Pioneering electronic musical instrument marketer David Van Koevering has died at the age of 77.
Van Koevering (1940-2018) helped to create the market for synthesizers, with Moog, EML, Vako and others. He did it with creativity and tenacity, whether it was by promoting theremins and synthesizers at Taco Bell, staging a happening like the Island of Electronicus or advocating for performance-oriented instruments, like the Minimoog.
Van Koevering also founded Vako Synthesizers, which created an improved version of the Mattel Optigan, called the Orchestron. The Orchestron was used notably by Kraftwerk, on albums like Trans Europe Express.
In addition to his work marketing electronic instruments, Van Koevering was the founder of Elsewhen Research, an non-profit corporation dedicated to using science to support claims from the Bible. In recent years, he also promoted Grounded For Health, a system designed to electrically ground the user’s body, in order to protect it from electromagnetic and radio frequencies.
David Van Koevering was a unique character in the history of electronic music instruments.
You can find out more about Van Koevering via his site, and remembrances at The Bob Moog Foundation and Moog Music sites.
David was an absolutely fascinating and hilarious guy. One of many incredible stories I recall him telling me was of how he and Bob had visited a museum that had one of the only two Theremin Cellos in existence. Bob was obsessed with knowing how it worked, so they came back late at night, broke into the museum, and Bob carefully disassembled the priceless irreplaceable artifact, and carefully inspected and made technical drawings and notes of the innards. They then put it back together exactly as it was and placed it back on display. No one ever discovered their exploit.
Until now
So Uli is not the only one who likes to reverse engineer 😉
The Taco Bell thing is hilarious. I think they should bring that back. Who wouldn’t want to tweak some modular synths while having a taco… good times?
I worked for the Van Koevering Company from 1996-2001 doing UI design for the interactive piano. Mr. Van Koevering what a gracious guy who was always very kind to me when he was in town. I even got to meet Dr. Moog while working for David’s company. R.I.P. Mr. Van Koevering.
So thankful for Wisdom of Heaven flowing from him as a gift to us all…When we all get to Heaven what a day of Rejoicing it will be ???
What an amazing man!!! Sooo wonderful to have met him and heard him teach and saw him demonstrate some of his creations. Hugs to Becky!!!!
I only heard of him about 6 months age. Now he is gone. I am very sad I wanted to know more about this awesome man
No slight against his role in promoting Moog gear, but much of the stuff he promoted on his site seems to be snake oil, taking advantage of the naive.
David & Becky changed my world by introducing me to Quantum Physics, Grounding, Abundant Human Elements and how to draw closer to our Heavenly Father. They were an inseparable awesome team.