What is a 'Theremin'? If i was asked this question before today...i would have probably guessed it was some sort of medicine! But as Ivonne explained to the class, it is a musical instrument! And a very unique one at that! It is playable without any physical contact with the instrument. It is shaped in the form of a radio, with one vertical antenna, and another one placed on the other side. The vertical one allows the control of the pitch of a sound being produced and the one on the side allows the control of the volume of the sound. So one can just play this thing by standing by it and moving the each hand around and about each antennae! bring it closer the pitch goes high, start moving it away, the pitch goes low.. similarly the volume is made to go high and low with the other hand!

This is my explanation from what i saw and heard today! If you have any bit of fascination for music or its instruments.. look this up. Heres a little help:

http://www.obsolete.com/120_years/machines/theremin/
http://www.thereminvox.com/

I couldn't understand why this was not used widely like the other instruments, sure looked like an interesting one. And i found this website that lists the artists who have at one point or another used this instrument (Among the ones that i listen to are queens of the stone age, david gray, garbage... portishead!):

http://www.thereminworld.com/