“Practice is inevitable to improve skills, but what is necessary in order to make the practice “hard but fun.” Orchestra that always looks forward to strict advices and interprets them positively is the true form of citizen’s orchestra.”

• 

Activities of amateur orchestra are always side by side with crisis. Morishita’s activities were also a series of confrontations with various crises, and he was most concerned about falling into a mental crisis. With a determination that “human-beings cannot be unhurt in order to reach a higher level,” he aimed to achieve the higher level of orchestra and accomplish this on top of foundation of strong mentality.

Morishita continued to convey these messages in words at the beginning and end of rehearsals, and sometimes gave handouts to the young people. Following message that Morishita delivered to the orchestra members in the summer of 1988 tells the essential existence of Toyohashi Symphony Orchestra.

“Messages from the Music Director”
(1) Each one of you shall face yourselves and reconfirm your responsibilities and roles in the orchestra, as you do not fulfill the state of accomplishing your missions right now.
(2) You are all aware that you are causing inconvenience more or less to your fellow members due to your own level of playing techniques. I think it is inevitable that this happens, but it seems you are taking an advantage of this and you are not paying attention to musical studies; in addition, you are just wasting your time without any dreams and philosophy and contribution to Toyohashi Symphony Orchestra.
(3) Please ask yourselves again where Toyohashi Symphony Orchestra as a local culture activity lies in your life. Are you not wasting people’s efforts over making just memories of youth? Is it possible that you think of orchestra as a break from work and as a comforting tool?

“We sweat all summer; it was a summer where we fought ourselves.”

Toyohashi Symphony Orchestra was able to create unique sound because of such unwavering mentality and mutual trust.

• 

Bloch: “Schelomo” Hebraric Rhapsody
Kaoru Sugiura, Violoncello
Motoyasu Morishita, Conductor
Toyohashi Symphony Orchestra
35th Regular Concert
(October 14, 1984)

This performance is a true collaboration of a teacher and his student. The cellist Kaoru Sugiura switched from a gymnastics club to the reed orchestra club in the summer of his third year of junior high school and started to play the cello. He improved at an amazing speed, and Morishita devoted himself to teach him. One night, as they enjoyed noodles in the music room, they talked about their dreams. “When you become a full-fledged cellist, let’s perform Schelomo together in the future.”

The collaboration between the teacher and his student is a borne fruit of their dream after 20 years and the performance is fully supported by the fellow members of Toyohashi Symphony Orchestra.