Thaddeus Cahill (1867 - 1934) was a prominent inventor of the early 20th century. He is widely credited for inventing the first electronic musical instrument, which he dubbed the teleharmonium. Cahill had tremendous ambitions for his invention; he wanted teleharmonium music to be broadcast into hotels, restaurants, theaters, and even houses via the telephone line. Sadly, at a weight of 200 tons and a price tag of $200,000, only three teleharmoniums 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.
Cahill built three versions in total, each one being a considerable advancement over the features of its predecessor.
Indeed, Cahill was noted for saying that ideally, electromagnetic diaphrams were the most preferable means of outputting its distinctive sound.
This, combined with organ-like stops and multiple keyboards (the Telharmonium was polyphonic), as well as a number of foot pedals, meant that every sound could be sculpted and reshaped — the instrument was noted for its ability to reproduce common orchestral woodwind instruments such as the flute, bassoon, clarinet, and also the cello.
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