A public and private school music educator for more than 20 years, Brendan Slocumb has performed on violin with the Washington Metropolitan Symphony, the Prince George's Philharmonic, and the Alexandria Symphony. He is the concertmaster for the NOVA-Annandale Symphony Orchestra, has frequently served as guest conductor for orchestras throughout Virginia and North Carolina, and is the founder of the Philippines-based nonprofit organization Hands Across the Sea, which has the mission to provide instruments, lessons, and financial support to young music students. The Violin Conspiracy, Slocumb's debut novel, follows a Black musician as he confronts the injustices of U.S. history, racism in the profession of classical music, and the theft of his great-great-grandfather's priceless Stradivarius violin. (recorded 2/3/2022)