The Bob Moog Foundation Spearheads Charity Initiative to Benefit Dr. Bob’s SoundSchool

Elizabeth Dale

In honor of the Bob Moog Foundation's 15th anniversary, the NAMM Member is hosting a charity initiative to raise funds for Dr. Bob’s SoundSchool and other foundation programs.

Established in Asheville, North Carolina in August 2006, a year after the loss of innovator and revolutionary Dr. Bob Moog, the foundation is made possible by donors inspired by Moog’s legacy. As part of the mission, the foundation is responsible for the stewardship of three principal projects, the Bob Moog Foundation Archive, the Moogseum, and Dr. Bob’s SoundSchool (DBSS).

  • Dr. Robert Moog

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    Michelle Moog-Koussa

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DBSS acts as the hallmark program for the Moog Foundation and “is an innovative, experiential 10-week curriculum that teaches second-grade students the physics of sound using both acoustic and electronic musical instruments including the theremin, and technological tools, like oscilloscopes.” The program, piloted in Asheville City Schools during the 2011-2012 school year, has since expanded to include the neighboring districts of Buncombe County Schools and Madison County. Offering comprehensive and engaging education to over 3,000 students across 70 classrooms, DBSS aims to expand nationally reach in the next three to five years.

Dr. Bob's SoundSchool

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Students that participate in the DBSS program learn about a myriad of concepts including, how sound is made, how sound travels, parameters of sound, the physical difference between music and noise, how sound is heard, and scientific methodology. Assessments conducted by the Moog Foundation during the pilot year concluded that students who completed the program “demonstrate a stronger ability to adapt their knowledge of basic physics of sound in the standard course of study, indicating that DBSS achieves its goal of inspiring creative thinkers of tomorrow.”

In honor of the 15th anniversary of the Bob Moog Foundation, the organization is raffling a Dr. Bob Moog signed Minimoog synthesizer. The vintage Minimoog Model D synthesizer (serial number 6572) was manufactured in the mid-1970s at Moog Music's Williamsville, New York factory. Having been restored and future-proofed by iconic synthesizer technician Wes Taggart of Analogics, the Minimoog was signed by Moog at The 2000 NAMM Show. All proceeds from the charity raffle benefit the students of DBSS, aid the preservation of the growing Bob Moog Archives, and fund the Moogseum.

Michelle Moog-Koussa, Executive Director of the foundation and Moog's daughter said, “The foundation formally launched on August 21, 2006, exactly one year after Bob’s passing. Since that time, his legacy and spirit have been the inspiration that fuels our work in education, archive preservation, and the creation of our beloved Moogseum. We hope that the winner of this Minimoog will also be deeply inspired by Bob’s spirit.”


For more information from the Bob Moog Foundation and DBSS, please visit https://moogfoundation.org/ and https://moogfoundation.org/projects/dr-bobssoundschool/.