Sacramento Bee, January 18, 2006
Page A3
William Zeitler makes music on a glass armonica on Tuesday in the rotunda of the California Capitol. His performance honored Benjamin Franklin on the 300th anniversary of the statesman's birth. The armonica, which consists of 44 quartz glass bowls spinning on a motor-driven spindle, was invented by Franklin in 1761. Zeitler, a classically trained pianist, creates a harmonic sound from the instrument by touching the rims of the bowls with wet fingers. He is the only musician known to play the armonica full time. A composer and historian, Zeitler earned his music degree from the California Institute of the Arts.
