#MARXOPHONE
DANIEL NEWMAN-LESSLER & MIROSLAV TADIĆ
| CalArts School of Music | Performer-Composer | DMA |
DESCRIPTION :
Invented in 1912 by HENRY CHARLES MARX, the MARXOPHONE is a cousin to the hammer-dulcimer, which is played with a keyboard assembly of spring steel strip hammers that bounces repeatedly on the strings. Numerous updates to MARX’S original design have been made including: a larger body to afford more strings; harder and thicker structural woods to better withstand tension and maintain tuning; updated metal components for increased durability, adjustability, and safety (i.e. – high temperature blue tempered spring steel hammer shanks, aluminum extrusion hammer rail, tungsten weights have replaced the traditional lead ones as the latter’s soft and toxic state lead to poisonous shavings being produced over prolonged playing).