Thaddeus Cahill (1867 – 1934) was a prominent inventor of the early 20th century. He is widely credited with the invention of the first electromechanical musical instrument, which he dubbed the telharmonium. Cahill had tremendous ambitions for his invention; he wanted telharmonium music to be broadcast into hotels, restaurants, theaters, and even houses via the telephone line. At a weight of 7 tons and a price tag of $200,000, only three telharmoniums were ever built, and Cahill's great vision was never fully implemented. His idea proved to be fruitful, nearly a century later, with the advent of Streaming media.

[edit] External links

• Electronic Music Interfaces
• Thaddeus Cahill's Telharmonium