Books can transport us to other worlds and this book by Brendan Slocumb, a classical musician himself, takes us inside the cutthroat world of classical music competitions. Here, it is not only how you play, but how good your instrument is and what connections you have to get help from leading masters in the field who can’t teach you how to get the most out of every note you play.

Ray McMillan grew up in rural North Carolina. His mother can’t wait until he graduates from high school and gets a job at the local fast food restaurant which will help support his younger siblings. Poor, Black and with little resources, Ray’s life is pretty much mapped out for him, except that Ray has an extraordinary musical talent. Even though Ray plays on an old borrowed school violin, his talent and love of music shine through.

His life changes when during a statewide competition, a professor of music from a private college hears him perform and offers him a full scholarship. Against his mother’s wishes, but with his grandmother’s blessing, Ray accepts the offer and pursues his dream. As a parting gift his grandmother gives him an old fiddle that had been passed down through generations in the family. When Ray takes the fiddle with him to look for a new violin to play, the owner of the store offers to repair it and in doing so discovers that the old fiddle is actually a Stradivarius! Although Ray is overjoyed beyond belief that he can play such a wonderful instrument, the discovery reverberates negatively through his family causing discord and antagonism, while the family who enslaved his ancestors begins legal proceedings trying to claim ownership of the violin.

Despite all these distractions, Ray’s career takes off and he applies and is accepted into the renowned and extremely difficult Tchaikovsky Competition. But just a few days before he is scheduled to play, Ray’s violin is stolen room his hotel room. The prime suspects are members of his own family who wanted to sell the violin and divide the proceeds or the White family who claimed ownership of the violin or maybe a competitor in the competition who wanted to even the odds by removing Ray’s Stradivarius. As the days and hours before he is scheduled to play diminish without finding his violin, Ray must dig deep within himself to find his joy and love of music which made him the great musician he is with or without his instrument.

This was such an interesting book, revealing the world behind the music we see played in concerts and competitions. The fact that Brendan Slocumb has actually lived in this world and knows the ins and outs of it made it feel authentic. The issues of race, in a profession that clearly skews heavily White were dealt with frankly and were all the more appalling, as I knew that those words and actions were either experienced by the author himself or by someone close to him. The plot was well paced and clever with a bit of a twist at the end that made it all the more interesting to read! I look forward to reading another book by Brendan Slocumb-Symphony of Secrets

Brenda’s Rating: **** (4 Out of 5 Stars)

Recommend this book to: Sharon, Marian, Lauren, Keith and Ken.

Book Study Worthy? Yes!

Read in ebook format.