Itzhak Perlman lets Mister Rogers look carefully at his violin. Mister Rogers asks him to play “Yankee Doodle.” Perlman tells how difficult it is to even produce a sound on the violin when you first start playing. When Mister Rogers asks if he ever uses the violin to express particular emotions, Perlman says that musicians are always expressing their feelings through what they play. So, Mister Rogers wants to hear what Perlman loves to play.
This television visit was possible because Perlman was in town to play with the Pittsburgh Symphony. Perlman must have been impressed with Fred because he returned to Pittsburgh ten years later to play at his memorial service in 2003.
Fred Rogers composed all of the music for Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. He studied music composition at Rollins College and continued to write for the rest of his life. For Fred, the piano represented more than work; it was therapy and a means for him to play and explore.
Wynton Marsalis is just as excited to meet Mister Rogers as Fred is to hear his music. Marsalis is a young musician who has already achieved fame. Mister Rogers asks Marsalis for advice for young children who want to learn to play the trumpet.
The Fred Rogers Institute Archivist is available for requests and inquiries from students and researchers.
