurstin | Speaker | TED.com