The Violin Conspiracy - Brendan Slocumb

Written by Brendan Slocumb
Read by JD Jackson, Brendan Slocumb
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 64 Kbps
Unabridged

Publisher: Books on Tape
Release date: February 1, 2022
Duration: 12:12:30
Number of parts: 11

Black classical musician on the rise—undeterred by the pressure and prejudice of the classical music world—when a shocking theft sends him on a desperate quest to recover his great-great-grandfather’s heirloom violin on the eve of the most prestigious musical competition in the world.

Growing up Black in rural North Carolina, Ray McMillian’s life is already mapped out. But Ray has a gift and a dream—he’s determined to become a world-class professional violinist, and nothing will stand in his way. Not his mother, who wants him to stop making such a racket; not the fact that he can’t afford a violin suitable to his talents; not even the racism inherent in the world of classical music.

When he discovers that his beat-up, family fiddle is actually a priceless Stradivarius, all his dreams suddenly seem within reach, and together, Ray and his violin take the world by storm. But on the eve of the renowned and cutthroat Tchaikovsky Competition—the Olympics of classical music—the violin is stolen, a ransom note for five million dollars left in its place. Without it, Ray feels like he’s lost a piece of himself. As the competition approaches, Ray must not only reclaim his precious violin, but prove to himself—and the world—that no matter the outcome, there has always been a truly great musician within him.

“JD Jackson richly narrates the story of Ray McMillian, a young, Black man from a poor Southern family who is an unlikely classical violinist. .. Jackson describes Ray’s persistent and humbling journey through the cutthroat world of classical music, in which non-whites are often unwelcome. Jackson also shines in depicting Ray’s loving grandmother and his no-nonsense, gracious musical mentor. When Ray’s violin is stolen before the world’s most important competition, he begins a desperate search to recover it. Brief musical bridges enhance the production and an insightful epilogue narrated by the author, whose violin career is not unlike Ray’s.”— AudioFile