Castle of our Skins

06/18/2026

🎥Revisiting ICONS Isabella Stewart Gardner with Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) (Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) )

This clip features an excerpt from String Quartet No. 1 “X”, inspired by Malcolm X and written by DBR in response to the impact of reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X.

Want to experience the full concert? Watch ICONS now on the Castle of our Skins YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/Castle of our Skins

Performed live on March 29, 2026 at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston.

Artists:
🎻 Matthew Vera, violin 1
🎻 Grant Houston, violin 2
🎻 Ashleigh Gordon, viola
🎻 Patrice Jackson, cello

🎥 Videography by Dave Jamrog

06/17/2026

🎆 Our summer season begins Fourth of July weekend with And Freedom’s Reign.

Join Castle of our Skins on Sunday, July 5, at Boston’s historic African Meeting House (Museum of African American History | Boston & Nantucket ) for an afternoon of history, music, and reflection inspired by the words and legacy of Frederick Douglass.

The experience begins at 2:00 PM with a pre-concert reception featuring light refreshments and a reflective writing activity. Guests are also invited to explore the Museum of African American History through a guided tour before the performance.

At 3:00 PM, DeShaun Gordon-King (DeShaun Gordon-King ) brings Douglass’ powerful speech, What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?, to life through a live reading, interwoven with moving musical selections performed by Castle of our Skins’ String Quartet: Matthew Vera (Matthew Vera ), Grant Houston (Grant Houston ), Jason Amos (Jason Amos ) and Patrice Jackson (Patrice Jackson ).

As we celebrate Independence Day weekend and America250, we invite you to engage with the enduring questions of freedom, citizenship, and belonging through an afternoon where history and artistry meet.

📅 Sunday, July 5, 2026
📍 African Meeting House, 46 Joy St. Boston, MA
🕑 2:00 PM Reception | 3:00 PM Concert
🎟️ Free! RSVP: GiveButter.com/and-freedoms-reign

Presented in partnership with the Museum of African American History and supported by Mass Humanities through the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

📸credit: Heather Diehl for the Boston Globe

06/16/2026

🎶 HBCU Arts and Castle of our Skins are hitting the road this summer with Blacknificently Divine!

Experience an unforgettable chamber music concert featuring artists from HBCU Arts and Castle of our Skins performing works by the Blacknificent 7 Composer Collective—Jessie Montgomery, Jasmine Arielle Barnes, Shawn Okpebholo, Damien Geter, Dave Ragland, Joel Thompson, and Carlos Simon—plus the world premiere of A Song for Humanity by Jaylin Vinson.

Featured Artists:
Mina Lavcheva ( ), violin
Lilit Hartunian ( ), violin
Jason Amos (.a.s.o.n_a.m.o.s ), viola
Richard Jimenez ( ), cello
Jolie Rocke ( ), soprano
Inayah Raheem (.raheem ), mezzo-soprano
Avid Williams ( ), tenor
Sarah Ruff ( ), piano

📍Saturday, July 11, 2026 – 2:00 PM
First Congregational Church on the Green, Norwalk ( )
3 Lewis St., Norwalk, CT 06851
🎟️: Givebutter.com/blacknificent-norwalk

📍Saturday, July 11, 2026 – 7:30 PM
Asylum Hill Congregational Church ( )
814 Asylum Ave., Hartford, CT 06105
🎟️Givebutter.com/blacknificent-hartford

📍Saturday, August 1, 2026 – 6:30 PM
Union Chapel Martha's Vineyard ( )
55 Narragansett Ave., Oak Bluffs, MA 02557
🎟️Givebutter.com/blacknificent-mv

Join us for an inspiring musical journey celebrating Black artistry, innovation, and the stories that connect us all.

06/16/2026

06/15/2026

🌊🎻We're headed to Martha's Vineyard! 🎻🌊

This summer, Castle of our Skins is excited to partner with HBCU Arts ( ) for the Martha's Vineyard HBCU Arts Festival, bringing together artists, alumni, entrepreneurs, and community members for a week of performances, conversations, showcases, and cultural experiences celebrating HBCU artistry and Black cultural expression.

Festival highlights include:

✨ Blacknificently Divine Martha's Vineyard featuring music by the Blacknificent 7 Composer Collective
✨ HBCU Artists as Entrepreneurs Panel Discussion
✨ VIP Reception
✨ Artist Showcases
✨ Martha's Vineyard HBCU Arts Fest Open Mic Night
✨ Community gatherings and island experiences

The festival kicks off on August 1 at Union Chapel Martha's Vineyard ( ) in Oak Bluffs with the final stop of the Blacknificently Divine Tour and an inspiring conversation featuring Dr. Jolie Rocke, Dr. Ciyadh Wells, Avid Williams, Kyle Exum, and Stacey Allen.

Whether you're an artist, entrepreneur, educator, student, island resident, or summer visitor, there's something for you.

🌴 Learn more about events, tickets, excursion packages, and ways to get involved:

👉🏾 hbcu-arts.org/fest

We can't wait to celebrate with you on the Vineyard.

06/12/2026

🎶📚 Edutainment in action!

It’s been a busy week of learning, listening, and making music with young people across Boston.

🎻 Earlier this week, COOS artists Caden Burston, Amir Ali, Ken Allen, and Ruben McFarlane headed to Conservatory Lab Charter School to coach and perform Anthony R. Green’s Peace Like a River alongside 5th Grade Orchestra students.

🌍 Today, we brought Sonic Journeys to students at Sarah Roberts Elementary as part of The Dreams The Dreamers Dreamed project. Led by flutist DeShaun Gordon-King and percussionist Steph Davis, this immersive and interactive performance invited students to explore music, meditation, and audience participation while traveling through soundscapes inspired by the blues, Afro-Latino traditions, African rhythms, and African American improvisation.

At Castle of our Skins, we believe Black artistry belongs everywhere—including classrooms, cafeterias, auditoriums, and rehearsal spaces. We’re grateful for every opportunity to connect young people with creativity, culture, and community through music.

✨ Swipe through to see some of this week’s Edutainment adventures!

06/11/2026

Learn more about this weekend’s collaboration with Boston Lyric Opera, She Was There