[2] From 1935 to 1937, newspapers in Oregon reported her recital appearances locally and in Portland, and her status as concertmistress of the Medford Junior Symphony, with whom she was featured several times as soloist.

[5] In October 1938, Van Dyke and her parents moved to Burlingame, California so she could study under Naoum Blinder, the concert maestro of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle's SFGate website: "After the tour, Life magazine ran a story not on the orchestra itself, but on 'the prettiest first violinist now in the symphony big time.

[11] Van Dyke's films included Shadow on the Wall (1950),[12] A Date with Judy (1948), In the Good Old Summertime (1949), and Death in a Doll House.

[16] After her debut in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, an item in Billboard said, in part, "She has looks along with more than considerable acting ability, and, while her voice is small, it has splendid quality.

The May 5, 1947, issue contained an article titled "Pretty First Violinist: Young Marcia Van Dyke is a musical ornament in San Francisco Symphony's string section".

Still, no one could possibly consider her a failure; after all, countless young actresses yearn to act in the movies, or on television, and never get a chance to step in front of a camera.

[20]In the 1970s, Van Dyke returned to the violin, playing as a session musician for a variety of artists, including Carole King, Cleo Laine, George Duke, The Gap Band, and Earth, Wind & Fire.