Musicians use rhythm and harmony to heal America's toxic divide

Ray Benson, longtime leader of the Western swing group Asleep at the Wheel, in concert at the Palace Theatre in Corsicana, Texas, on Dec. 9, 2022. He says he steers clear of politics on stage because "now it's totally toxic." (Ben Torres for NPR)

It's a chilly night in the Texas Hill Country, but inside the Arcadia Theater in the town of Kerrville there is a blithe spirit afoot. The crowd is swaying to Miles and Miles of Texas played by Asleep at The Wheel, the Grammy-winning Western Swing band.

The audience is a mélange of cowboy hats and tattoos, rural folks and urbanites. And everybody seems to be getting along. These days, as polarization reaches deep into American life, some musicians are trying to stay out of the fray and use their music to bridge divides.