1 The Telharmonium The Telharmonium was the world's first electronic musical instrument. It was designed by an American, Thaddeus Cahill, in 1897. Three models of the instrument were built; the first weighed about 7,000 kg, and the other two weighed nearly 5 200,000 kg! Music from the instrument was broadcast to people's homes using another new invention: the telephone. For the first time, people could stay at home and listen on their telephones to live music from another part of the country. (The radio had not been invented.) People loved these concerts, but there were 10 problems. Some telephone users who were not listening to the concert were interrupted by loud music half way through their conversation! By 1914, the world was no longer interested in the Telharmonium. After Cahill's death in 1934, his brother kept one of the three models, but in 1962 it was destroyed. No recordings 15 of the music were kept, so the Telharmonium and its unique sound have disappeared forever.