This week, the fact that the pandemic has been going on for over a year weighed on me a little. So I decided to focus on something light, and dusted off the Otamatone that had been lying around –unused, but not unloved – for a few years.
What is an "Otamatone", you may ask?
Well – it's a musical toy. It's played with two hands, one produces the notes on the (fretless) stem, the other one opens the Otamatone's mouth so the sound will have a very light wah-wah effect.
It looks fun, but it's actually pretty hard to play!
And, as is always the case, there are a few individuals who have truly mastered it. Not me, though. I tried my best here with the intro to a piece my sextet AKO recorded in 2016 called "Horizons Unlimited". Man, it was loud in the studio when we played that! Dave Blaser and Lucas Wirz joined us on trumpet and on tuba, respectively. The main street I drew for the cover is in Hudson in Upstate New York.
Of course I fell down a rabbit hole on Youtube. You should, too! Check out these AWESOME Otamatone covers: