‘It’s for everybody:’ Violinist and author Brendan Slocumb on breaking the classical music mold

Diversity isn’t exactly classical music’s strong suit. The work of white, European composers has been center stage for for centuries. Today, people of color comprise a small  percentage of musicians in American orchestras, though that number appears to be growing. Black violinist and author Brendan Slocumb says representation plays a big role in this.“When I was a kid, had I seen someone who looked like me playing the violin, I would probably never put it down — ever, ever,” Slocumb said.Slocumb is a longtime music educator and when he goes into schools, students don’t believe he’s a violinist. He says he doesn’t fit the part for a few reasons. “If it's warm out, I usually have on a short-sleeved shirt and I've got tattoos. And, you know, I'm going to go ahead and say, I'm a, you know, muscular guy.” Then he picks up his violin and plays. “And they're just like, are you serious? You really do this?”Slocumb’s response is typically: “Yeah, it's for everybody. You don't have to live in a certain place or have a certain zip code or have a certain bank account.”His experiences as a young aspiring Black musician navigating the classical music world are central to his book “The Violin Conspiracy,” which is the selection for this year’s Fort Collins Reads. The citywide event brings residents together to read, discuss and celebrate one noteworthy book. He sat down to talk with host Erin O'Toole ahead of his talk in Fort Collins on Sunday, November 5.