Leon Theremin was amazed with Clara's musicianship and technical ability. He saw in her the opportunity to take the theremin to its fullest potential as a veritable instrument, no different than other credible, traditional instrument. Her technical ability was phenomenal but the element of Clara's musicianship that gave her the edge over other potential thereminists was her absolute pitch. Sense of pitch is integral to playing an instrument that has no fingerboard or other frame of reference for the player.

Before meeting Ms. Rockmore Theremin had been working in his studio experimenting with new electronic instruments and discovering improved techniques and approaches to playing the theremin with the several students who had joined his studio group. However, as Leon Theremin may have been the single most important element in the development of electronic music, Clara Rockmore may have represented the most important element in developing a technique for producing the most beautiful sounds the theremin had to offer. It was obvious that Theremin knew this for he carefully wooed her into his circle with his handsome appearance, his cool blue eyes and the genius that was Theremin. For her eighteenth birthday Theremin invited Clara to the Plaza Hotel where he had arranged to have a cake for her. As was characteristic of Theremin, it was no ordinary cake. As Clara approached it, it suddenly turned, made sound and the candle would light. Clara was delighted and obviously won over by Theremin's generosity, sensitivity, genius and sense of romance.