Your first theremin song? Your first performance?

Your first theremin song? Your first performance?


1. What was the first “complete” song you learned to play on theremin?

2. In hindsight would you still have started with this song?

3. If you perform publicly what song did you perform at your “debut” ?


Thanks in advance,

[i]1. What was the first “complete” song you learned to play on theremin?[/i]
Brahms' Lullaby

[i]2. In hindsight would you still have started with this song?[/i]
Yes

[i]3. If you perform publicly what song did you perform at your “debut” ?[/i]
Bach's Air in G... it wasn't a real public performance, but a theremin demonstration and explanation in the Rokkoko room of a historical museum in northern Germany...

[i]1. What was the first “complete” song you learned to play on theremin?[/i]

I learned some songs concurrently when I started:

"Over the Rainbow", "House of the Rising Sun", "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot", and "Vocalise".

As I recollect, "Over the Rainbow" may have been the first song I actually played from end-to-end.

[i]2. In hindsight would you still have started with this song?[/i]

Yes, indeed. These songs are "naturals" for the theremin.

[i]3. If you perform publicly what song did you perform at your “debut” ?[/i]

I played at a private party and most of the music were tunes with Peter Pringle's accompainment CD (used with Peter's permission).

At that event, I played two of my own works: "Cowboy Song" and "Meteor Mallets", and my arrangement of "Londonderry Air".

I played around ten works with Peter's accompaniment that included "Sakura", "Moon River", "Over the Rainbow", "Send in the Clowns", and "Pavanne".

My repertoire of original works has grown to the extent that I just use my own accompianments and compositions when I perform now.

I never really learned any one song. When i started out, I worked on what ever came into my head. I still play that way when I'm on my own.

As far as my first public performance, I honestly don't remember what I played. It was ether the Mary Tyler Moore show theme, or the theme from "In Like Flint"

Andy

deleted for double post!

Thierry: Brahms’ Lullaby makes sense. Seems almost perfect for a beginner.
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kkissinger: I really want to play both “Over the Rainbow” and “Vocalise”.
Vocalise seem rather difficult from where I stand, at this time. I play violin and may work on the violin version first as I have a head start with that instrument.

Thanks for the detailed repertoire, very nice. I have Peter’s instructional DVD. Looks like I need to get some of his other discs.
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Andy: Thank you. Does the Mary Tyler Moore song start with: “Who can turn the world on with her smile” or “How will you make it on your own”.
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I am moving rather slowly on theremin and trying to make sure I select a “technique” that doesn’t limit me later. Forcing me to start over further down the road.

(Violin actually went much faster. I had an exceptional teacher.)

Andy: Thank you. Does the Mary Tyler Moore song start with: “Who can turn the world on with her smile” or “How will you make it on your own”.

Both. I think early on it was "turn the world on", and later it was "how will you make it.. We did it as an instrumental, so I never really paid attention to the words But it is a catchy tune, that everyone knows and not to hard to play on a theremin, except for the "love is all around you" leap.

Andy

Well, the the Mary Tyler Moore song is well known around here. I was listening to a version on YouTube and my wife ran in and said, "Hey that's from the MTM show!"

Comments so far have been helpful, thanks all.

The first song I ever attempted was Twinkle-twinkle Little Star (I'd never played before & I was testing the playability of the secondhand theremin I was purchasing). The first song I tried to learn was Somewhere Over the Rainbow, but the jump in tone between "some" & "where" in the first line kept throwing me off. So the first song I actually leaned to play from start to finish was Ode to Joy. I am able to play Over the Rainbow now though.

I probably would have been better off starting with Ode to Joy in the first place. For me, it was a good song to use to familiarize myself with where the notes are going up & down a scale, and to learn to coordinate my left & right hands.

I performed for the very first time last Saturday at the monthly "open mic night" of a string ensemble I'm part of. I've had the theremin about three months. I played Fur Elise & Ode to Joy. I may go up again in the next month or two. If I do, I was thinking of doing Greensleeves & Piece 1 from Elgar's 6 Easy Pieces for Violin.

The first song I taught myself was the TV theme for "Star Trek"

 

I don't know if anything else would have been easier to start with but that was my passion at the time. Now I think it is a rather tricky piece to play and I seldom hear it done correctly on the theremin.

 

My first public performance was a "No Talent Show" in Philadelphia and the selection was "The Swan".    I couldn't get a sound out of the EWS so they let two other acts go ahead of me while I worked on the problem. When I finally got the not so dependable piece-o-crap to work I was so upset, sweaty and nervous that I played horribly even though I knew the piece well.   Luckily I had a friend in my act wearing a tutu and doing a funny ballet act along with my playing. He was so funny that no one noticed how bad I was and people from the audience actually approached me afterwards and told me how much they enjoyed seeing the instrument for the first time!

Now I occasionally busk in downtown Pittsburgh but it can be tricky finding a place where the police won't harass you.  Most of the officers there don't even know what the word "busking" means and they call playing for donations pan handling.  One officer told me that I was going to encourage a bad element to infiltrate the area. I wanted to ask him if he thought I might encourage someone with a flute or a guitar to show up but I decided the hamburger between his ears wouldn't get it!  LOL!