A talk to put you in the moog . . .

Dec 10, 2004

An eminent scholar from Cornell University in the United States, Professor Trevor Pinch, presented a special talk at the University of Wollongong's Faculty of Arts today (Friday 10 December) focused on the early history of the electronic music synthesiser.

Professor Pinch is Professor of Sociology and Professor of Science and Technology Studies at Cornell University and his public talk was entitled , "In the Moog: The Early History of the Electronic Music Synthesiser".

The talk contrasted the paths taken by two maverick inventors, Bob Moog and Don Buchla, who independently came up with the designs for the first commercial synthesisers over the period 1964-1968. It showed how the psychedelic movement took up the synthesiser with groups like the Doors, Byrds and Beatles -- its use to play "switched on Bach"; and chart the synthesiser's impact on the advertising industry and movies.

Professor Pinch's talk used ideas drawn from Science and Technology Studies to try to explain the historical material and also argue for the extension of the ideas to the emerging field of "sound studies". The talk was accompanied by pieces of synthesiser music from the period.

Professor Pinch holds degrees in physics and sociology. He has published 13 books and numerous articles on aspects of the sociology of science and technology. His studies have included quantum physics, solar neutrinos, parapsychology, health economics, the bicycle, the car, and the electronic music synthesiser.

His most recent books are How Users Matter (edited with Nelly Oudshoorn, MIT Press, 2003) and Analog Days: The Invention and Impact of the Moog Synthesizer (with Frank Trocco, Harvard University Press, 2002). Analog Days was the winner of the 2003 silver award for popular culture “Book of the Year” of Foreword Magazine. He is currently completing a third volume in his series of “golem” books with Harry Collins: Dr Golem: How to Think About Medicine, to be published in 2004 with the University of Chicago Press.