the TEAM

Daniel Callahan is a multimedia artist, filmmaker and designer. Merging a legion of disciplines including painting, digital photography, film, music, writing and performance, Daniel works to craft immersive experiences incorporating story, ritual, and the human form to explore aspects of resilience and mysticism.

Rachel Styles is an operations manager with a decade of experience. She graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a BA in African American Studies. In her free time she has performed in and stage managed community theater productions, sung in various choirs, and served as part of the leadership team for Voices Rising.

Described as a “charismatic and captivating performer,” violist Ashleigh Gordon is an active performer appearing with such groups as Grammy-award winning BMOP, A Far Cry, Boston Landmarks Orchestra, and the Boston Ballet. She is co-founder, Artistic Director and violist of Castle of our Skins.

With degrees in both Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies and Black Music Studies from Brandeis University, Brandie has been committed to studying the impact of Afro-diasporic musics from an ethnomusicological lens. They view the arts as not only as a tool for self expression, but also a historical means of change.

Dr. Ciyadh Wells is a multi-talented musician who not only considers herself an artist, but also an activist and scholar. With a passion for promoting diversity and inclusivity in the arts, she firmly believes that access to such experiences is crucial for a healthy society.

Create & Record (C&R) is Daniel Callahan's multimedia production and design company. C&R specializes in creating engaging, artistic and culturally innovative design, content, products and experiences for a mainstream audience.

Ruben's work as an arts administrator centers on creating equal opportunities for audiences, schools, and communities to experience the performing arts. An active performer and freelance violist, Ruben has performed in venues across the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, China, and South Korea.

Castle of our Skins is a Black arts institution dedicated to fostering cultural curiosity and celebrating Black artistry through music. In classrooms, concert halls, and beyond, Castle of our Skins invites exploration into ​Black heritage and culture, spotlighting both unsung and celebrated ​figures of past and present.

Kelley is a soprano and non-profit marketing administrator originally from Wellington, FL. She performs regularly with Juventas New Music Ensemble and Boston Baroque.

A 281-acre preserve in the heart of Boston, The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University stewards one of the world’s most comprehensive and best documented collections of temperate woody plants, with particular focus on the floras of eastern North America and eastern Asia.