Hello Key Room Blog! My name is Matthew Porter, one of the two
curator interns at the Baldpate this summer. I come to Estes Park from Ithaca,
NY. I attend school at Ithaca College, where I study English. I hope to one day
pursue a professorship in my field. I have just completed my freshman year and
I look forward to the three ahead of me. I have been at the Baldpate for a
little over two weeks now. I am completely fascinated by the different keys
that I find on a daily basis. This is my first time off of the east coast. I
have never seen beauty as pure as the mountains surrounding Estes. I am
stricken with awe and inspiration every time I look out the window.
In the key room, located right next to the door, we have an
exhibit of musical keys. Among the collection, there is a key from a Hammond
Organ, signed by the inventor Laurens Hammond. The Hammond Organ is one of the
first electric keyboards created. Its influence has reached many musicians of
varying genres (specifically within Jazz and Rock). The white key taken from
his organ holds massive significance in the progression of music.
Laurens Hammond was born on January 11, 1895 in Evanston, IL. He
attended Cornell University in Ithaca, NY where he received a degree in
mechanical engineering in 1916. While working for an automobile company, he
would often tinker on his own. His first major invention came in 1920: The
soundless clock. With his discovery, he went on to open his own clock company,
appropriately named the Hammond Clock Company.
His interest in music did not come until 1933. Hammond was not a
musician by any means. He was just fascinated by the sounds that were produced
by the phonograph that he had in his lab. Hammond and his engineers soon began
to experiment with producing musical sound through electronic synthesis. With
their experimentation, Hammond finally discovered the use of the tonewheel. The tonewheel is the
most crucial part of the Hammond Organ, for it creates the sound when the
instrument is played.
The use of the organ took off soon after its creation. It was
originally intended for smaller churches to get an organ sound without the
space requirements of wind driven organs. Like most inventions, the original
purpose was not quite what it became known for. The Hammond Organ is most well-known
for its presence in early Jazz fusion, along with 60's rock. Notable artists
that use the Hammond Organ include Emerson, Lake & Palmer, The Doors, and
The Grateful Dead.
Laurens Hammond passed away on July 1, 1973. His instrument,
however, will forever live in the classic sound of bands that we now look upon
as timeless.
If you would like to hear a sample of a Hammond Organ, feel free
to click the links below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jejadhR_m9w Compilation of Hammond Solos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtM0gNYlJ74 Walk with me Lord- Terry Bradford
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYSPNE8rtFI Boogie Woogie on the Hammond
Until next time!
-Matthew
