John D. Kendall, Early Suzuki Method Advocate, Dies at 93

(link to New York Time obituary, excerpted above)

John Kendall was the major professor of violin and advisor of Ruth Ray Mock from 1955-1959 during her undergraduate studies at Muskingum College , New Concord, Ohio (now Muskingum University). After returning from his trip to Japan, he patiently taught his students the Suzuki approach and also published his own version of the Suzuki Method.

With his wife and young children, Dr. Kendall's college students played chamber music at their home on Sunday afternoons. The Mock Family Classic Guitar Method Vol. 1, age 3-adult (1972) was influenced by these chamber music sessions and the Suzuki approach to teaching. John Kendall was one of the greatest influences in the musical career of Ruth Mock who went on to teach countless students - including her own three children - using the Mock Method.

- Ruth Mock, Jan. 24, 2011

Note from Composer Reed Maxson

THE MOCK FAMILY
Notes on Letters and Memories
Reed Maxson

I have been reviewing nearly 35 years of correspondence with Jerry, Ruth and Julian Mock, consisting of approximately 120 letters, not counting post cards and email. The now adult children were ages 5, 7, and 9 at the beginning of this correspondence in 1975. During an era of failed marriages, broken and scattered families, I have had the opportunity to watch a family grow and develop, a somewhat rare and unique opportunity, with a unique family.

I met the Mocks through a mutual acquaintance, Patrick Read, who told me about a small, family owned press which published Creative Guitar International. Patrick was active in the classical guitar circles of Southern California, knew of some of my work and suggested that I contact the publisher, Mockingbird Press, which I did without expectations. I was pleasantly surprised by the cordial responses I received from both Ruth and Jerry Mock. Our initial correspondences were rather formal and business oriented, but continued to evolve into friendly exchanges of ideas and information including musical resources, teaching methods and styles, composing and arranging. Our communications continued expanding into areas such as energy efficient housing, the citrus industries of Texas and California, wood stoves and fireplaces, food, and family. We became friends through our letters. After many years, when members of the Mock family first visited my family in Davis, California, this first meeting had the quality of a joyful family reunion.

Beyond the technical demands of music composition, perhaps more difficult is finding or creating performance opportunities. The situation was perhaps even more difficult within the classical guitar world when Pat Read informed me of the Mockingbird Press due to the generally conservative preferences of the classical guitar community. But the Mocks threw caution to the wind when they invited me to compose a piece for them, not knowing what I might throw at them. I greatly appreciated (and appreciate) having been given the opportunity to invent something for them, having their trust extended to me, and their willingness to take a chance.

And chances they certainly were willing to take, far beyond suggesting that I compose for them. In addition to venturing into the publishing business, the family traveled extensively, performing in a wide array of venues. There are inherent inconveniences, difficulties and logistics in traveling. Included in the Mock's logistics were three young children, five guitars, sheet music and stands, as well as a limited budget and no outside support such as booking agents. Ruth and Jerry enthusiastically assumed all the necessary tasks with no discernible apprehensions, and did so with such ease that the children apparently thought that they simply did what “normal” people did. But they were not the normal, average American family in pursuit of an ephemeral security. They traveled, shared their inspiration and joy of music, and managed to carry their security with them along with the rest of their gear. The “gear” that they carried, beyond the physical equipment, was a clear sense of what makes sense in life.

Jesse James

A few months ago, Julian sent me an mp3 of us kids singing the folk song "Jesse James" in 1979. Nelson sings lead, and Julian and I back him up on vocals. That's me on the requinto (small, tuned up to play an octave higher) guitar, and I think Julian's also on guitar, but it's hard to hear on this recording. I think our parents may have also been playing, but I'm not sure about that.

Anyway, here's the link to a Soundcloud file. Makes me smile, and the kids love it.
http://soundcloud.com/lacalandria/mockssingingjessejames

-Melody

The Mock Trio Premiers in Marfa, Texas

I had just arrived home from an eight week tour, having checked out my 50th college reunion, and places the Mock Family Classic Guitarists had performed in the 1970s as a guitar quintet. About two weeks later, Alyce and Julian informed me that we were scheduled to perform trios at the home of Sandra Harper on Sunday, Aug 9 at 7:00 p.m.

In January of 2009, we had begun thinking about my late husband's unpublished memoirs of The Mock Family. It occurred to us that we should play the music we had performed in the 1970s in this country and in Europe. Much of the music for The Guitar Choir can be played as trios without the higher tuned guitars. We decided to give it a try based on the family members and instrumentation we had at hand: grandma (me) violin, Alyce Santoro flute, and Julian Mock guitar.

As we rehearsed, I was amazed by the difficulty in the ever changing rhythms and modern dissonances. I asked Julian if he thought the music was difficult at the age of six. He replied,"I just did as I was told."

During the concert, there was a display of the 1970s publications: our magazine, Creative Guitar International; The Mock Method Classic Guitar Method (Vol. 1. Age 3-adult;) and photos of Melody, Nelson and Julian performing with their parents, Ruth and Jerry Mock.

For this concert, we chose samples of the music most exciting to us:

Chamber Music Concert at the Home of Sandra Harper Sunday, Aug. 9, 2009 7:00 p.m. Marfa, Texas

Alyce Santoro, flute Ruth Mock, violin Julian Mock, guitar

1. Vorfreude (Anticipated Joy) 1978 Uwe Schreiber b.1946
from "Musik für drei Gitarren Hefi II "
Herausgegeben (editor) von Renate Grosse

2. Serenata Piccola 1962 Dietrich Erdmann 1917-2009
I Etwas bewegt (somewhat fast)
II Bewegt

3. Divertimento 1958 Hans Gál 1890-1987
Opus 68 für zwei Alt-Blockfloten (treble recorder) und Gitarrre
I Allegro
II Andante

4. Fünf Bagatellen 1968 Hermann Ambrosius 1897-1983
I Allegro
II Andante tenero
III Vivace scherzando
IV Andante tranquillo
V Vivace con fueco

5. Landler Franz Schubert 1797-1828
from Musik Der Wiener Klassik für drei Gitarren
arr: Konrad Wolki

6. Münchener Gitarrentrio 1969 Alfred von Beckerath 1901-1978
I Maßig (moderato)

Julian Mock, Original Compositions for Solo Classic Guitar:

Bucky’s Dream
Reynosa
Untitled in D Major*
War and Peace Report*
Phoenix*
3’s & 2’s*
Steps (from "Sound Travels" - encore)
* working titles

Grandma Gets into the Swing of Things

While visiting my son Nelson in Austin this summer, he and Ann, my daughter-in-law, asked if I would be willing to provide a "music camp" for my grandchildren, Sofia, age 11 and Jeremy, age 8. Sofia plays Nelson's Tercerola guitar made for him in Mexico City in 1974 by Juan Pimental. Jeremy plays Nelson's quarter size cello.

From beginning Guitar Choir Music we had purchased in Germany in the 1970s, I made an arrangement of "Behutsames Tanzchen" (careful dances) from Spielstucke fur drei Gitarren by Konrad Wolki, (Schott edition 1962.) Ann played Nelson's full-sized cello with Jeremy. Sofia and her Dad played guitar, and I played violin. The three generations then drove to Corpus Christi and "performed" for Ann's parents, George and Ruby Baddour.

Needless to say, it was the highlight of my summer.

early inspiration

jerry mock first started to play guitar at the age of 38. according to his notes, recordings of the brazilian jazz/classical guitarist laurindo almeida are what first inspired him to pick up the instrument.

Beginning the Mock Method Blog

This blog has been started to chronicle our process and thoughts as we begin a new journey -- that of organizing and writing our memories of our family's adventures and accomplishments.

The Mock Family Guitarists were a group of musicians who traveled and performed across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and various European countries in the 1970s. Father Jerry, mother Ruth, and their three children, Julian, Nelson, and Melody played music and made a life together in ways that were quite unconventional.

Jerry and Ruth had spent a lot of time several years ago putting their memories into a book together. After Jerry passed away in December of 2008, Ruth began organizing the family archives -- an extensive collection of letters, music, recordings, articles, books, and magazines pertaining to the family's adventures as well as the other projects on which they embarked. Creative Guitar International was a magazine that they printed and published; The Mock Family Classic Guitar Method was an instructional book written for ages three to adult. The magazine and the book were an integral part of their history and played a big part of how they began performing music with three young children.

There had always been talk of revisiting "The Chronicle." Now the time seems right to get back into it --a project that the whole family is looking forward to working on together.

- Melody Mock