Bowls of crystal that are used to keep food and to warm up leftovers in the microwave, who ever imagined that people of the 18th century used them to play music? Mayling has dedicated her life to playing this instrument perfected by Benjamin Franklin in 1761. Mozart and Beethoven who composed for it, popularized the instrument. The players fell ill due to the lead content of the bowls. After seeing a woman play a glass armonica in Boston, Mayling bought one and learned to play by telephone from the maker, whom she had never met. She is one of only twelve people in the world to play the instrument. Garcia lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico and is creating her first compact disc.
"My life is full and my dreams are big", says Garcia.
Click on video to play
"Tones
of Crystal" is proud to offer two sound clips of Mayling Garcia
playing her glass armonica.
These clips are exclusive to this web site and cannot be found
anywhere else.
"The Star
Spangled Banner"
1 minute 49 seconds
"Amazing
Grace"
1 minute 15 seconds
