AETHERPHON, global theremin family

I'm enjoying this new list.  Thanks David for starting it and inviting
me.

I'm a 49yr old, husband, father of 2 teenagers (18,19), living in
Boulder, Colorado (hey Ann, Victoria).  Grew up in LA (lower alabama)
in the Peanut Capital of the world.

By day I'm a self educated electrical engineer developing test
equipment for high volume manufacturing test of hard disk drives (now
microdrives) for 20 years.

My love of electronic music began in 1968.  Been an avid science
experimenter, guitar and electric bass player since childhood.

I learned about theremins through an SWTPC catalog as a kid.  Moved
from chemistry interest to electronics after burning myself badly in a
small explosion in my bedroom lab in 1972 (I blowed up real good).  

My first electronic instrument was an AM walkie talking going through a
shortwave receiver that had a tunable beat frequency oscillator (SSB/CW
mode).

Got my first moog in 1976 (micromoog), my first theremin (rca) as a
pile of scrap in 2001, which was restored in 2005, second and third
theremins in 2005 (wavefront classic, wavefront suitcase).  I was a
touring bass/synth/guitar musician from 1974-1983.  Got my musical
education at church, on the road, and in the studio.  

I like thinking and reading about eastern religion, philosophy, art and
music, life extension, alternative medicine, lucid dreaming, the
enneagram, enzymes, light and sound perception, and electromagetic
radiation. 

I want to know how things work. I want to understand.

Decided I prefered music as a hobby rather than a vocation.  I have no
desire to perform anymore.  I never want to belong to a band again.  My
music is for me (as it started with my homemade bazookaphone).  I don't
play covers.

I spend a fair amount of time in mainland China at the factory, lived
in Singapore 1987-1990 because of that factory.  I collect (accumulate)
too many things, marbles, boomerangs, tube amps, loudspeakers, toys,
yoyos, vintage pocket watches, vintage keyboards (1955 hammond C2,
small moog synths), collect and restore electromechanical and
electronic pinball machines, panama canal memorabilia.  Learning ebay
selling in order to thin out my studio and make some room.

By night I play studio owner, engineer, producer, musician for big
thirsty towels, my music company.  I enjoy field recording with
binaural mics, contact mics, and stereo parabolic microphones with
which I collect sounds of anything I think is interesting.  Mostly play
and record improvised music with my fellow thirsty towels (loose bunch
of local musical nuts).  I'm a founding member of the Pinballic Temple
(small private pinball club with the towels and others).  

I aspire to play/record/compose theremin music my own way.  I'm not
gonna learn the swan, but don't want to woowoo either.  

It will probably be years before I let you hear me play, if I ever do.

I have a special electronic design project that I am working on for the
rca theremin (sshhh, don't tell anyone) that may or may not have to do
with the volume valve, UX-120.  I am totally facinated with the AR-1264
design, aim to spend the rest of my life understanding everything I can
about how it works, how to tweak it to my liking.  

So few parts, so much magic.  Lev was a genius.

I've rambled enough, need to get back to work.
bret

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