Voiceless man learns to sing

After losing his larynx and windpipe to cancer, Herman Schulenberg created a new windpipe for himself by ramming a white-hot ice pick through his flesh. Then he learned to sing through this opening by "closing the windpipe's artificial opening with his index finger and manipulating his neck with his other fingers" in order to "direct the air through the passage in such manner as to get a variety of tones."

Finally, he gave a singing performance before a group of 50 doctors at a meeting of the Milwaukee Oto-Ophthalmic Society. That would have been a strange concert to attend. From the San Antonio Express - March 3, 1935.

     Posted By: Alex - Tue Oct 22, 2013
     Category: Music | 1930s





Comments
With some experimentation, you might be able to get music from the skin flute.
Posted by BMN on 10/23/13 at 09:32 AM
Wow! Back in '39 Milwaukee was just a whistle stop!
Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 10/23/13 at 10:00 AM
American can-do spirit in action!
Posted by RobK on 10/23/13 at 11:37 AM
Thus the Uh-oh-carina was invented.
Posted by tadchem on 10/23/13 at 03:06 PM
"White-hot ice pick" and "no anesthesia"? This is worthy of "Weekly World News" if that fine publication were still in existence.
Posted by KDP on 10/23/13 at 03:45 PM
They're online now: http://weeklyworldnews.com/
Drop'em a link and see if they'll run it!
Posted by Captain DaFT on 10/23/13 at 09:07 PM
OUCH!!!
@BMN I thought that comment was from BD for a minute there. :lol:
Posted by Patty in Ohio, USA on 10/24/13 at 09:07 PM
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