\chapter{Preface}

I've been a musician since I was 5 years old, hold a B.F.A. from the California Institute of the Arts\EmDash{}and there was no mention of the 'glass armonica' in music history or anywhere else in all those studies. Then, in 1996, I happened to hear the Bruno Hoffman recording of the Mozart works for the glass armonica. ``This is too beautiful\EmDash{}I have to do this.'' Thus began my Quest around the armonica.

Not only does the armonica have its own beautiful and unique musical voice, it also has an extraordinary history. It was invented by Benjamin Franklin. Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven and Tchaikowsky composed for it. Already it is very unique to have been invented by an Inventor (and Diplomat and Statesman and Businessman) as august as Benjamin Franklin, and it also has had music composed for it by equally august Composers. In fact, no other musical instrument holds that distinction.

But beyond its musical capabilities and unprecedented pedigree, an almost 'supernatural' dimension has been ascribed to it from the very beginning of its history\EmDash{}both for Good and for Ill.  The power to heal has been ascribed to it\EmDash{}Franklin and Mesmer used it for healing; and simultaneously the power to injure: playing it wakes up the ghosts if you play it after midnight, players will suffer lead poisoning, nerve damage, and marital discord, and it even causes convulsions in your pets! I don't know of any other musical instrument that holds this distinction either\EmDash{}as dubious as it is!

I don't entirely know what to make of all of this, so I present it all without comment in the pages that follow. Meanwhile, to me, Franklin's Armonica is at the very least an extraordinary and beautiful musical instrument, with its own marvelous and unique musical voice, which disappeared from use mostly because\EmDash{}we weren't ready for it yet! Technologically for certain, and perhaps culturally also. It was just too far ahead of its time. Perhaps now we are finally ready for his exquisite and delicate musical flower. Time will tell.

An important note: some questions about glass musical instruments which simply can't be resolved by appealing to scholarly sources can in fact be resolved by experiment. This is entirely in keeping with Franklin being an ``Experimental Natural Philosopher''. For example, the preeminent musical reference \Title{Grove's Dictionary of Music} states that adding water to a wineglass raises the pitch. I invite the reader to test this for themselves in their own kitchen: you'll find that adding water \textit{lowers} the pitch. In general, my philosophy in this book is to either cite a source, or an experiment the reader can perform for themselves, for every assertion. (Experiments the reader can perform for themselves are indicated by ``Try it!'')

I am terribly grateful to so many who have helped me along the way on my Armonica Quest: first would have to be my mother, who even when we had no money, saw to it that my music lessons continued anyway; Gerhard Finkenbeiner and Tim Nickerson for the glasses on my first instrument; Deborah Avery for her support as I was getting started; Dennis James, Adam Gilberti, Robert Sardello, Brett Peppe, Ken and Kay Leppell, and Sue Marro who were so supportive in a particularly dark stretch of my Quest, and so many others. 

But I am especially grateful to my manager and colleague Keith Richmond. This book simply would not be in your hands without his skillful management of the business aspects of my glass armonica career. And he's one of those best friends who\EmDash{}if you are lucky\EmDash{}you may have two or three in your lifetime. How great is that?

I'm acutely aware of the many shortcomings of this book, and of the inevitability of 
errors and obvious omissions in spite of all my efforts. I truly look forward to correcting and expanding the next edition.

william zeitler

January, 2006
