9 May
Benjamin Franklin invented the glass armonica in 1761 after being profoundly moved by the sounds of the glass harp. Little did he know that his instrument WAS THE DEVIL:
photo cred: Tyler from oddstrument.com
German musicologist Friedrich Rochlitz stated “the armonica excessively stimulates the nerves, plunges the player into a nagging depression and hence into a dark and melancholy mood that is apt method for slow self-annihilation. If you are suffering from any nervous disorder, you should not play it; if you are not yet ill you should not play it; if you are feeling melancholy you should not play it.”
The glass armonica’s sound is perceived by human ears differently than other instruments because its range is between 1,000 and 4,000 hertz. When sounds are below 4,000 hertz, the human brain compares “phase differences” between the left and right ears to triangulate the origin of the sound rather than comparing volumes. This causes hearing disorientation and a “not quite sure” feeling about where the sound is coming from.
See for yourself, BUT BE WARNED! YOU COULD GO INSANE!!!
