This video, via The Bob Moog Foundation, captures The Beastie Boys at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Minimoogseum.
The eight foot high showcase serves as the first permanent installation of Bob Moog’s archives, including one of his Grammy awards and relics from the early development of Moog synthesizers. The “MiniMoogseum” can be thought of as a small scale version of the future “Moogseum”, coming soon to the Asheville area.
The Beastie Boys join a growing group of celebrity musicians, including Stevie Wonder, Keith Emerson, and Billy Corgan who have all voiced their support of the Foundation’s mission to teach science to children using musical instruments. In the video the band expresses that they are …proud and happy to be here at the beginning of this beautiful thing…..the Moogseum.
They continue by saying “There should be a Moog synthesizer in every classroom.”
via moogfoundation:
Making the MiniMoogseum a Reality: Volunteers and SponsorsThe MiniMoogseum was designed and built by a team of volunteers and sponsors—the foundation playfully refers to them as Rockstars–including Gene Felice, Domus Aurea Woodworking Design, Steve Dunnington and Mike Pieo.
Materials for the project were donated by Cormark International, Speedy Graphics, Moog Music, Asheville Hardware and Henco Reprographics. This project is the first step in an iterative process for the Foundation. The full-sized Moogseum, scheduled to open in four years, will feature interactive and experiential exhibits that inspire the next generation of Bob Moog like innovators, as well as an intimate performance area, where musicians from around the world can participate in the Foundation’s programming.
Special thanks to Meg, Rhino & Jon Leidel for capturing this even on both video and photo!
That is absolutely heartwarming 🙂
"A Moog in every classroom", easily said by people who don't have to worry about the financing aspect. All nice and well, but in these times I cannot help wonder if I'm not seeing a huge classy dressed advertisement here.
Sure, they'll be plenty of exceptions, but I do get a feeling that a majority of 'famous' artists out there pick their gear based on brand or whatever the manager(s) or sponsors want them to use.
I'd rather see teachers in classrooms make it better known that a synthesizer doesn't actually need to be in the shape of a keyboard. You know; actually trying to get some basic understanding and recognition across about what you're dealing with here.
Synth Fan, you are retarded, and negative.
There is some truth to waht SynthFan wrote (in theory), but to up the nitpicking one level: Teachers (and I'm talking about music teachers, not maths, not physics, not P.E. or whatever) should perhaps first of all try to drive home the point that there are things like knowledge, goals, and hard work and then there are the tools to facilitate the work, achieve our goals, and increase our knowledge, but not by their mere existence, but by working with them, learning about them, and generally establishing a good work relation with them. To a musician a synthesizer (be it digital or analog, modular or prepatched, old or new, etc.) is just another tool he chose to do a specific set of jobs. It's the same with computers: We should not teach shool children to use computers just because computers are perceived to be the most important tool today by many people, but we should teach them about having goals, seeking out knowledge and in the process choose the right tool for them and the job. If it happens to be a book or a synthesizer with a keyboard, so be it. There's nothing wrong with that, and not all people like to read books on a computer screen or feel comfortable (or even competent) to play an instrument designed for wind or string instrument players. And if someone is intrigued by a synthesizer because it makes nice otherworldly sounds, it's alright, but if someone views it as one incarnation of differential equations, that's alright too. Infinite diversity from infinite combinations. 😉
Synthesis helps children to develop flexible and efficient listening, thinking and responding. It introduces the concept of “sound shapes” and can be a useful tool to encourage creativity, imagination and improvisation. When a child or person interacts with their environment in a way that manipulates sound, not only is it a personal and unique experience, it stimulates the spacial awareness side of the brain that contributes to creativity, imagination and improvisation, as well as helping to develop aural skills like ear training with intonation, quality, colour and intervallic relationships. The keyboard is a miracle invention, basically a gift from god. Anything that gets kids stoked about music, keyboards and creativity is amazing! 🙂