Angel Paez

Violins of Hope are telling the stories of the Holocaust this month in Charlotte, reminding us what can happen when evil assumes power.

Eighteen violins rescued from the Holocaust and restored by Israeli violinmaker Amnon Weinstein are at the heart of a dozen concerts, exhibits and other programs through April 24. Visit www.violinsofhopecharlotte.com for the schedule. Profiled in the February issue of Charlotte magazine, the violins were brought to town by UNC Charlotte’s College of Arts + Architecture. The plaintive sound of the violin, Weinstein says, offers another open door to try to fathom the murder of six million Jews and five million others at Hitler’s hand.

On a gorgeous Thursday afternoon in uptown Charlotte, twenty-nine eighth-graders at Alexander Graham Middle School crowded around the violins on display at UNC Charlotte’s new building on Brevard Street. Members of the school orchestra, they stared at the fragile instruments behind glass, including the one that came from the Davidovitz family. It had been played in the men’s orchestra at Auschwitz. To the Nazis, the music helped keep prisoners marching in step. To those soon to die, the music provided perhaps a last measure of peace.

Angel Paez understood, even though he could not see. Blind since birth, the fourteen-year-old has learned to play the violin. He has come to understand the power of the music. And with his teacher’s help, he embraced the meaning of these instruments on display.

“I think it’s really cool,” he said. “After all that these violins have been through, the fact that they can be played again…” The sound they make, Angel says, “It’s clear, it’s rich, it’s kind of like it’s talking to you in a high-pitched voice."

And what are the Violins of Hope saying?

“They’re saying, ‘Keep playing.’” - Charlotte Magazine

Angel Paez
Over the summer I had the wonderful opportunity of going to the Swannanoa Gathering for Mando/Banjo/Fiddle Week. To start off, it was one of the most lively and fun-filled camps that I have ever been to. The first thing that struck me as utterly amazing was the one thing we as students all had in common – we were all there for the music. People of almost all ages were there to learn from their instructors and one another. Complete strangers were communicating all around me in the language of music, in tents with different styles, and people with all different skill levels all came together to jam and learn how to refine their musical skills. Another thing that took me by surprise was how nice and respectful everyone was. Of course, I didn't expect much trouble, but the vibe that I got from most everyone I met was the same. A friendly greeting and always the question of what classes I was taking, and that I was welcome to jam with them at some point. I got to learn a lot about everyone I came in contact with, including how long they'd been playing music and what their interests were.

Upon my arrival, I didn't know what to expect, and what with checking in and lugging our stuff to our dorm room, I didn't even have time to worry about what was to come. Of course, there was absolutely nothing to worry about. On the first day of instruction, I realized that all four of my instructors were excellent at teaching me and my classmates valuable information. I had to laugh about everything I had worried about on the previous night, for example: "Would they be mean?" and "Would they ask me to play on my own so they could judge me?" They all had their own way of connecting with all of us, and putting us all at ease. My experience at the Swannanoa camp was nothing short of amazing. The nightly jams we had were a way to either put in practice the material that our instructors taught us during the day, and/or to have fun. I think that like many others there, I was doing a little bit of both.

The class settings there were unusual, but in a good way. They were none that I've ever been in before. They were surprising because of the way you learned. In a typical classroom, you are given book work or you are given a lecture. While there were some classes that gave out sheet music, I loved the way I could walk in to a room, take my instrument out, and start to learn along with my instructors. It was unlike an orchestra class, where your eyes are limited to the music on the page. In a blues class I took, it was the exact opposite. It was such a liberating experience for me, to have been taught to "play what you feel" by Joe Craven, instead of music on a page. He reassured us that in his class, nothing you played was wrong, nothing you played sounded bad; as long as it was coming from you, it was music to his ears. Many instructors I had were like this. Whether it was blues or swing mandolin, they all had their own wonderful approach to how they taught.

As I said before, jamming was one of the main things everyone did at Swannanoa. But there were also concerts put on by the instructors that just blew my mind. It not only made me extremely jealous of them, but it also made me realize just how much I needed to learn, and I was grateful that they were teaching me at least something I could take home with me. This leads me to another important point in my Swannanoa experience I have to share. What I learned in each of the four classes I took was extremely awesome and overwhelming - from songs from the great Jethro Burns to a fast Mexican Juasteco fiddle run. But again I can't stress enough that it was in a good way, I couldn't keep up with what I was learning, so recording classes really helped. It not only served as a memento, but it also helped remind me of the things I learned.

I was able to take a lot away from this camp. I not only learned a lot of musical skills like good picking technique on mandolin, but I also learned that I have only scratched the surface of the world of music. I got to meet people that I previously had only heard on CDs or Pandora, and some people I'd never even heard of. But the beauty of it all was again how much I was able to discover from each and every one of them. I even got to hear some of the instructors jam, which was about the most amazing thing ever. I also had the great honor of singing with Jesse Cobb, who was (formerly) a member of the Infamous Stringdusters. That was an unforgettable moment for me!

I want to extend my deepest gratitude and thanks to the Charlotte Folk Society, for allowing me one week of pure learning, fun, and discovery. It was because of you that I was able to gain knowledge that I never had before, and it was with your help that I was able to come out of my shell a bit and play music with some nice people. I still keep in touch with some of the people I met there, and if I could do it all again, I'd be there in a heartbeat.

Thanks to Mr. Greg Clarke, who, despite what he may have thought, was more than just my "guide dog" around the whole place. He was a good roommate and a good supporter throughout the week. Thanks again for the opportunity you all gave me. I appreciate everything that you did to make this unforgettable week possible for me!! - Charlotte Folk Society

Angel Paez is a junior and plays mandolin and guitar, as well as singing in the group. He plays violin and sometimes double bass in the MPHS orchestra. He can play just about any instrument you hand him, including the keyboard, accordion, mandolin, electric guitar, and electric bass. He plays in a few church groups and occasionally gigs with friends. In his younger days he performed at the White House with a group with the Allegro Foundation, which helps children with disabilities. He is thinking about going to Appalachian State to study music or sound engineering. Although he is blind, he has perfect pitch and worked this summer at Sam Ash tuning and setting up instruments. This is his third year in the group. We are proud that Angel will be representing CFS as the William Thomas Covington Youth Scholarship recipient at the Swannanoa Gathering this summer. - Charlotte Folk Society

The choir for this year’s Lessons and Carols service is unique because there are over ninety members who will be performing. In addition, there will also be new vestments, tuxedos for the men and black dresses for the women. Another unique aspect for this years service is the array of musical instruments that will be used during the service. This year, the service will include bluegrass violin, played by Angel Paez, piano, played by Savannah Nunn, and other musicians on percussion, stand up bass, and electric guitar. In addition, there are three student conductors, Greg Florio, Katie Zobel, and Duane Leatherberry, whereas there is usually only one student conductor. - Catawba Pioneer