Herbert A. Deutsch (born February, 1933) is an American composer, inventer, and educator. Currently professor emeritus of electronic music and composition at Hofstra University, he is best known for co-inventing the Moog Synthesizer with Bob Moog in the 1960s.
Early life
editHerbert A. Deutsch was born 1933 in Baldwin, NY. At the age of four, Herb first realized he had a musical gift. Through his childhood, he studied music and began composing at a young age.
Education
editHerb attended Manhattan School of Music, earning his BA and MA there.
Work with Moog
editHerb had assembled a theremin based on Bob Moog’s design in 1962, and in 1963 he introduced himself to Moog at a music-education conference in Rochester, NY. The two became friends, and in 1964, Moog and Deutsch met for dinner in Greenwich Village with their wives to discuss the possibilities of a new instrument to aid composers.[1]
Deutsch on his involvement, in the New York Times: “He was the electrical engineer; I was the musician,” Mr. Deutsch recalled. “I’d say, ‘Can we do this?’ And he’d say, ‘Sure.’ ” Within weeks, Mr. Deutsch said, “we had what we knew was going to become the prototype.” Trevor Pinch, a Moog biographer, has credited Deutsch with the keyboard interface of the Moog.[2]
Herb composed the first piece ever for the Moog, and performed early Moog concerts at Town Hall and The Museum of Modern Art in New York.[3]
Career
editHerb Deutsch is a dedicated educator. He has taught at Hofstra University for over 40 years, and was twice the chair of the music department. Deutsch co-founded the Long Island Composer’s Alliance, and works with music foundation NYSSMA. In 1994 he proposed its Electronic Music Composition Showcase.[4]