The Santa Cruz Baroque festival features a glass harmonica player in a February 12th concert.

We’ve all rubbed a wet finger around the rim of a goblet just to hear it hum. This instrument works on the same principle. Many bowls, each tuned to a precise note, are nested along a rotating horizontal rod. A musician plays the glass harmonica like a piano–but with wet fingers, of course!

A local radio station will showcase glass harmonica music played by William Wilde Zeitler. Tune in to KUSP 88.9 from 7 to 9 p.m on Monday evening for a sneak preview of the concert.

Until then, here’s how the instrument is built and played.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_kPOI5wPZE&w=480&h=390]