Music for the Collective

CPNAS and LabX are pleased to bring you an afternoon where sound becomes a conduit for connection.

Music for the Collective is a collaborative event from Cultural Programs of the National Academy of Sciences and LabX, uniting science, culture, and the arts in a celebration of community and healing. Hosted in the Great Hall of the historic National Academy of Sciences Building, the event invites attendees to explore how music can cultivate mindfulness, spark dialogue, and strengthen our shared humanity.

Music for the Collective is curated to bring together art, culture, and healing through the transformative sounds of the Dr. AZA Trio. Blending jazz, hip hop, gospel, and other African diasporic traditions with intentional community-building, this event will offer an immersive experience for attendees at the intersection of music, mindfulness, and social connection.

The Dr. AZA Trio, consisting of Dr. AZA Allsop (vocals/piano/keys), Zwelakhe-Duma Bell Le Pere (bass), and Abdul Rahim (Ryan Sands) (drums), are world-class artists and educators whose collective expertise spans continents, institutions, and musical genres. Their dynamic interactive performance will deliver a powerful, spiritually and emotionally resonant experience aligned with the mission of Music for the Collective.

A neofusion trio blending jazz, hip-hop, R&B, Afro-soul, and global rhythms, the group invites audience participation with breath work and instrumentation.

Dr. AZA Allsop

Dr. AZA Allsop is a neofusion artist, neuroscientist, and psychiatrist, deeply rooted in the African diasporic musical tradition. His musical style fuses jazz, gospel, hip-hop, reggae, soca, calypso, and soul to inspire higher consciousness, identity, and social justice. A Harvard-MIT MD/PhD graduate and an Emerson Scholar at Berklee College of Music, Dr. AZA combines art, science, and community impact in his work. He is currently an Assistant Professor at Yale and Howard University and Director of the Energia Center for Collective Healing. He is a Fellow in the National Academy of Medicine’s Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine Program. He is a recipient of the Renee Fleming NeuroArts Investigator Award.

Zwelakhe-Duma Bell Le Pere

Originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, Zwelakhe-Duma Bell Le Pere is an acclaimed bassist, composer, and educator. He received his BA and MA from New England Conservatory. His work blends ancestral imagery with a dense, textural sound reflecting his dual heritage. He has performed at major festivals worldwide and worked alongside luminaries like Christian Scott, Jason Moran, and Dave Holland. Currently based in New York City, he tours internationally with Nduduzo Makhathini and other artists while studying under bass legend Ron Carter.

Abdul Rahim (Ryan Sands)

Ryan Sands is a top-tier jazz drummer from New Haven County, CT, whose emphatic playing style has seen him perform with Christian Sands, Wayne Escoffrey, Terell Stafford, and Jason Marsalis. He holds a BA from New England Conservatory and an MA from Manhattan School of Music. As a professor at Yale University and Southern Connecticut State University, and an artist endorsed by Canopus Drums and Paiste Cymbals, Ryan brings both technical mastery and soulful performance to the trio.

Advance registration and a government-issued photo ID are required.