Tuesday Feb. 8, 1 p.m.

Wednesday Feb. 9, 9:45 a.m.

LIED C

ENTER ENGAGEMENT

Black Violin is a classically trained violin and viola

duo. Kev Marcus and Wil-B, along with dJ TK,

perform arrangements of both classical and hip-hop

songs while adding their own sense of style.

When the members of Black Violin first learned to play their

signature instruments—Wil-B on the viola at 14 years old and

Kev Marcus on the violin at the tender age of 9—neither could

have foreseen that it would become their livelihood, though it

was already becoming their passion. The two Florida natives

first met while attending the dillard High school of Performing

arts in Fort Lauderdale, a school whose exceptional music

programs served to nurture their already budding talents.

It was not until the two were exposed to the work of legendary violinist stuff smith that the seeds that would one day become Black Violin were truly planted. smith, born in 1909, was a pre-eminent jazz violinist of the swing era, and performed with jazz greats like Charlie Parker, dizzy Gillespie and sun Ra throughout his career. His final and most soulful album, Black Violin, so inspired and influenced Kev Marcus and Wil-B that they named their band in honor of the man who showed them that there are no limits to what the violin can do.

now in their own unique career, Black Violin’s primary goal is to give young people the same opportunities in music they had. Kev and Wil have embarked on a campaign of social change working with youth orchestras and music programs to show young people that they are capable of expressing themselves in ways they have never dreamed of.

Black Violin’s improvisational elements are truly unique. The show is like a concert, consisting of jazz, rhythm and blues and hip-hop. about the performanceBlack Violin’s improvisational elements are truly unique. The show is like a concert, consisting of jazz, rhythm and blues

“ In an age where music is

more and more defined

by the labels given

to it, Black Violin shows

that music does not exist

within a box, but rather

exists in another space,

one as open and unrestrained as the

minds that produce it.” -Black Violin

http://blackviolin.net/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip-hop_culturehttp://pbskids.org/jazz/http://www.dsokids.com/listen/Composerdetail.aspx?composerId=15http://www.classicsforkids.com/games/

Links to check out

Things to think about Hip-hop grew from its inner city origins into a huge cultural movement. Can you think of other musical styles that have swept the country and transformed our culture beyond the realm of music alone?

What is it about music that gives it the power to change society?

Black Violin blends a number of different musical forms, like classical and hip-hop. Can you think of other innovators who created new forms out of different combinations?

are there any forms you can imagine combining that haven’t been tried yet?

What do you think would be the result?

Black Violin’s improvisational elements are truly unique. The show is like a concert, consisting of jazz, rhythm and blues and hip-hop.

The role of the dJHip-hop dJs cut and loop beats to recreate music. They also pause, scratch, backspin, speed up or slow down, and/or delay music. In its simplest form, cutting involves isolating a few bars of the beat and

looping them to create a continuous sound. When

dJs use turntables to cut, they use two identical records on two record players. The dJ spins

the first record to a place in a song where the music stops,

but the beat keeps on going. This is known as the break. The dJ plays the beat on the first record, sets up the second record to play the same sound and then stops the first one and lets the second one play. Then the dJ sets the first record back to the break again and plays it when the second record finishes. The dJ goes back and forth between the two records indefinitely, creating one long beat.

QuestionsWhen you hear the word “hip-hop,” what comes to mind?

What kind of instruments do hip-hop artists usually play?

What style of music does a violin usually play?

What do you expect Black Violin to sound like?

do you play a musical instrument?