Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.” -Victor Hugo
Although written over 160 years ago, Hugo’s astute observation on the power of harmonious sound, is as relevant today, as it was when he first published his literary masterpiece Les Miserables in 1862.
This sentiment resonates none more so than when taking in the euphonious sound of John Randolph (aka John Violinist) -a virtuoso violinist who has been raved about and upon since exploding onto the national scene via the strength of social media in 2019.
And although to the Tik Tok universe, John may have seemingly “come out of nowhere” when his first video clips went viral; the voyage he has undertaken in becoming the complete musician, man, son, husband, and father he is today has been a lifetime in the making.
E-STRING (The Early Years)
Born into a family of musicians in New Britain, Connecticut, John’s introduction into the world of music came naturally from his parents; his mother a talented pianist.
“I also listened to a lot of gospel music,” John says. “I grew up in the church and gospel music was part of my life from as early as I remember.”
By the age of five, John could rejoice the soulful harmonies of Johnny McKirgan, Kirk Franklin, Smokie Norful, Fred Hammond and others.
“It was just beautiful music, you could feel,” he emphasizes. “It wasn’t just the music, it was the creativity that came with it. I have always been in love with the creative part of music.”
As a young boy, John developed his base as a musician by learning the fundamentals of piano – “mostly from my mom” before picking up the violin.
He attended The University of Hartford’s Suzuki Program as a youth (specifically designed for grade school levels) where every child studied music and played an instrument beginning at the age of four all the way through high school.
“I never considered myself as having a special skill or talent,” John reflects. “Everyone played an instrument where I went to school. Everyone was good, it was just kind of the norm.”
A-STRING (Hoop Dreams)
As talented as John was with the violin and his development as an emerging musician growing up, music was not necessarily his biggest passion during the formative years.
“Basketball was my number one love,” John states. “At the time, I was even better at basketball than I was on the violin.”
These credentials check out. John earned a spot on his high school’s varsity team as an eighth grader, a coveted accomplishment very few schoolboys nationwide are able to secure. He also carved out a name for himself as a skilled point guard throughout the AAU circuit in the late 90’s and early 2000’s.
“I was pretty good,” John nods, fondly recalling his playing days.
“But then the growth spurt stopped. So my basketball career pretty much ended after high school,” he adds laughing. “Entering college I knew it was time to really put my focus and energy towards music.”
D-STRING (Coming of Age)
Following high school John enrolled at nearby Central Connecticut State University in New Britain to further his education. It is here, John observes, that he first began to realize how good he was, and potentially could be as a musician.
“For the first time in my life, I wasn’t at a school where every other student was also studying music,” he points out.
Students and faculty would stop and listen to John play for hours whenever he was practicing. It wasn’t before long that he began to be known as “that musician with the violin that you had to hear” around campus.
Yet, even though he could seemingly command a built-in crowd anytime he wanted, he wasn’t totally sure if music would become a long-term profession for him.
“At the time, I couldn’t quite see myself performing regularly in front of an audience,” he admits. “That left becoming a teacher, or playing with an orchestra. Neither of those options particularly excited me.”
So it was a degree and an early career in social work that John ended up graduating CCSU with, eventually joining the Department of Social Services as an Eligibility Service Worker for the State of Connecticut.
He still played fairly regularly; often volunteering to play at different inner-city communities throughout Connecticut and in New York City, mainly for various churches and schools. But with a full-time job and responsibilities as a husband and father, there was only so much he could do.
“It was a lot of really small shows for friends, some open mic nights. Things like that, no more than fifty people or so in an evening,” he says.
All the while, steady and surely, John continued to grow as a musician though. It was around this time that something inside of him began to click in a way it hadn’t years earlier in college. He was beginning to see himself as an artist that could perform regularly in front of audiences -potentially large audiences.
“That was probably my biggest growth as a musician,” John says. “First to be able to see myself taking that step, and then to put it into motion with building out my on-line presence and increasing my audience.”
In late 2019, mere months before the pandemic, a rendition of John performing Alicia Keys’ “Unthinkable” caught on in a big way on Tik Tok. It was his first video to surpass one million views. He then had a string of posts that consecutively went viral on the social media platform, and just like that he was invited into Tik Tok’s Creative House.
From there, he began to be booked for interviews, and more shows -with interest coming from all over the northeast and -in some cases- different parts of the country.
It was around this time, he also linked up with his now manager, Dante Patterson, of D.P Marketing & Apparel INC, and the two clicked instantaneously.
Dante, had just helped to open the 2TWENTY2 Lounge in Boston and -impressed immediately by John’s sound, presence, and overall demeanor began booking him to come up regularly.
“From the start, I saw a lot of myself in him,” Dante says. “We saw a lot of ourselves in each other.”
With Dante’s help, John was welcomed and received very warmly in Boston, making it an easy decision for the two to officially announce their business relationship.
“What John and I are doing together is so much more than me simply booking him for shows,” Dante explains. “We have set forth a very deliberate brand strategy -with the suits, the look, his style- that him and I both feel are in synch with showing him as an artist.”
While the rest of the world slowed down during the ensuing pandemic, John didn’t. He continued to put out videos and grow his social media status.
His Tik Tok, by now, had exploded; and that led to accounts on Instagram and YouTube which instantly took off as well. Meanwhile, Dante and John continued to refine his look and make plans for what a post-pandemic launch would eventually look like.
“If it wasn’t for Tik Tok,” John says cracking a slight grin. “We wouldn’t be having this conversation today.”
G-STRING (No Strings Attached)
In 2023, John put out his first album -a live concert with his band- which has given his fan base an experience a little different than what they had previously had with him through (and gotten to know) with his on-line videos.
Strategically, Dante and John curated “The Rose Experience” show in Connecticut at the same time, which Dante says was “John’s chance to give back his flowers to those who have been with him from the beginning.”
Then, in 2024, Dante began booking a city-to-city concert series (it’s not technically a tour John points out) which saw him play in front of sold out crowds in Connecticut, Orlando, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, New Jersey among other stops.
One of the greatest gifts of performing, John says, especially now with multi-city shows; is being able to share the experience with his family -his wife Nikia of ten years, and their two boys- who sit front and center in the first row for many of his shows.
“My boys are inspired, when they see me on stage,” John shares. “Which as a father really is the greatest feeling.”
Capping off 2024, John is excited to have been chosen as the special ‘halftime performer’ at Boston’s Runway Ball, where the magazine you are currently reading -his first cover story- was also released.
Dante and John have begun to announce dates and cities for his 2025 tour, which will also include his first official concert in Boston.
In addition to his irresistible take and sound with the R&B classics he has become known for, John hints we could be hearing some of his own original music on tour in the new year.
“I would say that is a very good possibility,” he reveals.
Undoubtedly, the sky is the limit for John Violinist.
“I want to continue to get out there, not just in our country, but throughout the world,” he says. “I want to give people a reason to put on your best suit, your best dress and come out to have an unbelievable evening at one of my shows. I want to give back and inspire our youth wherever I can. That’s super important to me.”
John pauses before continuing. “Maybe one day I’ll open my own music school as well.”
For now, though, he continues to play. The stages are getting bigger, but it’s still that same sound. An expression, that Victor Hugo described as one that cannot be put into words, but yet cannot remain silent. That’s the music of John Violinist.
And that’s the continuing story of John Randolph. His beautiful voyage from four strings to no strings attached.
