Happy Black History Month. Before February ends, I wanted to share with you some Black History in the making that I got to witness. 

This weekend, I had the opportunity to see a concert for a band I knew very little about, Black Violin. This duo from Florida met in their orchestra class in high school, and have been performing together for 20 years. They mix classical violin, hip hop, and lots of styles of pop/folk/r&b music to create something completely unique. But I was drawn to them because of one song: Drama. 

Somehow the algorithm kept pushing this song on me, and the driving rhythm of the violin and viola singing to each other over a heavy bass track was irresistible. I was hearing it in my dreams. So, since they were playing right down the street from me, at a new venue in Nashua, NH, I had to go. (for those nearby, The Nashua Center for the Arts was a fantastic place to see a show. It was incredibly accessible, easy to navigate, and even though the venue was full, it never felt overcrowded.)

You may have heard of Black Violin.. or not yet. They have won the Showtime at the Apollo Talent competition, written the theme song to the Fox TV series Pitch, been nominated for a Grammy, and opened concerts for Alicia Keys. They also perform over 100 shows a year, many at schools where they support music education. 

What made the concert great: 

It used curiosity to educate. Through the show, I found myself hearing songs I knew (Bach, Vivaldi, and also..was that Missy Elliot, Wu-Tang and Corey Hart?)  mixed in new ways. The band included Kev Marcus and Wil B on the violin and viola, but also DJ SPS, Drummer Nate Stokes, and keyboardist LG (Liston Gregory). The way they came together and created new sounds using pieces of things their audience was already familiar with was like an endless puzzle. After playing a rendition of a Bach song, Kev Marcus said “this was written 300 years ago, and we’re still dancing to it today.” 

What Kev Marcus said in several different ways during the show was that their success came from “finding what you love, making it your own, and giving it to the world.” 

The music meets people where they are. This group doesn’t ignore the stereotypes they face. Instead, they write songs about them. Their song Stereoptypes ends with Kev Marcus (aka Kevin Sylvester) explaining the stereotype that he finds himself up against most frequently: “My number one stereotype is just because I’m 6’2”, 260 pounds, doesn’t mean you’re supposed to be afraid of me…They are threatened by my presence, without even knowing who I am…The reason I smile onstage is because I know I’m completely crushing people’s perceptions of not only what a violin can do or what music can possibly sound like, but what a Black man is capable of.”

And it is true, he has the biggest smile the whole time he is playing – I could not help smiling back, his joy was so contagious. 

Most importantly, the show let people in on the joy these two best friends feel, getting to do their favorite thing on stage. As the concert wound down, Wil B (aka Wilner Baptiste) looked out at the audience and said, “Now, let’s dance.” He and Kev played a medley of pop and hip hop songs that the audience immediately responded to, and by the end of the show, everyone was up, dancing, waving arms, and feeling like they were onstage, too. 

At the end of the show, drummer Nat Stokes gifted his sticks to one of the young people waiting to say hi to the band, and then jumped down off the stage to take selfies with anyone who wanted. It was a gift of his time to the audience members who have dreams of playing music one day themselves. I absolutely loved the feeling of community that he created by just sharing a little of his time, and acknowledging the love that the audience members were showing. 

The whole show was a celebration of culture, community, and music, and I relished being swept away in it for a few hours.

I hope that this year, you find an opportunity to celebrate Black History, Black Present, and Black Joy yourself. This concert was absolutely incredible, and I have a new appreciation for what music can be because of this group. 

The existence of this band is argument enough for music education in schools. If you’d like to support more music education, you can learn more about the Black Violin Foundation here.