Think outside the box. You can do anything.
By Malcolm White
It was date night for me on the second Monday of October, but my girlfriend got sick, so I ended up taking my daughter instead. It was a first for both of us: her first major theatrical performance and my first time in the Ohio Theatre as an adult. Though I’m invested in Columbus’ art scene, there was always something mystic about that beautiful facility that made it feel inaccessible to me. I was very happy to be able to take my daughter there at such a young age so that that feeling of not being good enough would never even entreat her.
That sentiment of exploring spaces that might not stereotypically belong to you re-occurred throughout the Black Violin performance. It was an incredible show. Their resume includes performing at President Barack Obama’s inauguration, so you can rightfully assume that the pair of violinists were talented. More than that though, they were unapologetically black. I don’t know what I expected when I first saw the trailers—I imagined there would be a violin performance backed by some hip hop instrumentals, not unlike an act I remember from my childhood called Nuttin But Stringz. There was something transcendental about Black Violin.
It was an incredible show. Their resume includes performing at President Barack Obama’s inauguration, so you can rightfully assume that the pair of violinists were talented. More than that though, they were unapologetically black.
Their performance didn’t feel like they were trying to take the violin somewhere it’d never been before; instead, I felt like their instruments were an extension of their culture. To start the show, they called out, “This is not a typical strings performance. We don’t want you to sit in your seat. This is a party!” They made good on that declaration. It was such a pure expression of emotion that, at parts of the show, I was moved to tears. They infused Donald Glover’s “This Is America” with Cardi B’s “Bodak Yellow” and chills went down my spine. My daughter jumped out of her seat when they tackled Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk.” People in the crowd strutted up and down the aisles, doing line dances while Black Violin broke it down on stage. Each member of the band had multiple chances throughout the show to showcase their solo talents, and one of the violinists took that opportunity to sing a classic R&B song to the love of his life: his instrument. It was touching. The DJ and drummer even got chances to jam out. It was pure and electric energy, and I loved it.
But, what inspired me the most was the speech that one of the members gave about 90 percent through the performance. He acknowledged how they were dressed (he wore a fitted cap, jeans and tennis shoes instead of the stereotypical formal wear, something that I had noted to myself earlier), that black people don’t normally occupy these spaces, that their show stepped outside of a lot of traditional boundaries, and that picking up strings when they were younger was the less popular option when given choices like basketball and football.
His message was: Think Outside The Box, You Can Do Anything.
His message was: Think Outside The Box, You Can Do Anything. That was the perfect conclusion for the night and succinctly wrapped up what I’d felt throughout the evening. I was proud of the excellence that exuded from the stage, and overjoyed that I was able to present such a positive impression on my baby queen’s mind. I hope that it’s an experience she will remember for the rest of her life because it certainly feels like one that I will remember for the rest of mine.
Black Violin is a blend of musical styles performed by two classically-trained string instrumentalists: Wil Baptiste and Kevin “Kev Marcus” Sylvester. On stage, the violinists are accompanied by turntable artist DJ SPS. They performed an ovation-worthy set on Mon., Oct. 8 at the Ohio Theatre.
