Brookfield Library Presents 2 Programs With Brendan Slocumb

**News Release Submitted by Brookfield Library**

Feb. 5, 2024

For author Brendan Slocumb, music is a life-saving force and a window of opportunity. As a Black child growing up in Fayetteville, North Carolina, playing violin through a public school music program gave him an outlet that not many of his peers had.

In the years that followed, as stated in a 2022 interview with NPR, he had to learn how to “play classical music while Black.” As he played with esteemed symphonies throughout the country, he was often one of the few, if the only, Black musicians on stage, and was often mistaken for a custodian when entering traditionally white spaces.

The Brookfield Library is thrilled to present two programs with Brendan Slocumb that aim to help the Brookfield community gain a new understanding of the intersections of race, creative expression, and music.

On Thursday, February 15th at 6 p.m. in the Library Community Room, Mr. Slocumb will explore how exercising creativity, particularly musically, has therapeutic and restorative elements. He will share his own personal stories and musical talents – which have both served as inspiration for his novels – while encouraging the audience to discover and engage their own creative voices. Register online at brookfieldlib.librarycalendar.com/event/exploring-musical- expression-brendan-slocumb-11883.