Most Moogfest fans are keenly aware of the inspiration behind the festival—a non-musician named Bob Moog, who profoundly changed the history of music through the creation of entirely new, dimension-shattering electronic instruments. But throughout his lifetime, Moog was resolutely humble about his impact. “He won a Grammy in 2002 and didn’t even tell us until after it was over. He didn’t think we would be interested” said his daughter, Michelle Moog-Koussa.
Realizing Moog’s Impact
Because Moog was so low-key, almost secretive, about his work, even his closest family was only vaguely aware of how important he and his inventions were to the music world. When Moog was diagnosed with brain cancer just a few years after his Grammy, his family was amazed by an outpouring of support via the Internet, on a website they had set up that had never been publicized.
“We were so caught up in our sadness and then on the side there was this incredible dawning and we slowly started to realize what an enormous impact he had on people’s lives,” said Moog-Koussa. On the day Moog passed away, 20,000 people logged onto the website. “My brother told us about this, in the midst of making phone calls to our relatives, and it was amazing and foreign and overwhelming. All of us kids are still processing how this geeky cool guy who was our dad was this iconic figure that touched and transformed people's lives all over the world.”
Over the next few weeks, 4,000 people left online tributes to Moog, touching statements about how Moog impacted their lives in both a personal and profound way. One person said “Bob gave me a voice,” while another person related how they became an engineer because of a brief, but inspiring conversation with Moog.
“We realized that my Dad had an incredibly powerful legacy and we could use it to inspire future generations. Because my dad was very humble and did not think of think of him any grandiose way, it was a profound shift in thinking for us,” said Moog-Koussa. However, the family knew they had to honor Moog’s legacy in a way that he would have been comfortable with. “We didn’t want to turn him into an idol. It’s not an egocentric endeavor at all. It’s only for the greater goal—continuing to spread his inspiration for good.”
Building a Foundation
From this seed of an idea, the family faced the challenge of transforming their vision into a reality. Many questions loomed large. How and where should they start? What specific cause should they support to best carry forward Moog’s legacy? Some wanted to support cancer research, while others thought the foundation should support social causes, but to Moog-Koussa it was obvious that the foundation had to be centered around her father’s true love: electronic music.
Then there was the issue of money. “Bob was a brilliant engineer, but that brilliance did not translate into business acumen. He was never wealthy; there’s no money that he was able to leave behind,” said Moog-Koussa. It was with few resources, but a lot of drive, that family members started the Bob Moog Foundation, a grassroots, donor-driven non-profit with the goal of promoting music education and preserving Moog’s archives.
Over the next few years, Moog-Koussa, the mother of two young children, was putting so much time and work into the foundation that she took it up full time, becoming the executive director—a title that might belie the size of the organization. “We now have the equivalent of three employees. We’re still really small—small but mighty.”
Twin Goals: Education and History
The organization relies heavily on donors and volunteers to do its work, which includes Dr. Bob’s Sound School, a program that is being piloted in Asheville city schools this year to teach kids the science of sound through the magic of music. The program uses Moog instruments, themselves the intersection of science and sound, to teach students about concepts such as sounds waves, volume, and pitch. By engaging kids in science and engineering at a young age, Moog-Koussa hopes to inspire innovative and creative thinkers who will tackle the world’s future challenges—not just in music, science, and engineering, but also in politics, economics, and environmental conservation.
The next major project for the foundation is the creation of the Moogseum—a museum dedicated to Moog’s work—in downtown Asheville. One of the first steps is cataloging and preserving Moog’s extensive archives of photos, reel-to-reel tapes, instruments, prototypes, schematics, and project notes. The plan is for education to merge with the historical artifacts at the Moogseum, creating an interactive experience where Moog’s spirit comes to life through experiential exhibits.
“It’s a multimillion dollar facility and we are still a tiny foundation,” said Moog-Koussa. She estimates that the Moogseum is still probably six years away, despite some help from local grants. In the meantime, the foundation has opened a mini Moogseum at The Orange Peel music venue and the next step is to create a traveling exhibit and to open a small storefront in Asheville. “We don’t want to let a multimillion dollar facility hold us back from starting to put ideas into motion,” said Moog-Koussa.
Creating the Moogseum is an uphill climb, but one that Moog-Koussa is willing to take on, step by step. She does not have to look far for motivation. “The foundation has benefited from the fact that I am completely inspired by its mission. Every time I go out in public and I hear from people who Bob has touched in some way through his work, I get that feeling back. That kind of energy is a sacred experience.”
For more information on the Bob Moog Foundation, visit www.moogfoundation.org.
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