Hearing the words, "electronic music", may invoke the thought of a time period that goes no further back than the early 1990's. The veracity is that electronic music started as distant as the early 1900's. For example: In the year 1928, an instrument named the Ondes Martenot was first presented in use (Electronic Music). This instrument was invented by Maurice Martenot, a Cellist, and radio Telegraphist from France. The Ondes Martenot is, fundamentally, the first electronic keyboard. This instrument was first played with a ring around the finger attatched to strings manipulated by the performer (Electronic Music). About ten years later, the set-up became very similar to the one known today, using a keyboard strip to be stroked by the fingers. The modern style Ondes Martenot, called the electronic keyboard, is still an instrument used in electronic music today. The most popular form of electronic music today is called Techno music. In the following I will discuss the origination of techno music, the instruments in techno music, the composition of techno music, and the different genres in techno music. Techno music was founded in the mid 1980's by a group of three African-American men attending community college in Detroit, Michigan. The three men were studying music. Juan Atkins, born on December 9, 1962 is an American musician. He is widely known as the originator of techno music, sometimes known as Detroit Techno since Atkins and techno co-creators Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson grew up in Detroit, Michigan. Atkins has cited the radio show of Charles Johnson as a musical influence. Electrifyin' Mojo, a Detroit DJ, played an eclectic mix of music to assist different artists including rock star Prince . Atkins and friend Derrick May created mix tracks for Electrifying Mojo to broadcast, then began to create original music (Wikpedia).At Washtenaw Community College, Atkins met Rick Davis, with whom he recorded under the name Cybotron, and together they they came up with the term techno to describe their music.
