The long-discussed Moogseum, which celebrates the life and work of synth icon Dr Bob Moog, will open in August in Asheville, North Carolina with the three-day ‘Moogmentum’. This celebrates synthesizing innovation, music and creativity.
Created by The Bob Moog Foundation, the Moogseum will initially offer eight exhibits, many of which are “interactive, immersive, or technology-driven”. These give visitors a chance to explore both Dr Bob Moog’s life and the broader history of synthesis.
The Moogmentum kicks off on 13 August with a performance and conversation from Swiss keyboard player, film composer and songwriter Patrick Moraz at the Asheville Masonic Temple Theater.
There will also be conversation and a listening party with composer, inventor and educator Herb Deutsch, who worked with Dr Moog to create the first Moog synth.
The following day, the focus will shift to the Moogseum itself, where both Moraz and Deutsch will appear at VIP events and the original Moog synthesizer prototype will go on display.
The prototype consists of two small hand-crafted cabinets of modules and an unusual dual-manual controller. Bob Moog and Deutsch began working on the development of the prototype in the summer of 1964. Which was then displayed at the Audio Engineering Society in the fall of 1964 and sent to Deutsch shortly thereafter. This is on loan from the Henry Ford Museum, where it has been displayed since 1982.
Grand opening
Moogmentum will culminate on 15 August with a sound-sculpting workshop from multi-instrumentalist, composer, modular synthesist and clinician Lisa Bella Donna, followed by a keynote presentation from synthesist and composer Larry Fast.
Following a ribbon-cutting ceremony, Lisa Bella Donna will then appear at the Moogseum Grand Opening Celebration Concert in the evening.
"We are immensely proud to couple the grand opening of the Moogseum with performances, workshops, and presentations by musical legends Herb Deutsch and Patrick Moraz and by synthesizer alchemist Lisa Bella Donna," said Bob Moog Foundation Executive Director Michelle Moog-Koussa.
"Through these three deeply creative, innovative musicians, we not only celebrate the historical richness of the Moogseum but the very spirit of Bob Moog's enduring legacy. This unique combination of talent promises to lend rare insight into the Moog legacy and the power of music and synthesis.
“We are honoured to be exhibiting the prototype of the Moog synthesizer, which adds an immense amount of historical significance to this momentous occasion."
Find out more about the Moogmentum and the Moogseum on the Bob Moog Foundation website.
