Synopsis
A riveting tale about a Black classical musician whose family heirloom violin is stolen on the eve of the most prestigious classical music competition in the world.
Ray McMillian loves playing the violin more than anything, and nothing will stop him from pursuing his dream of becoming a professional musician. Not his mother, who thinks he should get a real job, not the fact that he can’t afford a high-caliber violin, not the racism inherent in the classical music world. And when he makes the startling discovery that his great-grandfather’s fiddle is actually a priceless Stradivarius, his star begins to rise. Then with the international Tchaikovsky Competition—the Olympics of classical music—fast approaching, his prized family heirloom is stolen. Ray is determined to get it back. But now his family and the descendants of the man who once enslaved Ray’s great-grandfather are each claiming that the violin belongs to them. With the odds stacked against him and the pressure mounting, will Ray ever see his beloved violin again?
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This book releases on February 1, 2022. Pre-order today!
Review
I grew up playing musical instruments in the band, so when this book came around and involved a mystery and music? I was sold!
The mystery portion is who stole his violin, a Stradivarius that was given to him by his grandmother because it was the fiddle that her grandfather played when he was a slave in the 1800s. However, no one knew how valuable it would become until Ray has it cleaned up and the store owner has an inkling and suggests an appraisal. Ray becomes quite famous because of this violin and the violin becomes part of him, almost like another appendage. I can’t blame him for not letting it out of his sight considering the worth of the item! I did figure out who stole the violin, or at least suspected this character because nothing else reasoned out. I do have to say that Ray made some unwise decisions but I understood the passion he felt for finding his violin. It was one of these decisions that led to the recovery of the violin, but you’ll have to read the book to find out how and why.
While there is a mystery, this book is more of a retelling of the author’s life. Black classical musicians aren’t common and he fought a lot of racism honing his craft and showing the world that the music he could create was on par with any other musician out there. My heart broke for him, and any other person that is faced with discrimination and racism while improving their life. I thought the way that the character (and possibly the author) handled overt racism from those he met was right on target. I loved how he drew in those kids that were like him, possibly playing on a school instrument that may not be the best but was all that was available. Talent will outshine whatever means are available and it just takes the right person to recognize it.
Ray’s family disgusted me. They didn’t seem to care about him at all and his mother saw him as another paycheck, one to obtain the items she wanted versus what was best for Ray. I couldn’t believe she wanted him to drop out of high school, get his GED, and then find a job to give her money. Thankfully, he doesn’t go that route after being noticed by a professor from a college and helping him further his dreams of being a musician. His family also was out for just the money especially when they found out how valuable the violin was and declared that it was theirs and not Ray’s even though their mother, Ray’s grandmother, gave it to him in front of everyone. No one seemed to care about it when they thought it was just a fiddle. Just goes to show how money brings out the worst in everyone.
While I love classical music and played musical instruments, none were string instruments so some of the terminologies were lost on me, but I could imagine Ray playing his violin in front of audiences and the emotions that the music evoked in him and those listening. The descriptions of some of the pieces brought back fond memories and I will definitely think differently next time I am listening to classical music.
This book is more than a mystery, it is one man’s life and the achievements that were possible because he had passion. We give it 5 paws up.
About the Author
Brendan Nicholaus Slocumb was born in Yuba City, California, and was raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a degree in music education, concentrations on Violin and Viola. While at UNCG, Brendan was the concertmaster for the University Symphony orchestra and served as the principal violist. He performed with numerous small chamber ensembles, including flute and clarinet choirs, and in the BESK string quartet.
For the past twenty-three years, he has been a public and private school music educator from kindergarten through twelfth grade, teaching general music, orchestra, and guitar ensembles. His students were often chosen for district and regional orchestras. In 2005, Brendan was named Teacher of the Year for Robert E. Lee High School; has been named to Who’s Who of American teachers, and is a Nobel Teacher of distinction. Brendan also serves as an educational consultant for the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Music has always played a major part of Brendan’s life. He believes that it’s a life-saving force, and a gift we should always offer our children. When he was nine, he started playing violin through a public school music program. It actually saved his life. Friends he grew up with are today sitting in jail; when they were out running the streets, he was in rehearsals. When they were breaking into people’s houses, he was practicing Dvorak and Mozart. His violin opened the door to opportunity, and he ran through it.
Through music, Brendan developed a work ethic that he now tries to instill in his students so that they too can experience the joys of what music can do for us all. Each student is unique. No two kids learn the same way. Not everyone will go on to become world-famous musicians, but everyone can learn to appreciate and love music, and to find new ways of communicating. Meeting each student where he or she is, and taking them farther than they thought possible, is what Brendan has always strived to do.
As a musician, Brendan has performed on violin with the Washington Metropolitan Symphony, the McLean Symphony, the Prince George’s Philharmonic, and the Alexandria Symphony. He currently serves as the concertmaster for the NOVA-Annandale Symphony Orchestra. Brendan has been a frequent adjudicator and guest conductor for several district and regional orchestras throughout North Carolina and Virginia. He also performs chamber music with members of the Annandale symphony. He maintains a private music studio teaching lessons to students on violin, guitar, and piano.
He is the founder of the nonprofit organization, Hands Across the Sea, based in the Philippines. After touring the Philippines with the Northern Virginia Chamber Ensemble and witnessing firsthand the conditions that many of the young music students and their families endure, Brendan founded the Hands Across the Sea to offer support to the Berea School of the Arts in Manila, by providing instruments, lessons, and monetary support. The organization also supplements school supplies and dental and medical assistance.
In his spare time, Brendan enjoys writing, exercising, collecting comic books and action figures, and performing with his rock band, Geppetto’s Wüd.
