Black Violin

This past Friday, I took my little brother Ben (who is actually like 6 inches taller than me-yes, he is real tall) to see Black Violin. I did not know too much about them, but I knew I was going to instantly be in love when I saw them live. Indeed I was. I have seen ALOT of amazing concerts in my day; Coldplay, John Mayer, Elton John, Jack Johnson, The Frames, Kings of Leon, and several others, but this was like nothing I had ever experienced. I played violin for 7 years and I am not saying I was phenomenal by any means, but I know how difficult and time consuming it is to learn to play any instrument well. Black Violin knows their stuff. They play as if their instruments are apart of their body. They were all over the stage, engaging the audience like nobody's business. It was as if the violin was their voice. I guess for them, it is. It was mesmerizing. As soon as they took the stage, no "hello, what's going on Alaska" (as would usually be the case), but an amazing sound that literally brought tears to my eyes and the biggest smile to my face. A violin, a viola, and a dj. That may sound a little dramatic, but if you have ever been fortunate to see these incredible artists live, you know exactly what I mean.

Black Violin was in Anchorage all of last week giving concerts for schools and master violin classes. They started playing at 9 and 14 and really have a great message and story to share with kids. They have toured with pretty much every major hip hop artist you can think of, but got their start from Alisha Keys. The group is made up of Kev Marcus (violin) and Wil B (viola, beat-box, voice, and several other instruments) playing while DJTK is dropping beats in the background. Seriously, this group is the story of my life and everything I love. I feel that this is the one music group that could ever encompass who I am. I don't need words, just give me a beat, throw in some strings and call it a day.

If you ever get the opportunity to see Black Violin, do not pass it up. When your 13 year old brother looks at you after the concert and says, "they make me want to play violin" you know they have really taken classical music to the next level, and are changing the way people feel about it. They are inspiring and absolutely phenomenal.