Author visits Newark Charter, performs with orchestra students

Ask most high school students what they know about authors they read in school, and most know biographical information, a few other works, and perhaps a fun fact. Yet, did they know the character Nicole in Brandon Slocumb’s 2022 mystery thriller “The Violin Conspiracy” was actually based on a woman he knew in real life or that favorite character Grandma Nora was actually Slocumb’s grandmother?

“You all like Grandma Nora?” Slocumb asked the 180 Newark Charter School seniors who sat before him Sept. 27 in the brand new Otello Meucci Performing Arts Center, which opened just two weeks prior.

“Well, if you like Grandma Nora, you like my grandmother,” Slocumb told the students.

This was just one of the many light-hearted moments that Slocumb shared with students as he detailed the motivation and production of his debut novel.

Slocumb, a former teacher originally from Fayetteville, N.C., had been working mainly as a musician prior to COVID-19, however, the pandemic immediately forced an unexpected career shift.

“The pandemic gave me the time to write, and even I as a musician did not want to read a novel about the violin, so I made it a mystery,” Slocumb told the students, noting his love for Agatha Christie mystery novels.

“The Violin Conspiracy”, the 2024 New Castle County Reads novel, was assigned to students as their summer reading assignment for Contemporary Literature after Newark Charter English teacher Tim Jadick read the novel and heard Slocumb talk at the Chase Riverfront back in April. After all, Jadick said, the class aims to tackle and open discourse on societal issues, so what better way to inspire readers than to hear firsthand how Slocomb’s personal stories led to his debut mystery with themes such as overcoming racism and the power of mentorship?

Slocumb’s visit to the school included a catered lunch with four selected students, a talk to the senior class, a question-and-answer session with students and a book signing.

Perhaps the highlight of the afternoon was a performance of “Rhosymedre,” the favorite song of the Grandma Nora character in the novel. Lawrence Trice, orchestra director at Newark Charter School, prepared four students to play with Slocumb on lead violin. The lights dimmed, and the magic began just as the magic of Slocumb’s thrilling novel begins – with a stolen Stradivarius violin – a mystery every reader should solve in the search for their next perfect read.