Music

Black Violin Breaking Stereotypes One Note at a Time

WASHINGTON INFORMER — The classically trained viola/violin duo of Wil B. and Kev Marcus return to the DMV, inviting us to take a ride with them on a musical journey that will include a modern blend of classical, hip-hop, rock and R&B sounds. They’ll perform with the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestra at the Strathmore, April 9 and 10.

Published

5 years ago

April 7, 2019

D. Kevin McNeir Senior Editor

By D. Kevin McNeir

The classically trained viola/violin duo of Wil B. and Kev Marcus return to the DMV, inviting us to take a ride with them on a musical journey that will include a modern blend of classical, hip-hop, rock and R&B sounds. They’ll perform with the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestra at the Strathmore, April 9 and 10.

The celebrated musicians tour the world with over 200 shows a year, collaborating with such superstars as Wu-Tang Clan, Wyclef Jean, Alicia Keys, P. Diddy, Kanye West, 50 Cent, Tom Petty, Aerosmith, Aretha Franklin and The Eagles.

But with the duo connecting with and performing for over 100,000 students each year, it’s obvious that the Florida natives hold education outreach with youth as one of their primary and ongoing goals.

Kev Marcus spoke more about what’s new with Black Violin.

Washington Informer: As two Black men who play violin, I’m sure you and Wil B. have been teased and ribbed a lot. How do you address stereotypes that keep others from going after their dream?

Kev Marcus: We never really set ourselves up to defeat stereotypes. But we believe that when you’re told that you’re too young, or you’re a girl, things like that, we say run toward it — don’t run away from it.

Two Black dudes playing violin — that’s our stereotype that we’re fighting. There will always be other kinds of stereotypes that will need to be broken and we want to shed light on that. Sometimes, breaking those stereotypes is something worth going after because no one else has done so before. For us, Black and classically trained, we through the hip-hop element in too — not so much, however, that our classical roots come in question.

Washington Informer: In your visits to youth across the U.S., what changes are you seeing in arts education?

Kev Marcus: STEAM education in Montgomery County is on a far higher level than in many other parts of the nation. Arts are so important. But ironically, even at the schools where Wil and I received our formative training back in Florida, while they provide classical training, they no longer offer a violin program. They’re still performing arts schools and have band and choir but offer less in terms of classical music training. We just hope our work will help inspire youth — we want to do all we can to push artistic people. And it doesn’t have to be on the violin or even in music. We want youth to have alternatives — options other than mathematics, English or sports. It’s so important to give young people as many opportunities as possible to find themselves. Not everyone is a good reader, an A student. Some have other talents that don’t get enough encouragement. We’ve been involved with talent competitions and performances and have seen some amazingly talented young people.

Washington Informer: What’s on your wish list — your bucket list?

Kev Marcus: I would love to work with Stevie Wonder. The true bucket list guy. Also, we’ve never played Carnegie Hall — not yet … but one day! It’s funny, I was in a barber shop the other day talking to a woman and she asked me about being nervous when I perform. I don’t get nervous anymore. After we were invited to perform for President Obama’s inauguration, I felt like we’d been to the mountain top. Nothing else since then has compared. What an honor and an experience.

Washington Informer: With your feet in both the classical world and the hip-hop world, where have you been earnestly embraced?

Kev Marcus: When we came along, no one was doing what we wanted to do. We wanted to blend the genres without disrespecting either side. But no question, the biggest pushback comes from the classical side today. Some orchestras we play with, they’d put earplug in their ears. Some will say the pop stuff is beneath them. That’s unfortunate. But it hasn’t stopped us. But with the hip-hop world, they always give us much love. We try to prove them wrong but some things and some people never change.

Black Violin will release a yet untitled CD later this year — three of those songs will be performed during their shows next week. On Tuesday, April 2, the duo returned to the Apollo where they got their big break — winning three of their appearances during the 2004-2005 season and then returning to be crowned as the season winner.

For more about them, visit blackviolin.net.

This article originally appeared the Washington Informer.

D. Kevin McNeir Senior Editor

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Arts and Culture

Kedrick Armstrong: New Music Director for the Oakland Symphony

The Oakland Symphony Announced Kedrick Armstrong as its Next Music Director. In addition to conducting the orchestra’s public concerts, Armstrong will also actively participate in the Oakland Symphony’s many education and community engagement programs, designed to inspire a love of music in people of all ages.

Published

2 weeks ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

Kedrick Armstrong is the new music director for the Oakland Symphony. Photo credit Scott Chernis.

By Post Staff

The Oakland Symphony Announced Kedrick Armstrong as its Next Music Director.
In addition to conducting the orchestra’s public concerts, Armstrong will also actively participate in the Oakland Symphony’s many education and community engagement programs, designed to inspire a love of music in people of all ages.

Armstrong is the successor to previous music director and Conductor Michael Morgan, who passed away in 2021 after a 30-year tenure at the Symphony.

Armstrong will open the Oakland Symphony 2024-2025 season on October 18.

Armstrong, who is 29 and hails from Georgetown, South Carolina, is currently the creative partner and principal conductor of the Knox-Galesburg Symphony.

The Chicago Tribune has praised Armstrong for his ability to “simply let the score speak for itself.” He enjoys a wide range of repertoire, spanning early music to premiering new works, using his joy and curiosity for all music to cultivate understanding and collaboration within diverse communities.
“I am deeply honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve as the new music director of the Oakland Symphony,” Armstrong said. “As a Black conductor, I find it humbling to stand on the shoulders of both Michael Morgan and Calvin Simmons,” the most recent and the first African American music directors of the Symphony, respectively.

Armstrong led three programs at the Symphony between 2022 and early 2024, which showcased his broad knowledge of the classical repertoire and enthusiasm for spotlighting diverse voices.
On his Oakland Symphony subscription debut on Feb. 16, Armstrong led the world premiere of “Here I Stand: Paul Robeson,” an oratorio by Carlos Simon on a libretto by Dan Harder, commissioned by the Oakland Symphony.

Armstrong was selected unanimously by the Oakland Symphony’s board of directors and musicians after an extensive two-year search. “The search committee was overwhelmed by Kedrick’s scholarship and curiosity about all kinds of music, from classical and jazz to gospel and hip-hop,” said. Dr. Mieko Hatano, executive director of the Oakland Symphony. “We are thrilled to have him join us at the Oakland Symphony.”

Oakland Post

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Arts and Culture

Faces Around the Bay Dr. Carl Blake, Pianist

Born in Liberty, Missouri, Carl Blake, a virtuoso and respected pianist, made his most recent migration to the East Bay in 1999. One might have seen him performing recently at Noontime Concerts in San Francisco, or at the Piedmont Center for the Arts in Oakland. He is Director of Music at The Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples in San Francisco. He was also co-organizer and collaborative pianist at Herbst Theater for The Majesty of the Spirituals concert in 2022 and has held several church positions in the Bay Area.

Published

2 weeks ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Dr. Carl Blake

By Barbara Fluhrer

Born in Liberty, Missouri, Carl Blake, a virtuoso and respected pianist, made his most recent migration to the East Bay in 1999.

One might have seen him performing recently at Noontime Concerts in San Francisco, or at the Piedmont Center for the Arts in Oakland. He is Director of Music at The Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples in San Francisco. He was also co-organizer and collaborative pianist at Herbst Theater for The Majesty of the Spirituals concert in 2022 and has held several church positions in the Bay Area.

Blake obtained a Bachelor of Music from Boston University and continued post-baccalaureate studies in Jamaica before earning a Master of Arts in Music at San Jose State University. He was the recipient of two Fulbright residencies in Honduras and completed a third residency at the University of St. Petersburg in Russia. He has a Doctor of Musical Arts from Cornell University.

At age 19, Blake, then an undergraduate piano major at Boston University, was “discovered” by Impresario Dr. W. Hazaiah Williams, who is the Founder and Director of Today’s Artists/Four Seasons Arts.

Williams honored Blake by awarding him the first Marian Anderson Young Artist Award. Anderson personally presented the award at the Masonic Auditorium in S.F. Subsequently, Blake was presented by Dr. Williams in his San Francisco debut at The Herbst Theatre. Williams subsidized a year of study abroad for Blake at the Paris Conservatory of Music. Additionally, Williams sponsored Blake’s New York Weill Hall debut, where he has performed twice since. Blake performed several times at the Yachats Music Festival in Oregon.

Blake continues to perform nationally and abroad. His hobbies are reading, baking and travel. He says, “I’m still pumping ivories, as Belgian pianist Jeanne Stark described the disciplined practice of concert piano.”

Oakland Post

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Arts and Culture

Oakland Jazz Great Offers Master Class as City Declares “John Handy Day”

World-renowned jazz master saxophonist John Handy, a McClymond’s High School graduate, was presented with a Mayor of Oakland Proclamation declaring Feb. 12, as John Handy Day in the city. Handy is most notably known as the featured saxophonist for Charles Mingus on “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” from the album “Mingus Ah Um” (1959) and on “Hard Work” from his own album “Hard Work” (1976).

Published

2 months ago

February 24, 2024

Oakland Post

(L-R) Del Handy, John Handy, Roger Glenn, and Joe Warner celebrate John Handy Day at Geoffrey’s Inner Circle, Oakland. Photo by Lady Bianca.

By Conway Jones

World-renowned jazz master saxophonist John Handy, a McClymond’s High School graduate, was presented with a Mayor of Oakland Proclamation declaring Feb. 12, as John Handy Day in the city.

Handy is most notably known as the featured saxophonist for Charles Mingus on “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” from the album “Mingus Ah Um” (1959) and on “Hard Work” from his own album “Hard Work” (1976).

“John Handy is a jazz icon and an inspiration to musicians everywhere,” said Ayo Brame, a 16-year-old Oakland tenor saxophone player who is enrolled at the Oakland School for the Arts.

In celebration of this day, the reception in downtown Oakland at Geoffrey’s Inner Circle was a gathering of artists, young and old, coming together in his honor and celebrating his 91st birthday.

Handy presented a Saxophone Colossus free masterclass for musicians. This class afforded a rare opportunity to learn about the saxophone from an aficionado. The class was free and open to all – saxophonists, vocalists, aficionados, students, and casual listeners.

“As a longtime friend for over 60 years, and fellow musician who has had numerous opportunities to share the stage with John, it has always been a pleasure performing with him and hearing his creative interpretations of the music and his gift of ease inspiring the next generation of jazz musicians,” said Roger Glenn, a multi-instrumentalist.