News Makers

Tonight Roots of Music was featured on the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams. Check it out here:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

At the same time that the news was airing nationwide, the band was parading through the fairgrounds of the New Orleans Jazz Festival:


The word is out. We still need your help, so give it up!

Mardi Gras!

Roots of Music made their debut at the Mardi Gras parades this week. The band had the crowds cheering along the sidewalk and neutral ground for the Pygmalion and Alla parades.

The students have been anticipating the Mardi Gras season for months and once they hit the pavement they never skipped a beat. And they looked as good as they sounded in their new black and gold uniforms. All along the parade route we heard: "Which band is that?" "Where's that band from?"

After the parade, the students, teachers, and parent volunteers were beaming with pride. And exhausted. Be sure to look for Roots of Music at the Muses, Bacchus, and Orpheus parades, and contact us anytime about donations or enrollment.

Taking it to the Streets

The Roots of Music band has begun marching practice in preparation for the Mardi Gras season. The select members of the program who have spent months learning their parts are now taking it to the streets for the first time. Keep an eye out for official debut of the Roots of Music band at the Mardi Gras parades, starting with Pygmalion on Friday, February 13. We weren't able to purchase full uniforms for the band, but we have some special outfits on the way thanks to the support of the parents' booster club and an anonymous donor.

The 2009 Roots of Music Mardi Gras parade schedule:
Friday, Feb. 13 @ 7pm: Pygmalion
Sunday, Feb. 15 @ noon: Alla (Jefferson)
Thursday, Feb. 19 @ 6:15pm: Muses
Sunday, Feb. 22 @ 5:15pm: Bacchus
Monday, Feb. 23 @ 6pm: Orpheus

Let the Games Begin!

The Roots of Music drum section has begun performing around New Orleans and the response from audiences has been fantastic! Tonight, the drummers took to the stage of One Eyed Jack's to play for the Camel Toe Lady Steppers fundraiser.


The ladies made a generous donation to RoM last year and tonight they were able to witness the results of their support. Drum instructor Shoan Ruffin had the students playing their cadences with discipline.


After the show, the drummers headed home to get a good night's sleep before practice tomorrow. The band is gearing up for the Mardi Gras parade season starting in February. Thanks to all the Camel Toe Lady Steppers for keeping the beat alive!

Music Rising Donation

Roots of Music has received a donation of musical instruments worth over of $20,000! The gift came from Music Rising and was administered by the Gibson Foundation and the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation.

As you can see, the students at RoM are already putting this generous gift to use!

The students had a surprise waiting for them when they got off the bus in their school uniforms... shiny new trumpets.


The drummers love their new Ludwig snare and tenor drums. Playing cadences on these is way more fun than banging on banquet tables.


The horn players have new trumpets, mellophones, and sousaphones from Jupiter. Here instructor Edward Lee goes over a complicated tuba part.

Thanks again to the kind folks at Music Rising, the Gibson Foundation, and the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation for helping keep the drums beating and horns blowing in New Orleans.

We also received enormous support this year from the Jubilation Foundation, Tipitina’s Foundation, Sweet Home New Orleans, D'Addario Foundation, B'Nai Israel Baton Rouge, Ludwig, Hudson Music, and many more.

For the moment, RoM is humming along with instruments, but we are in need of donations to ensure that students can attend the classes for no charge. Buses and teacher salaries make up the vast majority of our budget. Help us out by donating here. (Please indicate Roots of Music in the PayPal form).

Our Home at Grace Episcopal Church

Band Director Lawrence Rawlins shows a new RoM student how to hold a trumpet.

The Roots of Music program has found a long-term home at the Grace Episcopal Church at 3700 Canal Street in the Mid-City neighborhood of New Orleans. Program Director Derrick Tabb has always wanted RoM on Canal Street, which is the dividing line between the Uptown and Downtown districts that separate the young people of the city. Thanks to Father Bill Terry and everyone at Grace Church for providing a safe and nurturing place for students from every corner of New Orleans to get together.

Roots of Music welcomes our newest Instructor Neva Joseph, who oversees Music Theory, Ear Training, and Voice. Thanks Neva!

Summer Break

Roots of Music students and instructors are taking the next two weeks off to prepare for our full program, which begins at the start of the school year in the last week of August. (If you're interested in enrolling a 9 to 14 year-old student in Orleans Parish, sumbit this form here.)

On the final day of the Summer program, everyone hopped on a bus and headed out to Riverview Park.

All summer, the students have been practicing their marching formations and drills in the wide open fields overlooking the Mississippi River.


Then Derrick announces "fun time" and the games begin. A few weeks ago, the students in the brass and drum sections took on the instructors in a game of football. Luckily for the students, the teachers won!


After everyone works up an appetite, they head over to the cafeteria table. This week the great folks at Slice Pizzeria donated pizza for all the students, teachers, and volunteers. Thanks to manager Dave Greengold and everyone at Slice!