Pianos
Johnny Costa provided the piano music for Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. He was the music director until his death in 1996. He and Fred were great friends and bonded over their music practice.
Mister Rogers Visits with Yo-Yo Ma
Overview
In this segment, Ma explains how he was introduced to music through his sister, a violinist. He was discouraged that he could not play as well as her, but he soon discovered the cello. Mister Rogers asks him if his mood influences the way he plays. Ma demonstrates how playing the cello in certain ways can relieve tension. Mister Rogers is also interested in the cello itself, so Ma describes the instrument and where it was made.
Fred Rogers and Yo-Yo Ma became friends after filming this segment for Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Ma went on to appear two more times on the program and, in 2014, received the Fred Rogers Legacy Award from the Fred Rogers Center.
Date
1985
Type
Video
Source
Fred Rogers Productions
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Video
Mister Rogers Visits with Itzhak Perlman
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.
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