Pamelia Kurstin: Theremin, the untouchable music

[drone8888]

How is that hard? This is goofy. 

[crudhousefull]

She is soooo awesome. I love the way she's so quirky

[BirdOfParadise777]

Just realized that this is probably not her channel and she probably never sees any of the comments and questions. Too bad:( Because this is my favorite of the theremin vids so far!

[moxoloxom]

i think all the music pieces played with this instrumen are always slow music...

[zebanon5]

@moxoloxom but she plays fast pieces in this video. I'm confused.

[blizzfool]

wow first video i've seen where there's actual legitimate tone and not just sharper or flatter noise

[travshorts]

incredible!



[ER160990C]

is it hard to play these?

[JoshWMyers]

@ER160990C To play? Not at all - very easy. Any one can make some noises with it that sort of resemble music.

To play as well as she does? That's incredibly difficult. She's a master.

[Miletos2]

Wow. I always thought the theremin was a gimmicky instrument. But her performance with these songs, especially the last two, really changed my mind. It's very pretty. I like it :)

[xYunhoLoverx]

whoaaa this is so awesome

[kazumamaster]

Wat is the name of the melody or song she is playing in the beginning? 

[wesleywatsonweir]

@kazumamaster Autumn Leaves. It's a very popular jazz standard.

[nezkeys79]

sounds like the piano is the lead instrument lol

[Linuxdirk]

Lovely, crazy, funny, talented young woman!

[nshowua]

Fantastic performance. Really impressive...

[antoniotitus]

The instrument is simple, then include her love and respect for this musical instrument they come together as classic, blues, junkie jazz, skilled fingers balance from the beginning to the end so similar and so alive. Listening to the notes she got close to playing makes this ballot exciting to the very end. The exotic instrument and multicultural genres of music is the only reason I tolerate the gorilaz band.

[LikwidFire]

she's so adorable.

[albinarrate]

Outstanding! Specially with an instrument with such a difficult interface!

[billy2129]

Absolutely Beautiful.She is amazing .A Great Musician!!!!!

[HArryhood421]

total acid head.

[Jamhet22]

She is such a weirdo, lol. Very talented, but... yeah.

[yader272]

like this if "the simpsons" got you here

[Forevaitalia]

@yader272 Nobody cares.

[tutuyin]

how lovely she is

[BirdOfParadise777]

It's weird... like "zombie" music:/ There is NO WAY a smile could hurt or a "happy" or "pleasant" expression! She is so relieved when she can stop! I thought this is a cool instrument to be able to play... but, man all of the hours and hours of practice and playing- not moving. Not breathing hardly at all... This video has caused me to slow down on "buy one now" to "put a lot more thought into- can it be played without looking like a zombie?" I need to watch more people play it, for sure!

[Topy44]

@BirdOfParadise777

Yes you can play while smiling. However you will have to hold up your smile for the entire performance, which is probably a lot more awkward than not smiling at all. :)

Besides, ever looked at someone intensely focused on something? You don't smile, but rather relax all unneeded muscles, like your face.

[rhinonose]

grandaddy of all synthesizers. amazing instrument

[lifeispoetrykb]

im in love.... with the sounds shes dishen :)

[xileftaaka]

i wanna marry her.

[saico73]

Is not how it moves your body, is how it moves your soul.

[KatieohsoRaNdOm]

I gotta get my hands on one of these.. well I guess not literally. haha

[YeahYouKindofSuck]

@KatieohsoRaNdOm

you suck.

[KatieohsoRaNdOm]

@YeahYouKindofSuck lol thanks troll, but your right that was a bad a joke on my part! hahaha

[scullshot]

is she left handed or what?

[wesleywatsonweir]

@scullshot I wonder. Wikipedia mentioned she was a jazz bassist first and for bass you use your left hand to change the pitch so maybe it just felt more natural...

[b679995]

PERFECTION of Pitch,,,,I AM Impressed !

[thehaze1972]

Lovley music from a lovley woman..:)

[oldschoolcomedy]

she is adorable!!!

[sabracarioca]

Toca muito Bem !!!

BY FELIPE BRAZIL

[mortorsabado]

i want to marry her.



[masterkk999]

@mortorsabado ditto

[fremmed1]

Saw her in Lillehammer in Norway with the alternative banb Ulver. Shaked hands with her after the concert to thank her for one of the best artistic experience i ever had. Her smile melted me completely..:)

[morganseptember]

When she started playing bass I just couldn't keep my jaws together. Literally.

[claudiofimiani]

Impresionante el solo de "contra bajo"!!

[skipnotestudio]

It's very beautiful sound. The ensemble is also cool!

[EdWatts]

Very appealing; leaves her ego at home and just makes music. Cute as a bug's eyelash. Adorable little giggle.

[JesuMehlerMusic]

WOW! Who cares about her? Listen to that pianist!!!

[guitarguy42394]

@JesuMehlerMusic piano: individual keys corresponding to a twelve tone scale, extremely easy to learn an to improvise on, like i do. theremin: electromagnetic wave modulation with nothing but two antennas creating an infinity-tone scale, takes a ridiculous amount of dedication and years upon years of practice, which i'm now working on. so, in essence, it is one of the few technically mathematically perfect instruments.

[lifeispoetrykb]

@JesuMehlerMusic  their both amazing! forget seperating them they each could perfectly play solo but they both compliment eachothers sound very well imo

[Produent]

I wonder what it would sound like if she sneezed while doing this...

[dvamateur]

@Produent That would sound beautiful, because she is beautiful. Like Hiromi

[Keruaran]

@Produent Jimmy Page for a brief moment.

[soleilpourtoi]

that sounded beautiful : )

[ex59neo53]

Sci-Fi sound :)

[zemoon7]

c'est magnifique.. merci

[dayvid9]

needs more fart jokes...

[dayvid9]

@dayvid9

she is inspires me to tighten my theremin playing...

AND practise fart jokes.

[stentorsoft]

I want one of each, a Theremin and an Kurstin . . .

[stentorsoft]

she is too cute and has an incredible ear . . .

and a brilliant demonstration

[kjgoya777]

i prefer Jimmy Page doin his stuff with it....

[swampzoid]

amazing -

[ihateEffexor]

i hate the theremin

[Excalibur32]

very cool yo

[bexenc]

what a nice person she is!

[AmuletFortuneAngel3]

That is just too cool O-O

[steverlastingo]

god I adore this instument and you baby!

[thesuperfreakmusic]

i love you

[coolspot18]

Theremin's all need to be accompanied for it to sound any good.

[aidavdbrake]

what i miss with all theremin players i've seen so far, is a bit of looseness, they all look so tense! i would be boo-ed off the stage, if i did that, when singing opera. where's the facial expression? i mean she's so cute, but i don't see that when she's playing!!

[gertietheduck]

@aidavdbrake playing accurately on theremin requires almost absolute stillness (yes, any movement of any other body part can influence the pitch) and a very high degree of concentration. This is why the best thereminists are not "loose"

[aidavdbrake]

@gertietheduck thx for explaining. reminds me of classical clarinettists who say you just can't play a good vibrato on a clarinet in classical music. yet there are people who've done it very successfully, jack brymer (london symph orch) being my favorite. so, i still keep hoping someone will do the undoable some day. ;)

[gertietheduck]

@aidavdbrake Lydia Kavina does put some facial expression into her playing (look her up). Personally I don't feel this is necessary at all and to me it somehow feels "put on", when it comes to theremin playing. I don't think a spectacle is needed, and indeed "acting up" can alter the pitch (unless you are Lydia Kavina).

[aidavdbrake]

@gertietheduck you're right, lydia kavina and leon theremin himself are the few theremin players who look more natural to me. when i entered the conservatorium as an organist, first thing they taught me was moving with the music, which i'd never done before and which totally changed my making music and is a great help to me as i'm singing opera now. rigidness and stiffness is never a good thing in music, never. well, that's my opinion. but thx for reminding me of lydia kavina! :)

[withoutnameorplace]

@aidavdbrake The problem with teaching students to move with the music is that it's a forced attempt to intellectually impose emotional expression. It shouldn't be taught; it will emerge naturally with time. Then, the only task for teachers would be to accept the expression when it spontaneously arises.

This is where the theremin erks me as an instrument. It can be highly emotionally expressive and beautiful, but essentially traps the body of the musician, hence creating duality in expression.

[molybdenumtop]

@withoutnameorplace Sorry but that sounds like psudeo-intellectual nonsense. You must not play an instrument or you would know that they all have some limitation and many "trap" the body of the musician in some way. By your logic the piano is a better instrument than a trumpet because you're free to eat a sandwhich while playing it. I don't understand what you're trying to say about teaching or duality in expression. She's an artist playing an instrument like any other.

[davnkatz]

@withoutnameorplace Have you ever played any kind of instrument? No matter what instrument - I play acoustic bass - the player's body is "trapped". For stringed instruments, for example, pewcise finger placement on the strings are required for notes and precise right hand - for bowing or pizz - is required for sounds. All of this requires wrist, hand, shoulder, elbow movements. Fingering notes in 1st position require a different body position from 4th or 5th position. Then breathing.

[davnkatz]

@withoutnameorplace con't. without all parts of the body and instrument working together (intellectually imposed quality) there canno0t be any emotional expression. The emotional part comes from the artist's technique and how all the "parts" are applied.

I would think playing the thereminreally well would be very difficult, and Pamelia does it GOOOOOOD!

[keetner]

@withoutnameorplace

If only my high school jazz band teacher thought that about emotional expression :/

[licensedtolive]

@withoutnameorplace Requires a different level of appreciation from watching a physical personality a-shakin' and a-jumpin'. Pamelia compresses better music from the energy that would otherwise be expended in unnecessary head, shoulder, and hip gyrations. This is less distracting to the music, at least for the audience.

[gawdiam]

@withoutnameorplace You might mean "irk." It "irks" you.

[zebanon5]

@withoutnameorplace That's a very interesting point, though I'd like to point out that Pamelia hints at something like an out of body experience while playing because of the sheer amount of concentration that she puts into isolating specific parts of her form.

[ex59neo53]

@aidavdbrake If u move ur body a lot , the body will produce it's own music ,mixed with the one u are to play

[aidavdbrake]

@ex59neo53

if you are right, this great pianist must be the worst musician ever!!

youtube (...) watch?v=J8mKzbr33P4

I am SO glad there still are Lang Langs in the classical world!

[bhabooshka]

that would look soo wrrooong if the theremin wouldn't make any sound.

[magro81]

...OMG...... :))) love it/her

[DesertRanchStudios]

I think Clara Rockwell & Bob Moog would love (love, not like) this.

Not to mention a few Jazz guys & Bernard Herrman.

[flemish4]

last quarter is best

[firstfloydp]

fascinating. This is a stellar performance by an adorable musician. Pamela is very easy to listen to and great at explaining what is going on here.

[DieCarlosDie]

She is sooo sweet, oh my god!

[dkmaz]

You are the best :-)

[Tuurke01]

Beautiful instrument! Thanks for posting!

[mickeyblu2]

Bill Bailey playing a Theremin on Jonathan Ross' show...check it out. One of the best British comedians showing his own musical skill again.

[mickeyblu2]

Developed by a russian doctor in '28. One of Hannibal Lecter's favourite instruments.

[Goth108]

nice, all of it!

[Darkdemonoflite]

3:49 she spazzng/lagging son!

[502502]

Sounds like an girls soprano opera girl singing... listen carefully.

[jeddak5]

I want to marry her.

[lildancefreak]

alright some 1 explaine to me wtf a theremin is lfmao i seen videos about it and cant figure out its main use lol ive seen it for playing nes**nintendo** and like to play music well what is this thing? lol plz reply thanks

[abszero7]

@lildancefreak its an insturment that uses the electromagnetic waves that your hands disrupt to create sound.

[loustylez]

imagine how some people who wouldn't otherwise be able to play an instrument to express themselves this way could be some how given the gift to be able to play this. would hands even be necessary, necessarily?

[ssenmail]

@loustylez the arm doesn't have the fine control the fingers have. When you have multiple notes in the space of an inch, yeah I think hands are needed.

[loustylez]

head explodes.

[12monosxs]

amazing!

[PISOCLES]

Sssssss!!

[hyperseauton]

what a beautiful person.

The next time I hear a Republican talking, I think of Pamelia and remember it is all bullshit what they say.

[PoorAirCoco]

she is reall cute.. and wow.. i wish i could play like that!

[MrSupercones]

ela e a melhor no momento! the best of theremin...

[hfgrio]

la chica toca que te cagas pero tiene mas perdida que la cafetera de mi casa

[samanthaharrington13]

1:46 kinda looks like bella from twilight

[imareare1949]

By the end of year 2011, I intend to get this instrument and try.

Any idea where can I get the kit or the complete instrument. Please.

IT is a creative instrument with endless possibility of playing and creating the tunes.

regards

rr

[botanbutton]

What a cute person she is! Her playing is heartfelt too. I wanna play with a theremin now!

[dugless52]

does it cause cancer?

[MrCuttingeugen]

no it doesn't, but great question! hahahaha

[PoorAirCoco]

nope. it woulf be the equivalent of having a cell phone with you at all times.

[jlwoodworx]

This is a stunning performance by a gifted performer. I am stunned.

[sentidoenelamor]

wtf is that?:OOOOOOOO

[SMGuitar93]

Kinda sounds like a slide guitar, they are both very vocal instruments I guess.

[Engrampany]

de cara!

[gentilguy]

it can be an interesting instrument after all

[ilichtorres]

ufff, tocar el bajo en el Theremin es asombroso

[PaganoBardo]

She's awesome, so much tenderness!

What a pure soul.

Simply marvelous. 5 stars.

[cajetin]

how does she do the bass sound??

[McChickenguy]

you keep your hand away from the upright

[cajetin]

well, ive been researching a lot actually, and its not just that. i know the farthest your hand is from the antenna, the lower the pitch goes. but ive seen that moog theremins have a button to change the overall register. you can select a really low pitch that way...

[stexe]

The further your left hand is from the volume antenna, the louder it is. The closer your right hand is to the pitch antenna, the higher the pitch. All theremins have a potentiometer for adjusting the range of both antennae. Pamelia Kurstin might have a custom theremin with a button for quickly switching the pitch to her preferred range.

[ffernandopaiva]

omg! Awesome!

[Jamesgs007]

Awesome performance!

Thanks for posting this great video.

[Rhythmicons]

Please check out my Theremin video responce. A tribute to Bob, Leon, Halloween, and German Impressionist director FW Murnau's Nosferatu.

Search youtube for

Etherferatu

[NikoJazzman]

autumm leaves! on this awesome instrument! five stars inmediately

[4eva68]

Yes,,,

Nikojazzman...

[Fecho33]

Walkinbass!!! Walkingtheremin!!! wow

[diorhomme]

this is fucking crazy! 5 stars

[taza55]

MY GOD..... UAU... WAW!!!!!!!!!!

[Ear4Beauty]

Bravo! Beautiful! I never heard the Theremin so lovely in a jazz setting.

[artrasa]

Really fine music and virtuous playing of the theremin. Very charismatic musician!

[Kiddman32]

Truly amazing!

In the class of Clara Rockmore, maybe even better!

[aardvaark069]

Clara didn't have these terrible pitch problems. She was always dead on.

[KrytenVIII]

wtf !!!

[febsky]

she's so good. I tried a fretless violin and I find it so hard to do. So for her to remember note position, that's really extraordinaire

[CircleCityEric]

DAMN, SHE IS AWESOME!

I really like this one. Unless I'm mistaken, there are only two Theremins built with those reverse antennae. At the point during "Autumn Leaves" when Ms. Kurstin does the bass line (as with the Moog film), it makes me think those things are actually supposed to be in that position, to be played like a plucked string instrument.

(Then again, I play guitar and bass, so it's not the same for me.)

Hurray for Pamelia Kurstin!

[PQleyR]

I think she was a double bassist originally, that's why she plays that way round, so it's a bit closer to the way you play a bass.

[CircleCityEric]

That makes all the sense in the world. Thanks, POkeyR.

[afghanbanana]

It is nice to hear a theremin music if the musician plays it well. I like the bass part and hope we could hear more on jazz side. I think it is also nice to hear theremin playing the libertango. Keep up the good work.

[cirkelrak]

She is just too cute!

[spyrogal]

Touching...less...but touching...but not...wait what?

[BaileysMariner]

I'd love to have a shot of a theremin. I'd say I'd be pretty good at it :-)

[Cano2319]

She is SO talented! And seems like a really cute and bright girl!

[johng425]

this doesn't make sense

[viscountalpha]

Your comment doesn't make sense. The theremin makes perfect sense. You sir are the one not making sense. Am I making sense?

[ericlouet44]

Elle joue à l'envers! She's playing backward. I mean pitch with the left hand and volume with the right one. are there Theremins for the left handed ? I play the cello, guitare and violin and now the Theremin for two months. and that's strange to me to play the notes with my right hand.

[robinoi]

you think that's weird?

i play the piano by strapping hamsters to my feet

so THERE

EAT THAT

MIS-TER ERIEE-CLuELESS

[weskoki]

JUST TURN IT AROUND....

[ericlouet44]

I've thought about it. But, curiously, it seems more natural with pitch on the right hand. That's an instrument that has definitely nothing to do with the cello, violin, etc...

[tonebone0011]

Yea I want one too. The theremin is cool too.

[kc5euu]

freakin' awesome.....

I want one....

[moky99]

quel talent. Je l'avais vu à en première partie d'And Also The Trees à Paris en 2008 ; c'était trop expérimental, plein de problèmes techniques pour Pamelia. La salle avait sifflé, on avait trouvé ça nul. Eh bien, je dois admettre que cette vidéo est superbe, elle joue magnifiquement bien

[robinoi]

le theremin, c'est un instrument musique VICHY

Marshall Petain A TROP AIME le theremin

it a dit que c'etait l'instrument de victoire des fascise!

tu es un FOU

[ericlouet44]

My english was wrong, I meant "she plays reversed". But "Robinoi", je ne comprends pas cette haine. As-tu déjà vu une vidéo de youtube avec Léon Theremin qui joue son propre instrument? Si tu me prends pour un sale facho, tu ne peux savoir à quel point tu es loin de la vérité. Et si tu penses que cet instrument est un symbole de colabo ou je ne sais quoi, pardonne-moi, mais j'ai l'impression que tu n'as pas tout compris à cet instrument...

[robinoi]

c'etait un BLAGE

je joue

je joue avec TU

[ericlouet44]

Maintenant, je ne comprends plus rien! Je prèfère, effectivement que ce soit une blague. Mais c'est quand même un problème grave... Il faut écouter la 7ème de Shostacovitch, une oeuvre de commande et il s'est bien moqué du régime... un bel exemple de résistance!

[robinoi]

j'aime bien le shost septieme. c'etait mon symphone favori pour plus d'annees.

[bobbo924B]

Just amazing economy of movement in her left hand. I notice she's playing in reverse, left hand is pitch, right on the volume antenna.

[viscountalpha]

Wow, she has quite a skill with that theremin.

[kalli199]

shes hot!

[konamiezb]

^^ + 5*****

[ixion009]

amazing

[romelio3]

The line bass, wow!

[itteration2]

That, my friends, is The Flow. Look at her face.

[thunderouslymatt]

Mikhaly's Flow? Yea.

[jammshak]

dude that is one of the most amazing things ever lol

[jihadJackson]

what a crazy instrument to master

[manolocdh]

Beautiful. All I can say is thanks :)