Scary Music

There was a musical instrument of sorts invented in the 1920s called the Theramin.  It is the sound of science fiction.  It was also an instrument that was going to be the "musical instrument for the common man".  If you are interested, the Wiki entry is extremely good and very accurate.

I built one from a kit when I was in college.  It was primitive and didn't work after a few days. Tubes would blow and the repairs turned out to be more expensive than the kit.  I got it working finally and we performed what little music there was actually written for the fool thing.  The last I saw of it it was in the music library storage room at Michigan State.  (someone go look please) but that was over 40 years ago so the chances of it being there range between slim and none.  

Why the flying saucer picture? No reason. It was odd and silly and what musicians call a divertimento - a bon bon of not a lot of significance - something like building Theramins.