The Bob Moog Foundation is proud to celebrate its 20th anniversary beginning this month!

The Foundation was created by Moog’s family and colleagues after the synthesizer pioneer’s passing in response to an outpouring of testimonials stating how Bob Moog had changed, or in some cases, transformed people’s lives through his inventions and the music that spawned from them. The testimonials came from over 67 different countries, underscoring the global impact of his legacy. The Foundation will mark this momentous milestone with online events, special exhibits, and other offerings throughout the year.

With limited resources, the Foundation started as a grassroots organization with Moog’s daughter, Michelle Moog-Koussa, acting as the volunteer executive director. With the help of the Foundation’s small Board of Directors and supporters worldwide, it formally launched on August 21, 2006, the one-year anniversary of Moog’s passing. Moog-Koussa was formally engaged in February 2007, and the Foundation gained its nonprofit status in March 2007, solidifying its mission to inspire people of all ages and walks of life at the intersection of science, music, history, and innovation.

Since that time, the Foundation has evolved into an institution with a trifecta of significant projects instituted to achieve its mission, including:

• Dr. Bob’s SoundSchool, a 10-week experiential curriculum that teaches second graders about the science of sound through music and technology. Over 30,000 students have been served to date through this program, and the program is poised to grow nationwide.
• The Bob Moog Foundation Archives, a vast collection of 15,000 pieces of historical material that the Foundation protects and preserves in order to share with researchers, journalists, and museums.
• The Moogseum, the Foundation’s outward-facing facility located in downtown Asheville, NC, which brings Bob Moog’s legacy and the history of electronic music alive for visitors from around the world. The Moogseum has welcomed over 50,000 visitors since opening in May of 2019.

“The Bob Moog Foundation has made major strides in accomplishing its mission over the past 20 years. With the help of supporters from all over the world, it has made a significant impact through offering innovative science education to over 30,000 elementary school students, restoring and sharing a world-class archive, and serving over 50,000 visitors to the Moogseum. Our future is bright, and our potential to expand all of our programs is vast.

 

We thank all of those who have supported us in the past, and encourage our community to continue its support this year, so that we can continue to inspire the next generation of innovative thinkers.”

 

– David Mash, President of the Bob Moog Foundation Board of Directors

During its evolution, the Bob Moog Foundation has initiated or participated in a multitude of significant events, including the 2009 “Waves of Inspiration: The Legacy of Moog” exhibit at the Museum of Making Music, the 2014 “Switched On: The Birth of the Moog Synthesizer” exhibit at the History Center of Tompkins County, and “Moogmentum,” the three-day festival celebrating the grand opening of the Moogseum in 2019. It has also participated in the “Music America” exhibit at various presidential libraries from 2024 to 2026, the 2024 “Sonic Booms” exhibit at Oregon State University, the 2026 “Musical Bodies” exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and more.

The Foundation has been an integral part of several media projects, including the 2023 biography Switched-On: Bob Moog and the Synthesizer Revolution written by Albert Glinsky, the 2025 The Minimoog Book published by Bjooks, and the upcoming documentary Electronic Voyager: Retracing Bob Moog’s Sonic Footsteps by Waveshaper Media.

Grants were awarded to the Bob Moog Foundation from the Triad Foundation, the Grammy Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the North Carolina Arts Council, Arts AVL, Explore Asheville, and the Keys to Music Foundation. We are also supported by products from Moog Music, Spectrasonics, MOTU, Native Instruments, Scott McAuley, Alex Ball, and UJAM.

The Bob Moog Foundation looks forward to the next 20 years with great anticipation, as it endeavors to expand all three of its hallmark projects to inspire the next generation of innovators!

Consider making a Donation to the Bob Moog Foundation today! Your support will help ensure another 20 years of growth.

The Bob Moog Foundation is an independent 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization. We are not formally affiliated with Moog Music, although we enjoy a mutually supportive relationship with them. Our support comes from donors like you.

The post The Bob Moog Foundation Turns 20 Years Old This Month! first appeared on The Bob Moog Foundation.

On behalf of the estate of Patrick Gleeson, the Bob Moog Foundation shares the passing of the legendary electronic music pioneer. Patrick Gleeson passed away on July 19, 2026; he was 91 years old. Gleeson may be best remembered as the owner of Different Fur Studios, and for his subsequent work with Herbie Hancock. However, his career stretched well beyond those accomplishments, including producing and engineering for a multitude of musicians, recording solo albums, scoring soundtracks, and performing live.

In the 1960s, Patrick Gleeson moved to San Francisco to teach 18th-Century English Literature at San Francisco State University. Soon thereafter he began experimenting with electronic music on the Buchla Box at the San Francisco Tape Music Center. He eventually resigned from teaching and became a full-time musician. In 1968, after being inspired by Switched-On Bach by Wendy Carlos, he began using a large Moog III modular synthesizer and co-founded Different Fur recording studio, with his studio partner John Vieira, until 1985. There, he worked with Herbie Hancock on Hancock’s Crossings (1972) and Sextant (1973) albums, which led to Gleeson going on tour with Hancock’s Mwandishi band, where he helped pioneer the use of synthesizers in live performance, and in the jazz medium, using the ARP 2600. He later became one of Hancock’s full-time band members. Hancock later credited Gleeson with introducing him to synthesizers. Hancock’s albums Sextant and Headhunters were both recorded at Different Fur studio. 

Patrick Gleeson (foreground) with Herbie Hancock (background) at Different Fur Studios in San Francisco

After supporting the work of many other musicians across genres, including: David Byrne , Charles Earl, Brian Eno, Sammy Hagar, Eddie Henderson, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Kronos Quartet, Benny Maupin, Pat Metheny Julian Priester, Michael Shrieve, and Lenny White. He went on to record several solo albums, the first of which was Beyond the Sun – An Electronic Portrait of Holst’s “The Planets” in 1976, featuring the E-mu polyphonic synthesizer. The album was nominated for the 1977 Best Engineered Recording – Classical Grammy award. Wendy Carlos wrote the sleeve notes for the album and noted:

“Our eight‑year wait for someone else to explore electronic music realisation with what we judge to be appropriate technical standards and musical taste has ended,” she wrote, adding: “In short, one hears the ears of a gifted musician at work, in a field where one must exercise unprecedented discipline and self‑control.”

That album was followed by: Patrick Gleeson’s Star Wars (1977), Rainbow Delta (1980), Patrick Gleeson Antonio Vivaldi: The Four Seasons (1981), The Plague Dogs (original soundtrack) (1982), Slide (2007), and Patrick Gleeson / Jim Lang ‎: Jazz Criminal – Featuring Bennie Maupin, Wallace Roney (2007), Driving While Black with Bennie Maupin (2014), Fourever (2021), The Rainbow Delta (2022).  

Gleeson produced or played on over 100 albums. He served as a producer and engineer on the 1978 Devo album Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, some of which was recorded at Different Fur. His work on David Byrne & Brian Eno’s radically groundbreaking “My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts” is testament to his production and editing skills.

Gleeson’s scoring credits include a number of film soundtracks, including The Plague Dogs, Apocalypse Now, Crossroads and The Bedroom Window. He is credited as the Master Synthesist on Francis Coppola’s Apocalypse Now. He has scored nine television series, including Knots Landing. Gleeson’s scores for artist Bruce Conner are in the permanent collections of the Walker Art Center, The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and The Museum of Modern Art.

In 2017 he retired from film and television scoring and returned to live performance, both as a solo artist and with a trio (Michael Shrieve, drums, and Sam Morrison, reeds). He performed at the Cutting Room in New York City in 2018, at Moogfest in 2019, and with KamranV at Synthplex in 2022.

Patrick Gleeson performing at Moogfest 2019

He was the featured guest at the Moogseum’s fifth year anniversary celebration.

Patrick Gleeson at the Moogseum in 2023

Patrick Gleeson (right) with Moogseum attendee Mark Glinsky, 2023

Patrick Gleeson at the Moogseum, partaking in a birthday toast to Bob’s 89th birthday

Gleeson was also interested in architecture and design, having designed two houses, one of which was featured in Architectural Digest. 

Gleeson’s final years of performance and composition involved exploring the possibilities offered by Ableton and other software, and working with quad and multi-channel audio.

He is survived by his wife, Charmaine McClarie, of 34 years.

The post Pioneering Synthesist Patrick Gleeson Passes Away at 91 first appeared on The Bob Moog Foundation.

The Bob Moog Foundation Archives has received an exciting new addition, one of the very first R.A. Moog theremins, the Model 351, built in 1954. Bob Moog was only 20 years old when the company made this model available. It is preceded only by his first commercial product, the Model 201 theremin, released just one year earlier, and alongside the Model 305, a simpler, budget-minded version of the 351.

Tammy and Phil Niemeyer, supporters of the Foundation, generously donated the antique instrument, appraised with a value of $25,000. Tammy’s grandfather, James Gray Everhart, purchased the theremin in Sherman, Texas, around 1955. James, a lover of gadgets, music, and engineering, believed in the theremin’s ability to create beautiful music. He routinely performed memorized ballad compositions for his family members and close friends.

“We are thrilled to have this extremely rare R.A. Moog Model 351 theremin as part of the Bob Moog Foundation Archives. This stunning historical instrument helps us trace the evolution of Bob’s design ethic, while sharing the growth of his fledgling company.” — Michelle Moog-Koussa, Executive Director of the Bob Moog Foundation

The Model 351 theremin is a five-octave, vacuum tube-based instrument. As is usual for these vanguard instruments, they were hand-assembled by Bob Moog. His father, George, assisted him with his own woodworking and engineering skills while they worked together in their basement workshop. The 351 has a small mahogany cabinet with the standard theremin volume control plate and pitch-control antenna attached. Its silkscreened front panel featured a generous number of tone-control knobs, including three separate volume knobs. Interestingly, Moog omitted the specifics of volume knob applications from the operation manual, leaving customers to their own interpretations of creative amplitude techniques.

In the middle of the panel, there are two four-position switches, affecting what Bob called “Synthetic Format,” which were not included with the scaled-down Model 305. Mixing and matching the switch positions created a modest palette of tone possibilities. The first switch could be set at “Principal,” which was the same default tone of the Model 305, or to “Woodwind,” “Horn,” or “String.” The second switch was essentially a pitch-transposing selector, with settings for “Fundamental,” “Octave,” “Quint,” and “Superoctave.” The far-right “Pitch Adjustment” knob enabled more refined pitch control. 

The self-contained nature of Bob’s original Model 201, which retained an internal amplifier and speaker, was changed for the Model 351 (and 305). This was replaced by outputs for external connectivity.

The Model 351 is the latest in a long line of rare, vintage Moog instruments added to the Bob Moog Foundation Archives, including Bob’s very first electronic instrument, The Rensitron, an original R.A. Moog Model 201 theremin, two Moog modular synthesizers from 1967, Herb Deutsch’s Melodia theremin from 1961 and his R.A. Moog Co. Minimoog from 1971 (serial #1094), a Musonics Minimoog, Gary Wright’s Moog Liberation keytar, the Moog Apollo Polymoog prototype, the first Minimoog Voyager ever sold, and much more.

Learn more about the origins of early R.A. Moog Co. theremins with these Google Arts & Culture online exhibits:

The Birth of Moog Theremins, 1953-1956

The Evolution of Moog Theremins, 1957-1964

Your support of the Bob Moog Foundation Archives is vital for preserving vintage electronic instruments like the Model 351 theremin, carrying forward Bob Moog’s legacy while welcoming a comprehensive look back.

The post R.A. Moog Model 351 Theremin Added to Archives first appeared on The Bob Moog Foundation.

UPDATE: Congratulations to William Cassidy from Pennsylvania, USA, who won the Bob Moog Tribute Edition Minimoog Raffle!

MANY thanks to all of you who entered! Our work would not be possible without your support!

The Bob Moog Foundation is excited to announce its spring fundraising raffle featuring a brand new Bob Moog Tribute Edition (BMTE) Minimoog Model D synthesizer, serial number 001, valued at $3,999. This beautiful, limited-edition synthesizer was released by Moog Music on April 14th, 2026. Limited to just 500 units worldwide, the Bob Moog Tribute Edition Minimoog Model D is a rare and collectible instrument for players and music history enthusiasts alike. The design features classic Minimoog badges made using a metal photo-anodization technique on the front and rear panels that evoke the aesthetic of early Moog modular synthesizers, while a custom Bob Moog Foundation decal on the rear panel marks this edition as a true commemorative release

Raffle tickets are $25 each, $100 for 5, $200 for 12, and $500 for 35.

The raffle begins Monday, May 18th at 7:00 am EST and ends 11:59 pm EST Monday, June 8th, 2026.

The raffle is open internationally. 

Please read the rules and regulations HERE before purchasing tickets.

All proceeds benefit the projects of the Bob Moog Foundation.

Listen in as JoE Silva, author of the award-winning The Minimoog Book discusses the history of the legendary Minimoog Model D, along with its impact on how music-making was changed forever:

For a deep dive into the history of the Model D, featuring interviews with Gary Numan, Mark Mothersbaugh, Jimmy Jam, and more, watch “The Sound That Shaped Music | Minimoog Model D | Bob Moog Tribute Edition” by Moog Music,:

“The first groundbreaking Minimoog was shipped in November of 1970, and its lineage has endured for the past 56 years,” noted Michelle Moog-Koussa, Executive Director of the Bob Moog Foundation. “We are excited to offer serial number one of the Bob Moog Tribute Edition Minimoog Model D in celebration of Bob Moog’s indelible legacy of technical and creative brilliance.”

The Minimoog Model D is widely considered to be the most iconic synthesizer of all time, and remains one of the most coveted synthesizers in the world. Its story began in 1969, when Moog engineer Bill Hemsath presented a smaller demonstration unit concept, the Minimoog Model A (or “Min A”). It was a small, boxy cabinet housing a basic array of hard-wired synthesizer modules connected to a 3-octave keyboard. By 1970, the Minimoog had gone through three more prototypical iterations, and the 44-key Model D proved popular and versatile enough to remain in production until 1981, selling over 12,000 units. 

Since then, reissues have been produced, notably the 2022 re-release, which improved stability, added full MIDI support, and included a dedicated low-frequency oscillator (LFO). The BMTE Minimoog contains the same electronic architecture as this re-release. The Bob Moog Foundation is excited to present the very first serial numbered unit assembled as the prize this fundraising raffle.

Funds raised from the raffle will be used to expand the Bob Moog Foundation’s hallmark educational project, Dr. Bob’s SoundSchool, which has inspired over 40,000 elementary school students through the science of sound. The raffle also helps support the vast and growing Bob Moog Foundation Archives and the Moogseum, an immersive, experiential museum located in Asheville, NC, which brings the science of sound and synthesis alive for people of all ages through Bob Moog’s pioneering legacy. The Moogseum opened in May 2019 and has since welcomed over 50,000 visitors from all over the world.

The post Announcing Fundraising Raffle for Bob Moog Tribute Edition Minimoog, Serial Number 001 first appeared on The Bob Moog Foundation.

The Bob Moog Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated under the laws of the state of North Carolina with the primary purpose of preserving and honoring Bob Moog’s legacy through science, education, and historical preservation. 

The Bob Moog Foundation Bob Moog Tribute Edition (BMTE) Minimoog Serial #001 raffle proceeds benefit the important work of the Bob Moog Foundation, including our hallmark educational project, Dr. Bob’s SoundSchool, the vast and growing Bob Moog Foundation Archives, and the Moogseum, located in downtown Asheville, NC.

Purchase one or more raffle tickets during the raffle, and you will be entered in a drawing to win a brand new BMTE Minimoog, serial #001. The Minimoog is valued at $3,999 US.

Raffle tickets are $25 each, 5 for $100, 12 for $200, or 35 for $500. The odds of winning are based on the number of ticket entries purchased. Entrants must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Tickets are non-transferable.

Past and current employees of the Bob Moog Foundation and current employees of Moog Music, Inc. are not eligible for entry. Past winners are not eligible for entry—we love you all, but let’s give someone else a turn.

The raffle is open to participants worldwide—contest void where prohibited. The raffle begins at 7 a.m. on May 18th, 2026, and ends at 11:59 p.m. on June 8th, 2026. All times referenced are Eastern Standard Time.

Ticket purchases will be confirmed via email. No physical tickets will be sent.

HOW TO ENTER: Go to the Bob Moog Foundation’s online store for more details and to complete your purchase of an entry/ticket with your credit or debit card. 

Due to restrictions placed by PayPal regarding raffles, we are unable to accept payment via PayPal. 

SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION OF WINNERS: The winner will be selected at random, and announced on Friday, June 12th.

Once submitted, entries become the sole property of the Bob Moog Foundation and will not be returned. The winner will be notified by telephone and/or email. If a potential winner(s) cannot be reached within (7) seven days from the first notification attempt, or if an entrant is found to be ineligible, such prize will be forfeited, and an alternate winner(s) will be selected by random drawing.

PRIZE: The grand prize is a brand new Bob Moog Tribute Edition (BMTE) Minimoog Model D, serial #001, and includes a semi-rigid carrying bag. The prize package is valued at $3,999 USD.

SHIPPING TERMS: The Bob Moog Foundation agrees to pay up to $200 in shipping costs within the United States and $400 internationally. Any additional shipping and/or customs charges are the winner’s responsibility. By purchasing a raffle ticket, you agree to cover all fees over the above-referenced figures before shipment of the prize. Failure to do so will result in a forfeit of the prize and an alternate winner(s) will be selected by random drawing.

TAX OBLIGATIONS: The IRS now requires raffle winners to pay federal taxes on raffle winnings at the time of the award. The Bob Moog Foundation will pay to the IRS, on behalf of the winner, an amount equal to 31.58% of our cost of the synthesizer. The tax must be paid not only on the fair market value of the winnings, but also on the tax itself, therefore a grossed up tax rate of 31.58% of the winnings. This may or may not be the actual amount you will owe on your federal taxes. 

All local and state taxes are the sole responsibility of the winner. For any prizes valued at $600 or more, the Bob Moog Foundation will file IRS Form 1099 MISC with the Internal Revenue Service reporting the value of the prize as income to the winner. If the winner is a U.S. citizen, they must show proof of Social Security number to the Bob Moog Foundation. This is for tax recording purposes only, and will not be used or released for any other purposes.

MODIFICATIONS OR CANCELLATION OF DRAWING: The Bob Moog Foundation reserves the right to cancel or modify the raffle at any time. If the raffle is canceled, all entries will be refunded.

INDEMNIFICATION AND LIMIT ON LIABILITY: As a condition of accepting a prize, the winner acknowledges that the Bob Moog Foundation is not responsible for any harm, injury, or damage caused to any person or property, proximate or otherwise, through the use of any prize by any person, and agrees to save and hold harmless the Bob Moog Foundation, its principals and employees from any claim of such responsibility. Harm, injury, or damage includes but is not limited to occurrences beyond the control of the Bob Moog Foundation such as death, bodily injury, property damage, or theft, or for the failure of any manufacturer or dealership’s warranties.

GENERAL: Ticket purchases are not a donation and are not tax-deductible. By entering the raffle, participants agree that the Bob Moog Foundation, its agents, and employees have no liability whatsoever for any injuries, losses, or damages of any kind that result from the date of the award. The prize is non-transferable, and cannot be exchanged for cash. The Bob Moog Foundation may use the winner’s name and likeness for publicity purposes without further compensation. The winner agrees to send the Bob Moog Foundation two high-quality digital images of the winner with the BMTE Minimoog synthesizer for promotional purposes within two weeks of receiving the instrument. The Bob Moog Foundation reserves the right to modify these rules and will promptly announce any rule changes. All decisions of the Bob Moog Foundation are final and binding in all matters related to this raffle. PayPal is not a payment option for the raffle due to its own payment processing restrictions.

RESTRICTIONS: By participating in the Bob Moog Foundation Bob Moog Tribute Edition Minimoog Serial #001 raffle, participants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and by all decisions of the Bob Moog Foundation. For further information, please contact us at info@moogfoundation.org.

ELIGIBILITY: The raffle is open internationally. Present and past employees of the Bob Moog Foundation and any immediate family members residing with the employees are not eligible to participate. Present members of the Bob Moog Foundation Board of Directors and any immediate family members residing with Directors are not eligible to participate. Present employees of Moog Music, Inc. and any immediate family members residing with Moog Music, Inc. employees are not eligible to participate. Past winners are not eligible to participate. Must be 18 years or older to enter. Contest void where prohibited. You need not be present to win.

AFFIDAVIT OF ELIGIBILITY AND LIABILITY / PUBLICITY RELEASE OF GRAND PRIZE WINNER: The winner will be required to sign an Affidavit of Eligibility and Publicity/Liability Release in order to claim their prize.

AUTHORITY AND CONTROL: The Bob Moog Foundation’s decision shall be final in all matters concerning the raffle. The raffle is subject to the laws of the state of North Carolina. The raffle is void where prohibited by law. The Bob Moog Foundation is not responsible for any errors or omissions in the raffle’s advertising and/or any printed, broadcast, or internet-provided materials or information.

For further information, email us at info@moogfoundation.org.

The Bob Moog Foundation is an independent, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting Dr. Bob Moog’s legacy. We are not formally affiliated with Moog Music, Inc. Our support comes from people like you.

Sign up for updates on our innovative projects, future raffles, and info on how to be part of sharing Bob’s legacy and inspiring future generations with the science of sound.

The post Rules & Regulations for Bob Moog Tribute Edition Minimoog Serial #001 Raffle first appeared on The Bob Moog Foundation.

We’re excited to announce that the Moogseum is now offering visitors an additional layer of exhibit content in the form of audio tours! This supplemental narration by Michelle Moog-Koussa, Executive Director of the Bob Moog Foundation, is designed to accompany existing Moogseum exhibits and provide deeper context for the information they present. The audio tour extra is available for $5.00 with any ticket purchase.

The narration is easily accessed by just using your smartphone! Once connected to a local server, your Moogseum host will provide a QR code for you to scan, taking you to a custom interface that streams eight separate audio files. If you’re interested in an audio tour, you’re invited to bring your own earbuds. We also can provide use of a set of noise-canceling headphones.

Once you’ve completed your Moogseum audio tour, you’re welcome to re-enter the Moogseum to explore any interactive exhibits that may include their own audio. You’re also invited to pause the audio tour as desired to interact with any exhibit while exploring.

“There’s so much information tucked into all of the Moogseum’s one-of-a-kind exhibits,” said Michelle Moog-Koussa. “It’s exciting to be able to lend insights and details that a visitor may not typically glean from the self-guided tour. Every piece of information helps give a greater understanding about the depth and breadth of the Moog legacy.”

Exhibits accompanied by the audio tour are the Bob Moog Timeline, a detailed account of Bob’s life and career; the Leon Theremin exhibit, exploring the history of the famed hands-free instrument and its inventor; Patching Sound, an exhibit focusing on modular, patchable synthesizers; Bob’s Connection to Asheville, where he spent the last 25 years of his life; the Timeline of Synthesis, exploring a variety of synthesizers from varying manufacturers; Bob’s Workbench, a recreation of Bob Moog’s actual work area; and Hands-On Synthesis, a collection of playable synthesizers.

Advance tickets are available to purchase online. Guests are also invited to book group tours for special events. In addition, the Moogseum offers discounted field trip packages.

The post The Moogseum Adds Audio Tours for Extra Immersion Into Exhibits first appeared on The Bob Moog Foundation.

Dr. Bob’s SoundSchool rocked the Orange Peel!

Wednesday, April 29th, was the Dr. Bob’s SoundSchool celebratory grand finale for Asheville City Schools in North Carolina! At the end of the semester, after completing our 10-week curriculum, students each year perform at The Orange Peel, the Asheville venue once named one of the top five rock clubs in the nation by Rolling Stone. The second-graders sang and kazooed their hearts out on the same stage previously graced by Gary Numan, Haken, the Wallflowers, Metric, The Beastie Boys, Lauryn Hill, Bob Dylan, and countless other recognized acts from across the globe.

After 10 weeks of experience using theremins, kazoos, and other sonic tools, these energetic performances are always a musical and scientific bonanza! Teachers, school officials, and families watched our kids share what they learned via original songs about the science of sound.

Sonic inspiration and science education. This is what we do.

Imagine singing, dancing, a light show, and lots of instrumental kazoo breaks, and you’ll start to get a good idea of the experience! The songs performed this year were chiefly adaptations of 1980s pop songs. Just like ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic does, the lyrics were cleverly adjusted, but not just for comedic effect! Once you learn these lyrics, you’ll have learned a little something about the science of sound! Here’s an example, written by Dr. Bob’s SoundSchool volunteer and Claxton Elementary School staff member Brooks Butler:

Everybody Wants to Hear the Sound

Welcome to your ear
Through the ear canal
Vibrate the ear drum
Sound waves like to…

Move the hammer, anvil, stirrup
Hear the music as it turns up
Everybody wants to hear the sound!

Bob Moog’s cool designs
Changed the music’s course
Sounds like no one heard
An electronic source

Wave shapes and good vibrations
Envelopes and modulations
Everybody wants to hear the sound!

There’s a wave that is trying to find you
Causing air to vibrate all around
With certain frequency and amplitude

A source wiggles through a medium
Ears are ready to receive them
Everybody wants to hear the sound!

The post Dr. Bob’s SoundSchool 2026 Orange Peel Performance – Pictorial Recap! first appeared on The Bob Moog Foundation.

We are excited to announce the addition of Bob Moog’s earliest known keyboard instrument, the Rensitron, to the Bob Moog Foundation Archives! Bob created this two-octave electronic organ when he was only 16 years old. His music teacher at Bronx High School of Science, Hymen Rensin, commissioned the instrument in May, 1951 for only $10.00 ($120 when adjusted for inflation)!

This vacuum-tube-based instrument featured hand-carved wooden mini-keys, likely crafted by Bob’s father, George Conrad Moog, an electrical engineer and woodworker. There was a built-in 5-inch speaker in the back with a stylized “R” speaker grille, all encased in a slanted wooden cabinet.

The front panel has controls for output volume, tone, and pitch using the classic R.A. Moog chicken head knobs, a preview of things to come. The top of the instrument features labels that read “Rensitron” and “Electronic Organ Made For Mr. Rensin By Robert Moog May 1951,” both in the same black Dymo Labeler tape style as the early R.A. Moog modular systems – another tactile premonition of game-changing instruments yet to be.

“The Rensitron offers a glimpse into some early ideas that would later shape Bob’s approach to electronic instrument design. It’s remarkable to see that level of creativity and technical aptitude already present at sixteen years old. We are grateful to Hy Rensin and his family for stewarding this 75-year-old instrument with such care.” –Michelle Moog-Koussa

Bob’s hand-drawn schematic plan of the Rensitron accompanies the instrument. A duplicate schematic, also hand-drawn, decorates the right half of the front panel. This duplicate is not in Bob’s handwriting. Additionally added to the Archives is Rensin’s $10.00 commission check dated May 21, 1951, made out to Robert Moog (and endorsed by him) for the payment of the Rensitron. This check was written two days before Bob’s 17th birthday.

The Rensitron is the latest in a long line of rare, vintage Moog instruments added to the Bob Moog Foundation Archives, including an R.A. Moog Co. Model 201 theremin from 1954, an R.A. Moog Troubador theremin from 1962, two Moog modular synthesizers from 1967, Herb Deutsch’s Melodia theremin from 1961 and his R.A. Moog Co. Minimoog from 1971, a Musonics Minimoog, Gary Wright’s Moog Liberation keytar, the Moog Apollo prototype, the first Minimoog Voyager ever sold, and more.

Your support of the Bob Moog Foundation Archives is crucial for preserving vintage electronic instruments like the Rensitron, carrying forward Bob Moog’s legacy while inviting a comprehensive look back.

The post THE RENSITRON: Bob Moog’s Earliest Known Keyboard Instrument Added to Archives first appeared on The Bob Moog Foundation.

We are excited to share that our friends at Moog Music, Inc. have announced the latest reissue of the iconic Minimoog Model D: the Bob Moog Tribute Edition (BMTE), a limited run of 500 synthesizers. For each unit sold, Moog Music is generously donating $500 to the Bob Moog Foundation.

The BMTE Minimoog Model D carries a 56-year legacy forward with a fully analog signal path that includes the same updates as the 2022 reissue. Among those updates are:

• Improved stability
• Full MIDI support
• Dedicated low-frequency oscillator (LFO)

The Bob Moog Tribute Edition Minimoog also features:

• Unique quarter sawn white oak cabinet. The quarter sawn method results in superior stability, and produces a distinct straight grain with prominent, beautiful “ray fleck” or tiger stripe patterns.
• Bob Moog Tribute Edition name badge on the back of the Minimoog
• Both the Moog Music logo and the silhouette of Bob from the Bob Moog Foundation logo

From Moog Music:

We designed this limited-edition production run with intentional details that commemorate Bob Moog’s earliest synthesizer models. The instrument features a custom badge that uses a metal photo-anodization process, which harkens back to the modular panel graphics found on the System 55, System 35, and Model 10 synthesizers, as well as select early R.A. Moog Co. Minimoogs.

The instrument features a custom quartersawn oak wood enclosure, a unique back-panel decal, and an included SR Series travel case, along with 100% analog circuitry and all the modern functional enhancements from the instrument’s latest reissue.

Each Bob Moog Tribute Edition Minimoog Model D synthesizer is assembled by hand in our North Carolina production facility, and only 500 in total will be built by our small team.

For a deep dive into the history of the Model D, featuring interviews with Gary Numan, Mark Mothersbaugh, Jimmy Jam, and more, watch “The Sound That Shaped Music | Minimoog Model D | Bob Moog Tribute Edition” by Moog Music, embedded here:

The Foundation is deeply grateful to Moog Music for their generous contribution and wishes them the very best of luck with this exciting new chapter of the Minimoog Model D. Their generosity helps ensure the continuation of our important projects including Dr. Bob’s SoundSchool, the Bob Moog Foundation Archives, and the Moogseum. For more information, visit Moog Music, Inc.

The post Moog Music Announces Bob Moog Tribute Edition Minimoog Model D Benefitting the Bob Moog Foundation first appeared on The Bob Moog Foundation.

The following representatives of the Bob Moog Foundation attended Jam Cruise 2026 (from left): Craig Frustaci, Assistant Director; Michelle Moog-Koussa, Executive Director; August Worley, Dr. Bob’s SoundSchool camp instructor and BMF technical advisor; Brooks Butler, Dr. Bob’s SoundSchool curriculum creator and music teacher for Asheville City Schools.

The following photos were supplied by Dave Vann of Cloud 9 Adventures:

From left: Russ Farr, Positive Legacy board member; Michelle Moog-Koussa, Executive Director of the Bob Moog Foundation; August Worley, Dr. Bob’s SoundSchool camp instructor and BMF technical advisor; Craig Frustaci, Assistant Director of the Bob Moog Foundation; Brooks Butler, Dr. Bob’s SoundSchool curriculum creator and music teacher for Asheville City Schools; Shatelia Hall, Grand Turk Rotary Club President.

While on board the MSC Divina, the Bob Moog Foundation hosted a temporary “Synth Playground” exhibit, inviting interested guests to experiment with synthesizers, theremins, and Moogerfooger processing pedals. The adventurous turnout was robust and very entertaining, as the following images will show! The Foundation was grateful to share Bob’s legacy at sea and to inspire potential innovators across multiple generations.

The post Pictorial Recap of Jam Cruise 2026! first appeared on The Bob Moog Foundation.