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When
I turned 30, my life became a true fairy tale… I was born January 20, 1929 in a little village in the north of France. On Christmas Eve 1933, Santa Claus brought me an accordion and I became possessed by a "little demon of music." At an early age I had a great thirst for learning and knowledge. During school and later at University I had the good fortune to have exceptional teachers who awakened in me the urge to research and the drive to create. I began reading science fiction and devoured everything I could find by Isaac Asimov, H.P. Lovecraft, Aldous Huxley, A.E. Van Vogt, and especially Arthur C. Clarke and Ray Bradbury, both of whom I later met in the United States. In 1939 World War II broke out. When the liberation finally happened in 1944, like all French people I felt a profound gratitude toward the Americans who had freed us from Nazi Occupation-I could not know that 15 years later the Americans would play a key role in my professional career. After graduating from Lycée d'Amiens (Somme), I attended medical school in Paris for four years. Even though I aspired to devote myself to scientific research, the little demon of music kept needling me. In 1952, while attending medical school, I met a genial inventor, one of the French pioneers of electronic music, Geoges Jenny. He had invented the "Ondioline," which may be considered an ancestor of the modern synthesizer. I already knew Maurice Martenot, the inventor of the Ondes Martenot, which could produce onlyvery limited sounds. I preferred the Ondioline, which on its small keyboard allowed one to produce new and original sounds as well as sounds from existing instruments such as the violin or flute. I was fascinated by the Ondioline and felt it had a great future. At this point I did not know a lot about music-and still don't, never having studied music seriously except for a 2-month stay at the Conservatory at Amiens where I was kicked out because of a rule forbidding students to perform in public. I was playing accordion at small local events and the director gave me an ultimatum: cease these performances, or leave the conservatory. I knew that performing in public was very important for me-already I had a taste for the stage, so… The little demon convinced me to quit medical school in 1953. I decided I would become not a doctor but rather a musician and composer… a creator. Within a few months I learned (on my own, without a teacher or sheet music) to play the piano by ear. I managed to get hired by Georges Jenny, who was looking for someone to demonstrate his invention. As a sales representative for the Ondioline, I began traveling a lot-first in France, then abroad to international music fairs. In few years I became acquainted with all the great cities of Europe. Then my little demon whispered in my ear: "You have proved yourself to be gifted in music and to have imagination, but you must develop this talent further. You must get yourself noticed. You haven't achieved enough!" Once more I took its advice. To supplement my salary as sales representative, I began a new type of cabaret act using the Ondioline and the piano. In Paris I had a true success with "Around the World in 80 Ways." I started out as opening attraction at theaters, but since I spoke English I went on to bigger European stages in Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, England, etc. Thus began an international career... In 1956 in Paris, I had the good fortune of meeting with the great singer/composer Charles Trenet, who was very impressed by the magical new sounds of the Ondioline. He suggested I accompany him onstage. I recorded some records with him, including one song which became an international hit, "The Soul of the Poets" ("L'ame des poetes"). My collaboration with him lasted a year -thanks to which I was able to meet other great artists of the singing world such as Yves Montand and Jacques Brel. I made my debut on radio and French television, not only as an accompanist of great singing stars, but also performing my own musical art. At the same time, I was investigating the influence of sound on the human body, and the idea of music as therapy. In 1957 I recorded an "auditory prescription" for insomniacs titled Prelude to Sleep. The fruit of several years or research, it was the first such recording, and helped many insomniacs to regain natural rest. It was tremendously successful in Europe. In 1958, chance (if chance exists!) brought me a meeting with an extraordinary individual who said, "You are a pioneer. You must continue. But like all innovators you will have difficulties, and in France you will often feel yourself misunderstood. You should try to become well-known across the ocean. You have a mission on this earth, because you were born to create. Thirty years after you're dead you'll be able to retire rich!" This person-this giant of the arts whom I profoundly admire-was Jean Cocteau.
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