AS FAMILIES & EDUCATORS
Edu-Tainment Workshops & Recitals
We offer a host of original Edu-Tainment Workshops and Recitals for audiences of all ages! Each workshop and recital focuses on a specific aspect of Black Culture, History, or Artistry that participants are actively able to engage with.
Contact us at info@castleskins.org to learn more about bringing a workshop or recital to your school, after-school program, or community location!
Upcoming Family-Friendly Events
Storytelling and ImprovisationSun, Jan 11Museum of African American History MAAH
A Little History @ The MFAMon, Jan 19Museum of Fine Arts Boston- A Little History @ MAAHSun, Feb 08Museum of African American History MAAH
Awareness in SoundTue, Feb 17Piano Craft Gallery- A Little History @ Cambridge Public LibrarySat, Feb 28Cambridge Public Library Main Branch
Testimonials
Commissioned Student Repertoire & Resources
We work with K-12 school and after-school music programs to commission new works for young musicians, written by African diasporic composers. Each new piece for chamber or large ensemble (string, choral, and wind) includes a culturally responsive companion curriculum guide, helping instruct the musical and non-musical aspects of the piece. Contact us at info@castleskins.org to learn more about our commissioning work and to bring us into your K-12 school or after-school music program!
Shop the COOS Student Repertoire Catalog!
Looking for more culturally responsive resources for your classroom? Interested in learning about other organizations leading the charge in diversity in Classical music? Check out some of our favorite recs on our Resources page.
Residencies & Educational Partnerships
We hold multi-day and year-long residencies at collegiate institutions, performance halls, and museums. Each residency and partnership with an artistic organization furthers our impact of celebrating Black Artistry to greater audiences. Contact us at info@castleskins.org to learn more about our residencies and partnerships, and how to bring Castle of our Skins to your institution or organization.
Castle of our Skins is proud to be an Ensemble in Residence at the Longy School of Music of Bard College. Residencies typically span three days and include student masterclasses, composition class visits, BSU meet & greets, and a portrait concert.
BY FIRE AND SWORD: TREVOR WESTON PORTRAIT CONCERT (Dec. 14, 2019) (Season 7)
Watch “Juba”, “Evening Songs”, “Wafting Clouds”, Fudo Myoo,
SAFIKA: DR. BONGANI NDODANA-BREEN PORTRAIT CONCERT (Dec. 3, 2021) (Season 9)
Watch Safika
LOVE & JUSTICE: ADOLPHUS HAILSTORK PORTRAIT CONCERT (March 29, 2024) (Season 11)
Watch our portrait concert repeat at Brattleboro Music Center in Vermont!
BREAK AWAY: JESSIE MONTGOMERY PORTRAIT CONCERT (March 5, 2021)
(Season 8)
Learn more
HER PHANTOM HAPPINESS: ANTHONY R. GREEN PORTRAIT CONCERT (Dec. 9, 2022) (Season 10)
Watch …all that is good…
Learn more
ALCHEMY: JONATHAN BAILEY HOLLAND PORTRAIT CONCERT (May 2, 2025) (Season 12)
Castle of our Skins and the Museum of African American History launched a new artistic and educational partnership entitled Black Voices in December 2025. The collaboration brings to life the music, stories, and legacies from across the African diaspora—through immersive concerts, family-friendly workshops, and interdisciplinary arts experiences.
Soundcheck for Freedom Rising concert
Freedom Rising concert performance
COOS musicians performing in the African Meeting House
Soundcheck for Freedom Rising concert
Castle of our Skins has historically teamed up with Roxbury’s Hibernian Hall to offer a series of in-person and virtual events involving music, history, film, education, and Black market fares.
As Told By: History, Race, and Justice on the Opera Stage is a multi-year initiative to elevate opera by Black composers; with New England and world premiere performances of five operas in partnership with Odyssey Opera, along with commercial recordings released on BMOP/sound, and complementary education and engagement programs developed by Castle of our Skins.
Education programs for As Told By are underwritten by the Howard and Katherine Aibel Foundation.