It has been said that pioneers are the ones with the arrows in their backs, but at least one seemed to dodge the arrows; Bob Moog, who moved on to the next plane of existence today. More on the moogmusic site about his life and works.

The accomplishments he made cannot be overlooked; he was a giant in the history of modern music performance. Until his products became available, the creation of electronic music was more of a laboratory activity, wiring together exotic pieces of hardware in hopes everything would work. The Moog Synthesizer was one of the first products that not only brought the technology together with a great deal of standardization of signal levels and interface, but it was also for the first time possible to have equipment that was rugged enough to take on the road.

I guess what put him on the map was W. Carlos’ magnificent Switched-On Bach, which was the first "serious" bit of electronic music to hit the best-seller list (and spawned a whole industry of mediocre wannabes). I was a music student at the time when the album first came out, and even the crustiest of the old professors loved it; impeccible musicianship and a good deal of soul made it an instant classic. And we have Mr. Moog’s wonderful little box to thank for it.

But before that, Bob was building commerical Theremins, and they are still considered the cream of the crop. He knew his engineering, and also knew his musical history; this was an invention going back to the 1920s, created by a Russian madman, Lev Termen. It is most associated with creepy 1950s sci-fi films (and notably in the Beach Boys’ "Good Vibrations"), but has quite a history as a concert instrument, and was a favorite of avant-garde composers of the 20s and 30s. More: thereminworld.com.

Here’s to Dr. Moog, a man who truly made a difference in the world of music. He was well respected by musicians, composers, scientists, and all who crossed his path.

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