Clair Omar Musser

Musser's first major project as a designer was a unique instrument called the Marimba-Celeste, built at the J.C. Deagan factory in Chicago.

Manufactured using vacuum tube technology, it plays 13 electronically generated rhythmic accompaniments such as the bolero, waltz, rhumba, cha-cha, tango, samba, and beguine.

In addition to the pre-set loops, percussion sounds can be activated using push-button controls, which show wear from Musser operating them with his mallets while playing.

One of the most notable of Musser's contributions to the world of percussion is his work as a conductor and promoter of large marimba orchestras.

In 1933 at the Century of Progress International Exhibition in Chicago, Musser conducted a marimba orchestra of 100 players.

As of 1941 he had published fifty-three works, including piano solos, sacred music, and arrangements for marimba and vibraphone.

The musser grip allowed for greater independence between individual mallets, and would later be modified into its modern form by Leigh Howard Stevens.

He also developed classroom planetaria and other teaching materials which can be found at Cape Kennedy, the Air Force Academy, Griffith Observatory, and many schools and universities.