In this episode of Sanctuary, host Rhiannon Giddens introduces us to Silkroad violinist and vocalist Mazz Swift to explore how improvisation can turn music into a true refuge. Mazz shares their journey of falling out of love with traditional classical spaces, and finding their voice through conduction, a system of visual cues created by composer Butch Morris to guide improvisation. We join Silkroad at community workshops at the Eastman School of Music and the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music, where music making builds safe places for self-expression, and hear from members of Chicago’s D-Composed collective, whose work reclaiming community spaces and uplifting Black composers is a powerful model for healing and belonging.

Featured Guests:

Mazz Swift – Violinist, vocalist, composer, and Silkroad Ensemble member

Dr. Angela Wellman – Founding Director of the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music

Tristan Williams – Violist and educator at the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music

Khelsey Zarga – Violinist, composer, arranger, and member of D-Composed

Seth Pae – Violist and member of D-Composed (@sethamusic)

For more on Sanctuary: The Power of Resonance and Ritual, visit silkroad.org.

In this episode of Sanctuary, host Rhiannon Giddens begins our journey into the ways that music serves us as a vital tool for healing and community.

Musician Mauro Durante introduces us to the pizzica, a centuries-old trance tradition from Southern Italy that began as a communal ritual to cure spider bites. Then, we look at how those same therapeutic practices apply today, from neurological music therapy at Northwestern University to music circles helping combat veterans process their PTSD through songwriting.

Featured Guests:
Mauro Durante - Violinist and percussionist, Artistic Director of Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino

Massimiliano Morabito - Ethnomusicologist and organettista

Dr. Borna Bonakdarpour - Associate Professor of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Lee Haight - Musician and Board President of Soldier Songs and Voices, NWA Chapter

For more on Sanctuary: The Power of Resonance and Ritual, visit silkroad.org.

Sanctuary: The Power of Resonance and Ritual is a new podcast hosted by Grammy Award-winning musician and Silkroad Artistic Director Rhiannon Giddens. Sanctuary is produced in partnership with PRX and Silkroad.

As we mark the nation’s 250th anniversary, we reflect on the state of America today. Historically, people from all over have sought sanctuary in America. Across these different cultures, music has played an essential role in healing, community-building, and belonging.

Through interviews with artists and academics, we’ll trace the roots of this tradition and see how Silkroad melds this into their new work. Scenes will follow Silkroad artists into community events as they celebrate this cross-cultural creation, share their performances, and form new ways to connect.

Join us weekly on Thursdays as we celebrate the music, traditions, and communities that represent sanctuary.