Learning Synthesis

In 1964, Bob Moog changed the face of music and popular culture by building upon a 64-year legacy of inventors, composers and technology. The voltage-controlled modular synthesizer was all at once a musical tool and a compositional studio, and its adoption by artists changed the landscape of music forever.

As you might imagine, the Bob Moog Foundation is pretty keen on synthesis. But our interest in synthesis isn’t just about the important role Bob played in its history. It isn’t just about composers, electronic music, dance music, synthesizers or popular culture. For us, synthesis is about education, the physics of sound, creativity, innovation and inspiration.

Synthesis is a powerful combination of science and art that is as educational as it is inspirational. Like science, synthesis inspires practical application of knowledge, conception of possibility and observation of outcome. Like art, synthesis is the application of technique and expression in order to create a compelling or inspired outcome. It is a systematic process which requires problem solving and conceptual application, all while enriching the human experience and creative expression of the user. It’s a great metaphor for life.

It is among our goals to foster an understanding of synthesis due to its historical importance, relevance to our foundation and the manifold benefits it provides in regard to critical thinking, scientific knowledge and understanding, and creativity. In that spirit, we will continue to provide resources which aid in the understanding and application of this creative science/physics-based art form.