“The duo says the violin is a tool for a larger message: don't be afraid to be different”
Last quarter, I had the opportunity to watch the amazing violin duo, Black Violin, perform at Campbell Hall. I remember hearing our supervisor telling us before the show that there would be a lot of strong lights, strobes, and really loud music. I was surprised because I thought that they were a classical music duo and from my experience, classical music usually does not put the audience members at risk for seizures.
Around an hour after our usher team meeting, the lights went dim and the music started. Melodies by Cardi B, Drake, and Kanye West started to play and before I knew it, the audience was on their feet and dancing to the music and singing along. Black Violin aims to break stereotypes and invites different types of people to enjoy the wonders of classical music and, they have truly been innovators of the classical music genre.
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Earlier that day, prior to the performance at Campbell Hall, the violin duo performed for hundreds of elementary schoolers at the Granada Theatre in downtown Santa Barbara. Middle schools from around the Santa Barbara area came together and with the help of their teachers and some staff from Arts & Lectures, the children were able to experience seeing live music on a theatre stage. Unfortunately, I was not able to see the performance at the Granada theatre because I was in my Chemistry lecture but, I got to hang out with the kids after the event and talk to them about the performance. I was happy to hear that the kids enjoyed the performance and after talking to Lyndsay, our Education Programs Coordinator, it was funny to me that fourth-graders were singing the whole time and that they knew all the words to the song, “I like it like that” by Cardi B.
From what I heard from the kids I talked to, it seemed like they had a great time. I was honestly very touched when I heard that the kids enjoyed the performance because little did they know that they were listening to two classically trained string instrumentalists. Through Black Violin’s show, children from many different backgrounds were able to participate and enjoy the joys that classical music can bring to people. Black Violin uses both hip-hop and classical music in their art, and they have been able to better reach more audiences since they communicate their music over two different genres.