Black Violin to Appear as Special Guest at High Note High Step Event

Black Violin, with nearly 20 million views on YouTube, will be the Special Guest at Musicopia's and Dancing Classrooms Philly's annual High Note High Step Event on Sunday, December 6 at 3:30PM. Usually an in-person breakfast, this year's High Note High Step has been re-imagined as a virtual event using Remo: a unique, interactive, and immersive online platform. The event is free, but registration is required. (bit.ly/20HNHS). The High Note High Step will be an uplifting way to end the weekend, with guests experiencing how Musicopia and Dancing Classrooms Philly are using the arts to impact the lives of children throughout the Philadelphia region.

Black Violin will premiere a virtual performance video, speak (LIVE) about the power of the arts in their lives, and answer questions by Musicopia String Orchestra students. The event will also feature and highlight the talents and achievements of a dynamic array of Musicopia's and Dancing Classrooms Philly's students.

Black Violin is classically trained violist and violinist Wil Baptiste and Kev Marcus who combine classical and hip-hop influences to create a distinctive multi-genre sound. Through performances at President Obama's inauguration, official NFL functions, and sold-out/packed audiences at Philadelphia's Annenberg Center, Merriam Theater and the Academy of Music, Wil and Kev place heavy emphasis on educational outreach, performing for more than 100,000 students each year. Black Violin challenges the stereotypes and preconceived notion of what a "classical musician" looks and sounds like.

"Despite the challenges that COVID-19 has brought, the new landscape has opened up many exciting opportunities and we are thrilled to have Black Violin at our annual fundraising event, underscoring the
importance of arts education," said Catherine Charlton, Executive Director of Musicopia and Dancing
Classrooms Philly (DCP). "At Musicopia and DCP we give our students a framework for reaching goals
and for learning perseverance, much needed during these trying times. This event is on behalf of those students so that they can continue to have safe ways in which to express themselves."

Pre-Event Workshop on Thursday, December 3: panelists include member of The Roots and more
Leading up to the December 6 event, Musicopia and DCP are hosting a live, online, free educational workshop on Thursday, December 3 at 7:00PM. Though geared primarily for music students, the workshop is open to the public and will explore cross-over genre music. Music genres represent traditions, and the expansion of cross-genre music and musicians presents opportunities for the expression of new traditions. The musicians that comprise Black Violin epitomize this new era.
The workshop can be accessed via Zoom Webinar (https://zoom.us/j/93040197501) OR, if Webinar attendee limit has been reached, via Livestream on the Musicopia Facebook page (www.facebook.com/musicopia).

Workshop panelists include: Phillip Brown, Director of Theater at the Shipley School and writer of the new musical "The Last Jimmy" with Karl "Dice Raw" Jenkins; Karl "Dice Raw" Jenkins, American Hip-Hop artist and songwriter, collaborator, and producer of The Roots; Wouter Kellerman, Grammy-winning South African flutist; and Adriana Linares, Venezuelan violist of the Dalí Quartet and President, Founder and Artistic Director of ArCoNet, The Arts & Community Network. The panel will be moderated by Taia Harlos, Artistic Director and Conductor of the Musicopia String Orchestras.