Grégoire Blanc (France) – theremin

Grégoire Blanc Born in 1996 in Paris, Grégoire Blanc started showing interest in music very early.
He began studying the cello at the age of 4, and never stopped developing his musicianship since then, even if the path he followed was not really straightforward. In fact, besides the cello, he also studied other instruments including the trumpet, but also the piano that he learned on his own. At the age of 15, he finally discovered what would become his favorite instrument : the theremin. He began studying engineering in 2013, and is working as an apprentice in automotive industry additionally, which doesn’t let him much time for practicing music. However, his passion is alive and he never misses an opportunity to make music with other artists from everywhere.

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDMBgt3Hk4cPpUh7w-UBuCQ


What prompted you to play theremin ? /
I first heard about the theremin through a physics lesson. The theremin was mentioned as we were talking about electromagnetic fields. I was quite surprised by this weird device and was determined to learn playing it after having watched some performances by Clara Rockmore, Peter Pringle, Lydia Kavina on YouTube : I understood the great potential of the instrument !

 

What is your musical philosophy and what place occupies the theremin?
Music is a language, a way to communicate, to share feelings and ideas. Therefore, shaping sounds is even more enjoyable when it can be made in a natural way. Besides his distinctive warm electronic tone, the theremin has a unique interface indeed : the fact that there is no physical interaction with the player provides a great feeling of freedom.

 

Which manufacturer of theremin do you prefer?
There are not a lot of theremin manufacturer nowadays, and the greatest models are now discontinued… I have the chance to own a Moog etherwave pro which is very good instrument.

 

What you can recommend for beginners thereminists, or those who are just going to start their way of thereminist ?
I would first recommend to buy a moog etherwave standard theremin, then to contact Thierry Frenkel in order to install the module that will increase and improve the pitch range of your instrument. After that, you will have to choose an appropriate fingering technique, and to practice a lot ! Pitch will not be the most difficult to master if you have a good ear. However, shaping the volume with the left antenna and managing the articulation between the notes is a challenge !

 

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Peter Theremin thereminist, Theremin Today header, great-grandson of Leon Theremin