Most people would not be able to find a way to get teens interested in classical music, but combining Bach with the technology used to produce modern music may help.
Caryn Lin, a classical violinist who became an electric violinist, was at Shaker High School Thursday, Jan. 24, to demonstrate her innovative ways to create a unique style of music.
Lin gave a demonstration to the music technology class and another demonstration later in the day to the school’s orchestra. After performing for about 5 minutes, she explained what she was doing.
“I’m using effects that are made traditionally for electric guitar because they don’t make them for violins yet. So what? It doesn’t matter. You can use them on flute, trumpet, clarinet, saxophone, trombone, tuba, kazoo, banjo,” said Lin as she pointed to the board of stomp boxes.
If you can plug an instrument in or play it into a microphone, you can connect them to stomp boxes or pedals as some guitar players call them. The pedals alter the sound waves to produce different sounds. The different pedals create reverb, echo and distortion, to name a few sounds. To work the pedals, you step on them.
“They’re color coded, they’re labeled and they have a light. So they’re dumb proof and they’re either on or they’re off, which is important because with the music I like to play, it’s very important to have individual sounds I can turn on and off quickly because I change the sound a lot,” said Lin.
Lin is a classically trained violinist that started playing when she was 9-years old and ended up going to Northwestern University for violin performance. After that, Lin moved to Germany for four years while she studied under virtuoso Suzanne Lautenbacher. While in Germany, Lin played and performed with other musicians, and that’s where she first plugged in.
On her last night in Germany in 1986 while playing at a country music bar, an American guitar player asked her if she wanted to try plugging her violin into his echo box.
“As soon as I heard that, I knew flat out that was where I was going. I thought that was the coolest sound I’d ever heard. I couldn’t believe that was a violin. I knew they had stuff for guitar players, but had never tried it with the violin,” said Lin.
One technological aspect that allows Lin to perform solo is called “looping.” Lin can play her violin or other instruments into a microphone and record notes or parts of a song into a looping machine, and the sounds play continuously while she plays over it. This gives her the ability to create multiple tracks that can sound like other musicians are playing with her.
Music technology and orchestra teacher Brian Austin created the class four years ago. The class covers topics from the history of technology in music to file sharing.
“This is something that is really relevant to the kids, I think,” said Austin. It’s very important to get them in touch with technology and see that you can you take something so classical and make it relevant to today’s student. It’s fun for them to see that you can take a violin and make it sound like a rock band.”
Lin, who has performed everywhere from the Crayola Crayon factory to a monastery in the French Alps, is working on her sixth studio album and performs in nine states. More information on Lin can be found at Carynlin.com