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!

Sock Hop

Last Thursday the parents' booster club threw a Sock Hop for Roots of Music students and their families. The students had a great time on the dance floor at Tipitina's, especially when the Baby Boyz Brass Band took the stage.


Did Miss Regina stop working and enjoy the music and the dancing? Nope. She was working as usual, cooking up a storm for the students like she does every day at the Roots of Music rehearsals. Shout out to Miss Regina!


Finally, we want to thank one of our many volunteers, Ronni Armstead, for helping keep Roots of Music going. Ronni was visiting this summer from Duke University and she helped Miss Regina keep the students well fed. Thanks Ready-Red!


We've been to busy to update everyone about our goings on, but more posts to come shortly...

Relocation to the Contemporary Arts Center

Band Director Lawrence Rawlins directs the RoM brass section.

Today, the Roots of Music program moved to the Contemporary Arts Center (CAC), where we will hold music classes for the next six weeks. At the CAC facilities, the students and teachers have some room to stretch out. The drums, woodwinds, lower brass, and upper brass each have their own room to rehearse in, which helps everyone concentrate on their parts (and helps us volunteers save what's left of our hearing!).

Shoan Ruffin has the drummers beating on tables in a dance studio.

Allen Dejan's woodwind section has grown to 12 students in just a few weeks.

Program Director Derrick Tabb is thrilled with the facilities at CAC.

Thanks to the CAC for agreeing to host the program for the next six weeks! And thanks again to Tipitina's for helping launch the program and letting us be their guest for the first six weeks! Consider enrolling in Roots of Music or making a donation here.

More Good News

Check out this article about Roots of Music by Alison Fensterstock in the New Orleans Gambit Weekly...

Root Causes, June 24, 2008