In addition to being a successful music performer and educator, Brendan Slocumb is also the author of two novels about the Black experience in the world of classical music: 2022’s “The Violin Conspiracy,” and this year’s “Symphony of Secrets.”
Slocumb joined GBH’s Callie Crossley for a conversation about his work and what fans can expect from this latest installment — which, while thematically similar, is not a sequel to “The Violin Conspiracy.”
“Symphony of Secrets” takes place in two time periods: the present, when Dr. Bernard Hendrix has been tasked to authenticate a long-lost score to America’s greatest opera; and in 1920s New York, when composer Frederic Delaney has a very interesting relationship with a young Black woman named Josephine Reed, whose actions will resonate throughout history.
Reed, who lives with autism, proves to be an important figure not just in the plot of the story.
“I really wanted to highlight people living with autism in a positive way,” he said. “I have a nephew who lives with autism, my best friend’s brother lives with autism, I taught students who live with autism, and I want to highlight people with this particular neurodivergent condition in a positive manner.”
The musical talent of the fictional Reed is highlighted throughout the novel, especially in one shared passage where she demonstrates to Delaney her ability to recreate musical movements.
The novel also grapples with themes that are especially relevant today pertaining to artistic ownership and historical revisionism. The legacy and authenticity of the esteemed fictional Delaney is complicated by Reed’s obvious brilliance, which raises questions about appropriation of Black artistry throughout history.
“I need people to understand that people deserve credit for their work,” Slocumb said. “And it doesn’t matter where you come from, it doesn’t matter what your skin looks like. If you have done the work, you deserve the credit. ... I just want people to realize that things like this still happen to this day.”
For Slocumb, the issue is also deeply personal and rooted in his experiences as a Black musician and musical expert — a manifestation of racist bias that is understood by many. He said Eboni, a character in the novel who assists Dr. Hendrix, is a representation of what people like him have had to endure.
“Even though she has to deal with these types of [racial and gender-based] biases every single day, she’s still strong. She still moves forward. She still lets her intelligence speak for itself,” he said.
