Switched-On: The Birth of the Moog Synthesizer comes to a close this month after a year-long run at The History Center in Tompkins County in Ithaca, New York. The exhibit celebrates the seminal creation of Moog modular synthesizer over 50 years ago by electronic music pioneer Robert Moog. On Saturday, May 16, 2015, a week before what would be Moog’s 81st birthday, The History Center and the Bob Moog Foundation will honor Moog’s life and legacy through the Bob Moog Birthday Bash, which will include performances, discussions, and presentations by notable musicians and Moog experts.
The celebration begins with a special screening of the documentary Moog at Cinemapolis in downtown Ithaca at 5 P.M. on Friday, May 15th. Trevor Pinch, co-author of Analog Days: The Invention and Impact of the Moog Synthesizer, will introduce the film. Michelle Moog-Koussa, executive director of the Bob Moog Foundation, will lead a question-and-answer session afterward.
The following day, The History Center will host several presentations featuring unique insiders perspectives including those by: Roger Luther, former General Manager of Moog Music in Williamsville, NY and creator of Moogarchives.com; Michelle Moog-Koussa and Herb Deutsch, who will host a listening party exploring the 84 minute audio letter that Moog sent to Deutsch in 1964 with the prototype of the Moog synthesizer; and producer and technician, Malcolm Cecil, co-founder of TONTOs Expanding Band and co-producer of four early Stevie Wonder albums. Sean Michaels, author of Us Conductors, a novel based on the life of Leon Theremin, will round out the day of presentations.
Nighttime musical performances include Electric Golem featuring Shueh-Li Ong on theremin and Malcolm Cecil on synthesizer, followed by Mother Mallard, and concluding with a performance by Herb Deutsch.
Birthday Bash attendees will also be able to partake in the featured exhibit, which closes at the end of that day.
A complete listing of happenings as part of Bob Moog’s Birthday Bash, can be found at bobmoogbirthdaybash.splashthat.com and on The History Center in Tompkins County’s Facebook page.
