LOCAL

A day for T-burg's place in music history

David Wren
Correspondent

On the day before what would have been Robert Moog’s 82nd birthday, there was a celebration like none held before in the Village of Trumansburg. It honored the man and his invention which, a half-century ago, ultimately changed the course of music.

Michelle Moog-Koussa, daughter of Robert Moog, unveils a historical marker Sunday in front of the former location of R. A. Moog Co., at 49 E. Main St. in Trumansburg. In the immediate background are two of her father's friends and colleagues, David Borden, left, and Trevor Pinch, in orange T-shirt.

The Moog synthesizer was developed in Trumansburg between 1963 and 1971 at the R.A. Moog Co., at 49 E. Main St., where Little Venice Ristorante is now.  At 1 p.m. Sunday, some 80 people gathered there to watch Bob Moog’s daughter Michelle Moog-Koussa somewhat tearfully unveil a historical marker eight months in the planning but one many in attendance thought years overdue.

Village historian Michele Mitrani began planning Moog Day last September at the Rongovian Embassy, where she met with Greg McGrath and other Moog enthusiasts who’d long sought to cement the synthesizer’s connection to T-burg. Mitrani later garnered support from the Trumansburg Area Chamber of Commerce and the organization’s new president Nana Monaco. The team worked nonstop to apply and be approved for a historical marker, raise needed funds, and put together an afternoon and evening’s worth of educational programs and entertainment that would do justice to the subject.

Besides the unveiling, the schedule of events included lectures and discussions at the Ulysses Historical Society about “Moog in T-burg,” a “do it yourself” synthesizer-makers event at Ulysses Philomathic Library for ages 8 and older, and disc jockey Charcoal Heart was spinning Moog music at Atlas Bowl, where there was half-priced bowling all night. The crowning event was a series of live performances  of Moog music at the Rongo. The events  were made possible by the Tompkins County Tourism Program, the Trumansburg Area Chamber and the Village of Trumansburg.

In remarks to the crowd, just before unveiling the marker, Moog-Koussa said her father, who came to the area to work on a doctorate in physics at Cornell University and eventually settled with his family in a house on Taughannock Park Road, loved living in Trumansburg, and drew his inspiration and energy from the natural beauty of the area.

Standing nearby was one of her father’s friends, composer and musician David Borden, who got to know Moog so well he had a key to the Main Street “factory” and spent after hours there, mastering the synthesizer. Later, he would form the group Mother Mallard's Portable Masterpiece Co. and found the Digital Music Program at Cornell, from which he is now retired.

Trevor Pinch, a sociologist of international note, and former head of the Science and Technology Studies Department at Cornell, was also there. He said later that Moog believed the musical instrument is the most sophisticated and specialized technology that humans have developed.

Moog's legendary legacy

At the Ulysses Historical Society, the official head count was 113. Some had to stand two-deep in the back of the room. Pinch, Borden and Moog-Koussa discussed Moog and his synthesizers — both the Modular Moog Synthesizer and a smaller synthesizer aptly named the Minimoog.

Pinch compared the invention to that of the saxophone by Adolphe Sax in 1846, or the electrification of the guitar by Les Paul in 1940. Pinch, who authored a book on Moog in 2002 titled “Analog Days,” said they are all of equal importance.

The Doors and The Byrds were customers of Moog Co., as was the group Emerson, Lake and Palmer; the late keyboardist and composer Keith Emerson, who died in March, often visited the Moog studio. The Beatles used the Moog synthesizer not just as background, but in the case of their Abbey Road album, featured it front and center in composition.

Moog Co. stalwart Jon Weiss was sent for a month from Trumansburg to London to teach Mick Jagger, of The Rolling Stones, how to play the synthesizer.

The jazz composer Sun Ra, who ranks among the earliest and perhaps most radical of the synthesizer players, was a frequent visitor to T-burg during those years. Some historians say it might be impossible to calculate just how many visits he made.

By 1969, there were 40 employees at Moog Co., a coterie of them women who were experts at sewing, especially quilting, as their hand dexterity was best suited for stuffing the circuit boards.

A friendly and generous man, by all accounts, Moog was introverted, defined himself as a “nerd” and preferred to be called Bob rather than Dr. Moog. He received a lot of national attention while living in our midst. There was an appearance on the "Today" show and the release of the most famous of the Moog albums, “Switched-On Bach.” Yet, the fiscal year of 1968-69 was the only year that was profitable for the company.

Life on Taughannock Park Road was also not what some families would consider normal. Moog-Koussa said her father, like any inventor, was obsessed and driven, not by money but by the work. It was a frenetic time, and family life suffered, according to Moog-Koussa’s memories.

“My brother was born in the driveway because we didn’t quite make it to the hospital in time,” she said.

Her mother was on the verge of leaving with the children, when her father finally decided to take a half-day off on Sundays to spend with them, Moog-Koussa said.

By 1970, when Moog Co. won the award for best small business in New York state, it was $250,000 in debt and Moog was headed for bankruptcy.  He sold the business to what would today be considered a venture capitalist to eliminate the indebtedness.

The new owner moved the business from Trumansburg to Williamsville, New York, near Buffalo.

As Pinch screened a photograph of the block of buildings where Moog Co. was once located, mention was made that the only business still in existence along that section of Main Street is Trumansburg Liquor. It drew a hearty laugh of approval from the audience. Someone in the back of the crowd said, “Yea, T-burg!”

'Coolest place on the planet'

At about 7 p.m. at the Rongo, Mitrani looked around the room and estimated that there must have been 150 people enjoying themselves. By this time, Pinch was playing his synthesizer, and although the bar was busy, most eyes were on him. Patrons were sipping on signature drinks like the “Suffering Bastard” and seemingly losing themselves in the music. There was what could only be considered a “vibe,” although not easily described.

Earlier in the day, during the few minutes he seemed to take to sit down, Pinch shared his reminiscences with this reporter.

“It was the same time period in which a new form of music was developing in the world, which made it all revolutionary," he said. “The Moog Synthesizer was being sold to The Beatles and The Rolling Stones,” Pinch said. “For a time, that made Trumansburg the coolest place on the planet.”

Sunday night at the Rongo, it seemed like Trumansburg was still pretty cool.

Ulysses Town Talk appears every other Tuesday. Contact David Wren at ulyssestowntalk@gmail.com

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