Music Man

I was flicking through YouTube the other day. It's amazing what you can find on there, and I came across a video of someone playing a theremin. Never heard of it? I'm not surprised, although if you're of an age to remember "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (the original that is) you will have heard one. It was used in the soundtrack to that film to produce eerie other-worldly sounds. It is unique among musical instruments in that the player makes no physical contact with the instrument. Sound is produced by the player moving his hand in the magnetic field surrounding a radio antenna thus controlling the frequency of the signal which is then fed to an amplifier - or something like that - I don't claim to be an expert. It is a fearsomely difficult instrument to master, but when played well produces a clear ethereal sound somewhat like a cross between a violin and a flute. Stick "theremin" in the search box on YouTube and listen for yourself.