Walter Sear
1930 – April 29, 2010
Walter Sear was a composer, musician, and inventor who is perhaps most celebrated as a pioneer of the music synthesizer. He began his career in music as a classical tuba player and eventually launched a successful business where he imported and sold tubas from a shop in New York City. During the early ’60s, he partnered with synthesizer inventor, Robert Moog to help him perfect and market the first commercial synthesizers. Sear went on to make synth recordings for motion pictures such as Midnight Cowboy. He also ran his Sear Sound recording studio in New York City for many years. Over the decades, artists like the Beatles, Paul McCartney, Sonic Youth, Steely Dan and Wynton Marsalis called upon Sear to outfit them with vintage synthesizers. Walter Sear was 79 when he passed away on April 29, 2010.
For another good sampling of his synth work, check out the score for 1971’s “Let’s Scare Jessica to Death.”