Video: Basketball star plays mean violin

Video: Basketball star plays mean violin

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norman lebrecht

September 14, 2014

Strings magazine has unearthed an unusual video for the bicentennial weekend of the Star-spangled Banner.

It features Rae Grellner playing the national anthem on her violin before her Okarche Lady Warriors played in the Oklahoma Class “A” Girls Basketball State Championship game in March 2012.

It’s remarkable to find a sportsperson who can play the violin, amazing to find one who plays it well.

Go, Rae!

rae grellner

Comments

  • Pretty good.

    Playing since the age of six. Article with some further background bio on her:

    http://newsok.com/article/3940146#disqus_thread

  • Olaugh Turchev says:

    Good job indeed, great arm.

  • Edgar Brenninkmeyer says:

    Would that the N.F.L. boys started each training and workout session by making music together. It might perhaps take the violence out of the football “culture”…

  • dude says:

    They’re called athletes, not sports persons.

  • “25 Notable Athlete Musicians”

    Mostly rock and jazz guitar. About five probably don’t count, but they’re trying.

    http://www.totalprosports.com/2013/02/11/athlete-who-are-musicians/#1

  • Dr Peter Lim says:

    Impressive!

  • Brian says:

    “It’s remarkable to find a sportsperson who can play the violin, amazing to find one who plays it well.” It’s obvious, Norman, that you’ve not spent much time around student/athlete/musicians of the U.S. While this young lady is quite talented (excluding just a couple of glitches) there are thousands of young people on our playing fields and courts who will also be found in our rehearsal halls. I have no desire to denigrate Ms. Grellner’s abilities; rather, point out that, in this country, most “school-aged” musicians are found in public schools rather than those designed for a musical course of study.

    • When I was a high school band director every boy in the band 9th grade and up was also on the football team. Technically those were athlete-musicians but they weren’t much at either endeavor. That is the case with most.

      Miss Grellner is a rare case of having reached a high level at both, an all-state orchestra and a state champion basketball team.

      There won’t be thousands like her around, not with only fifty states.

  • sboasia9 says:

    It’s really appreciated.

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