00:00 The Theremin is the world's first electronic instrument, invented by Russian inventor Leon Theramen in the early 20th century, and it doesn't fit into any musical family or sound like any other instrument.

01:48 The Theremin is an electrical instrument with two antennas that control pitch and volume, and it is considered the hardest musical instrument in the world to master because you don't touch anything while playing it.

03:13 The Theremin was developed from Soviet research into proximity sensors, and the inventor, Leon Theremin, added circuitry to make an audio tone, realizing that the pitch of the sound would change based on proximity to the antenna.

04:19 Leon Theremin added a second antenna to control volume, gave a demonstration to Lenin, and went on a tour to promote the instrument and secure patents, eventually finding his way to New York where he was granted a patent, performed at the New York Philharmonic, and started working on perfecting the Theremin and creating other electronic musical instruments, and where he met Clara Rockmore, the first major Theremin virtuoso.

05:21 Clara Rockmore toured the country performing the Theremin in concert halls, while Leon Theremin himself worked with the American Negro Ballet Company and married the prima ballerina, LaVina Williams, causing controversy in New York social circles, until he disappeared in 1938 and was later found to have been abducted by NKVD agents and put to work in Soviet prison camps, only returning to America shortly before his death in 1993.

06:46 The Theremin had a resurgence in popularity in the 1960s and 1990s, and today there is a small but passionate Theremin community that can be found on YouTube.

08:06 The Theremin can be used to interpret popular songs and there are professional players who showcase the instrument with symphony orchestras, and you can buy a build-your-own kit for as little as $30 or a higher-quality Moog Clarivox Theremin for $1,500.