The film and tape were impressive. Huge numbers of Japanese children were playing from memory violin music ranging up to the level of the Vivaldi and Bach double concertos. Aside from the sheer weight of numbers and the appeal of cute tots performing seriously, the outstanding features for the string specialist were these: (1) There was not a poor left hand position or bow arm visible in the entire group. (2) Intonation was good and pleasing tone was modulated expressively. In short, this was not just mass playing of 1200 children from 5 to 13 years of age-it was good violin playing! I arranged for Mr. Mochizuki to show his film and speak to my classes and to appear before the Ohio String Teachers Association meeting in Oberlin in May of 1958. These appearances aroused considerable interest in the Japanese string movement; the film has since been shown at Interlochen, Los Angeles, New York, Toronto and other places. One Ohio string teacher, John Kendall of Muskingum College, saw the film in Oberlin and became so interested that he went to Japan in the summer of 1959 to investigate the teaching that produced such remarkable results.
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Feb 1, 1965
Gerald H Doty 