ARP Foundation Builds on a Century of Innovation with Education
Foundation Brings Alan R. Pearlman's Legacy to EMIXX WEST and DAFx26 as Back-to-School Fundraiser Supports the Next Generation of Electronic Music Innovators
September 17, 2026 — Following a landmark Centennial year celebrating the life, inventions, and enduring influence of synthesizer pioneer Alan R. Pearlman, the ARP Foundation is turning its focus toward the future with a busy fall of education, community engagement, and archival preservation.
The Foundation recently launched its 2026 Back-to-School Fundraiser, running through October 13, with a goal of raising $17,500 to preserve an important piece of ARP history while expanding hands-on access to vintage ARP instruments through its ARPs for All educational initiative.
Back-to-School Fundraiser: Preserving the Past by Putting It to Work
Running through October 13, 2026, the Foundation's Back-to-School Fundraiser seeks to raise $17,500 toward two interconnected goals.
Preserve the Legacy — $7,500
Among the most urgent preservation projects is procuring photographs taken in the 1970s by photographer Barbara Alper for the archive. The images include never-before-seen photographs of Alan R. Pearlman designing, testing, and playing instruments, as well as candid images with key ARP figures Phil Dods and David Friend.
The photographs have not been touched in 49 years. Before they can become part of the Foundation's accessible archive, each image must be carefully cleaned, professionally scanned, indexed, and individually licensed.
Preserving the collection will give researchers, musicians and the public a rare visual record of ARP Instruments at work, not simply its finished synthesizers, but the people, experimentation and creative process behind them.
Expand ARPs for All — $10,000
Funds will help expand the Foundation's educational work, bringing vintage ARP synthesizers into classrooms, museums, libraries and community spaces; supporting workshops and residency opportunities; repairing and maintaining historic instruments so they remain playable; developing accessibility upgrades; and adding another vintage instrument to the collection.
The initiative carries forward something deeper than the instruments themselves: Alan R. Pearlman's legacy of mentorship, curiosity and sharing knowledge with the next generation. “The Centennial gave us an extraordinary opportunity to look back at everything Alan created and the countless musicians, engineers and artists his work continues to inspire,” said Dina Pearlman-Ifil. “But preserving that legacy can't only be about looking backward. It has to mean giving people opportunities to touch these instruments, learn from them, experiment with them and discover what they might create next. That's what we're asking our community to help us do.”
Donors can also receive rewards contributed by members of the electronic music community, including one-on-one tutorials, educational courses, music software, books, apparel, collectibles and other items, with additional rewards available at increasing contribution levels.
ARP Foundation Connects with the Synth Community
The campaign has been supported by two significant recent appearances for the Foundation and Executive Director Dina Pearlman-Ifil, bringing the ARP story directly to today's electronic music, technology and education communities.
The Foundation joined synthesizer designers, musicians, educators and enthusiasts at EMIXX WEST, held August 28–30 in Denver, Colorado. The inaugural electronic music instrument expo brought together builders, artists and sonic explorers for gear demonstrations, workshops, performances and community programming.
On September 3, Pearlman-Ifil delivered a keynote address at the 29th International Conference on Digital Audio Effects (DAFx26) at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Her presentation, “The Colors We Feel, the Shapes We Hear, the Sounds We See: Lessons from ARP Instruments and how the company helped electronic music create a new Experiential Lexicon,” explored the evolution of electronic music as a multisensory experience and the role that ARP Instruments' distinctive approach to human-centered design, visual communication and instrument interfaces played in shaping the language musicians still use today.
Drawing on ARP's history as well as her own experience growing up around the company, Pearlman-Ifil examined how technology that was once dismissed as “synthetic” ultimately helped expand the possibilities of human creative expression.
Dina Pearlman-Ifil Joins Pro Synth Network to Support the Campaign
On Friday, September 18, Pearlman-Ifil will join Pro Synth Network to discuss the Back-to-School Fundraiser and the Foundation's broader preservation and education initiatives, including the newly discovered photo archive, ARPs for All, workshops and residency opportunities, and the ongoing work required to keep vintage ARP instruments restored, playable and accessible to new generations.
Watch the Pro Synth Network conversation live.
Support the Alan R. Pearlman Foundation's 2026 Back-to-School Fundraiser:
https://arpchives.org/arp-late-summer-2026-fundraiser/
For more information on the ARP Foundation, please visit: https://alanrpearlmanfoundation.org/
About Alan R. Pearlman Foundation
The Alan R. Pearlman Foundation is dedicated to preserving and advancing the legacy of Alan R. Pearlman, founder of ARP Instruments and a pioneer in electronic music technology. Through educational initiatives, artist collaborations, archival preservation, and public programming, the Foundation seeks to inspire future generations of musicians, engineers, and creators. By celebrating innovation and fostering community, the ARP Foundation continues Pearlman’s mission of expanding the boundaries of sound and musical expression.
