New and looking for insight and advice.

Hello,
I'm happy to have found this message board. I am 40 years old and have just now discovered the existence of this wonderful instrument. Everything about it is calling me to dive into it's possibilities. I hope I can find guidance within this community to help me efficiently explore this instrument while being faithful to my naturally inspired artistic preferences and tendencies.

So here are a few background details about me:

-I have been in the field of 3D animation for over 20 years, and have a natural affinity towards curves, timing, and tempo structures and textures.
-I have been composing song lyrics as a hobby for a good part of my life.
-I do not have any musical background but (...and this might sound strange) My body is very much attuned to music on a very deep level.

Details about what I'm looking for and how I'm thinking of approaching things:

-I'm thinking of starting with a Zep Theremin and feeling that out for a while before going any more complicated.
-I'm really looking for the most heavy, grungy and fuzzy sound possible out of this thing.
-I'd like the possibility to be able to play this instrument silently while hearing the output through earphones.
-I would also like the possibility to play out of an amp once in a while.

Questions I have for the community:

1) Do you think it's a good idea to start with a Zep Theremin and work my way up. Or do you feel it would be a waste of time, money & effort, and I should just dive head first into top quality and grind it out?

2) What detailed setup would you recommend for getting the most heavy, grungy, and fuzzy sound out this instrument?

3) Are there any models out there that support silent play while hearing the output through earphones?

4) What amp would you recommend using with this instrument?

5) Do you have any websites to recommend on the subject, or any specific tutorials that would be valuable for me at this stage?

6) As a noob to the Theremin, what are things you feel are crucial for me to know before diving deeper?

All and any help or insight provided is very much appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

-Sebastien

It's a difficult instrument to play musically. It's probably even more difficult if you haven't played any instrument previously. I have a theremin made from a Jaycar kit. I play it into my computer and add audio effects from my DAW. If you do that then there are very few limitations on the sound you can produce. Grunge and fuzz should be possible. It would also allow you to listen with headphones. I also play into a guItar amp using guitar effects, but this requires me to use an attenuator to bring the line level signal down to instrument level. I don't know about the zep theremin. 

If you really want to start playing seriously this instrument, get a theremin with two antennas - pitch and volume -