YAMAHA TO LAUNCH TENORI-ON IN US WITH EVENTS
New music-making concept delivers sound in the palm of your hand
ANAHEIM, Calif.—Yamaha Corporation of America is set to reveal their award-winning new music-making
technology, Tenori-on, for the first time in the United States with launch events for the public and press in New York
on April 16 and San Francisco on April 18, 2008.
Recently earning PC World Magazine’s 25 Most Innovative Products Award at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show (CES),
Tenori-on literally means “sound in the palm of your hand” and is a twenty-first century digital musical instrument that is part art-
piece, part must-have music gadget for the iPhone generation. The brainchild of Japanese Media Artist Toshio Iwai, Tenori-on
emanates from his experiments with light shows and musical boxes, resulting in a hand-held, burnished magnesium-encased
matrix of 256 LED buttons that glow as you access different sounds and textures (‘Layers’) over an infinitely repeating
sequence of notes.
Sound images are literally drawn with Tenori-on using a host of internal sounds as well as samples loaded from external sources.
With an interface where sight and touch are every bit as integral as sound, the Tenori-on music making possibilities are as
endless as they are addictive.
Iwai has teamed with Yamaha, the world’s largest and longest-established musical instrument company, forming an unusual
partnership of old and new, art and music, light and sound, to bring Tenori-on to market. This first generation Tenori-on product
will be selectively marketed as an introduction to this cutting edge technology as more products are planned over time. This will
be welcome news to the nearly one million curious consumers that have viewed Yamaha’s demo of the product on YouTube.
“The beauty of Tenori-on is that it offers a fresh approach to music creation no matter what your musical background and
experience are,” said Athan Billias of Yamaha. “It's exciting that Yamaha , a company known mostly for making traditional
musical instruments is investing in cutting-edge technologies that will expand the market for music making."
Launch events for the media and the public will take place in New York (Southpaw in Brooklyn on April 16th) and San
Francisco (1015 Folsom on April 18th). The events will not only feature Toshio Iwai himself, explaining this new musical
paradigm, but also a host of edgy new electronic artists such as Sutekh, Safety Scissors, Pole, and I Am Robot And Proud, who
have already incorporated Tenori-on into their stage shows. The events are free to enter and will feature Demo Stations for an
interactive experience.
Public registration for a launch event is free at www.tenori-on-tour.com. Press area passes can be obtained through
RSVP to Brian McConnon at mtech marketing communications: brian@mtechmarketing.com or 610-480-8360.
About Yamaha
Yamaha Corporation of America is the largest subsidiary of Yamaha Corporation, Japan and offers a full line of musical
instruments and sound reinforcement products to the U.S. market. Products include: acoustic and digital pianos, portable
keyboards, guitars, acoustic and electronic drums, band and orchestral instruments, marching percussion products,
synthesizers, professional digital and analog audio products, and innovative technology products targeted to the hobbyist,
education, worship, professional music, and installation markets.
All trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners. © mtech marketing communications.
New music-making concept delivers sound in the palm of your hand
ANAHEIM, Calif.—Yamaha Corporation of America is set to reveal their award-winning new music-making
technology, Tenori-on, for the first time in the United States with launch events for the public and press in New York
on April 16 and San Francisco on April 18, 2008.
Recently earning PC World Magazine’s 25 Most Innovative Products Award at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show (CES),
Tenori-on literally means “sound in the palm of your hand” and is a twenty-first century digital musical instrument that is part art-
piece, part must-have music gadget for the iPhone generation. The brainchild of Japanese Media Artist Toshio Iwai, Tenori-on
emanates from his experiments with light shows and musical boxes, resulting in a hand-held, burnished magnesium-encased
matrix of 256 LED buttons that glow as you access different sounds and textures (‘Layers’) over an infinitely repeating
sequence of notes.
Sound images are literally drawn with Tenori-on using a host of internal sounds as well as samples loaded from external sources.
With an interface where sight and touch are every bit as integral as sound, the Tenori-on music making possibilities are as
endless as they are addictive.
Iwai has teamed with Yamaha, the world’s largest and longest-established musical instrument company, forming an unusual
partnership of old and new, art and music, light and sound, to bring Tenori-on to market. This first generation Tenori-on product
will be selectively marketed as an introduction to this cutting edge technology as more products are planned over time. This will
be welcome news to the nearly one million curious consumers that have viewed Yamaha’s demo of the product on YouTube.
“The beauty of Tenori-on is that it offers a fresh approach to music creation no matter what your musical background and
experience are,” said Athan Billias of Yamaha. “It's exciting that Yamaha , a company known mostly for making traditional
musical instruments is investing in cutting-edge technologies that will expand the market for music making."
Launch events for the media and the public will take place in New York (Southpaw in Brooklyn on April 16th) and San
Francisco (1015 Folsom on April 18th). The events will not only feature Toshio Iwai himself, explaining this new musical
paradigm, but also a host of edgy new electronic artists such as Sutekh, Safety Scissors, Pole, and I Am Robot And Proud, who
have already incorporated Tenori-on into their stage shows. The events are free to enter and will feature Demo Stations for an
interactive experience.
Public registration for a launch event is free at www.tenori-on-tour.com. Press area passes can be obtained through
RSVP to Brian McConnon at mtech marketing communications: brian@mtechmarketing.com or 610-480-8360.
About Yamaha
Yamaha Corporation of America is the largest subsidiary of Yamaha Corporation, Japan and offers a full line of musical
instruments and sound reinforcement products to the U.S. market. Products include: acoustic and digital pianos, portable
keyboards, guitars, acoustic and electronic drums, band and orchestral instruments, marching percussion products,
synthesizers, professional digital and analog audio products, and innovative technology products targeted to the hobbyist,
education, worship, professional music, and installation markets.
All trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners. © mtech marketing communications.
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