AETHERPHON, global theremin family

> Do tell us more!  I'd love to hear how to do some of your 
exercises.>

Okay. This appeared on Thereminworld quite some time ago. I usually 
introduce it around the fourth lesson because people are so focused 
on their initial excitement and desire for results that they find it 
hard to really let go until they've had a chance to try some 
conventioanl things first. Though it seems absurdly basic, it is an 
exercise I advocate for players at ALL levels. After eight years of 
playing, I STILL do this regularly:

Try this for just fifteen minutes each time you practice. I refer to 
this as "getting out of your own way." Consciously, we try to do 
what's correct, but unconsciously YOUR BODY ALREADY KNOWS. Sounds a 
little heady, but this works.

a) You've seen lots of people play by now and tried a lot of things. 
For fifteen minutes, FORGET EVERYTHING.

b) Stand where you normally stand and close your eyes, hands at your 
sides. Take ten very deep and slow breaths.

c) Keep your eyes closed. Remain unconcerned about PLAYING MUSIC. 
Once you've completed your tenth breath, exhale completely. Now 
you're ready...

d) Keep your eyes closed. As you inhale again, allow your arms to 
float up in any way THEY want to and just let them float around as 
the theremin begins to respond any way IT wants to. Allow the 
theremin to make sound ONLY AS YOU INHALE. Just breathe in deeply as 
the sound plays and your arms move; become acutely aware of where 
the points of tension are, where things feel relaxed and where 
things feel strained. As you continue to breathe, relax all the 
spots you felt tension in WHILE YOU PLAY. When you feel that tension 
release, THEN exhale, allowing your arms to float back to your 
sides. Do this for at least five more slow, deep breaths. Eyes 
closed the entire time.

e) Think of any melody or song you absolutely love -- one that 
carries all the joy and passion that no other song seems to have. 
Hear it in your head as fully as you can.

f) Know this: whatever energy or combination of energies out there 
in the universe that is required to play a theremin -- it's always 
out there. Move out of your own way and begin to allow a shift in 
your thinking. Allow whatever the universe requires to flow through 
you. Stop thinking of yourself as the solid entity that bends this 
instrument to your will -- rather, think of yourself as the conduit 
and ALLOW THE THEREMIN TO PLAY YOU -- and still with your eyes 
closed, play that song you love. It doesn't matter if you get all 
the notes right or the speed -- JUST PLAY. Your body knows what's 
comfortable. Let it find that place for you.

I promise you, odd as it may sound, this mindset will do more to 
help you as a player than you can imagine. Your body will arrive at 
techniques you would never have conceived of if you'd kept your eyes 
open. We are so visually oriented-- We are LOOKING so hard that we 
disallow the intuition!

I'm never surprised when someone asks "is this a joke?" The fact is, 
it DOES sound silly.

The exercise I described is not solely intended as a relaxation 
technique. It is a way to free oneself of the visual self-
evealuation a player constantly measures him or herself by (am I 
standing close enough, am I using the right fingering technique, are 
my hands position correctly, etc.) Secondly, closing the eyes allows 
a player to FEEL more acutely where tension, holding of breath, and 
even overthinking may be hindering one's ability.

Ultimately, this process of discovery as one learns to play is very 
intuitive; there will never be only one technique.