The Roots of Music organization, in partnership with Artisound Productions, will livestream its student showcase tonight, Wednesday, May 12 at 6 p.m. via Facebook. The program provides music history and theory as well as instrumental instruction and ensemble performance preparation. It serves kids ages 9-14 from low-income households, and provides students with hot meals and round-trip transportation to reduce common barriers to participation. Five days a week, 12 months a year, the program delivers over 2,500 hours of music education and other academic tutoring, over 30,400 nutritious hot meals, 1,400 bus journeys, and supplies over 150 instruments for student use.
According to McKenzie Bourgeois, the partnership between came about when “Ms. Stewart, Mr. Tabb, and Mr. Watson [of The Roots of Music] heard of the great work of Artisound production was doing in the New Orleans community. We brought in Keenan McRae to help teach alongside Mr. Watson for the studio program teaching music business, songwriting, music history, recording engineering and the science of engineering. We officially started this pilot program March 8, 2021. [Over the past nine weeks, students have learned so much about the] music business, songwriting, copywriting, science of engineering, music history, financial stability, and more.”
Bourgeois is proud to state: “Even during this pandemic, Roots has kept the program strong while keeping the kids Covid safe while the students are at the program.”
Tonight the drum students will be playing cadences, and the organization will be showing the students in the recording booth doing the audio and video of the drummers. The Marching Band Program will be showcased as well as the new studio program. The students will also be doing interviews of what they learned during their time in the studio program. The program will air 6:10 p.m. CDT May 12 on Facebook.
To learn more about The Roots of Music, click here. To learn more about Artisound Productions, which is housed in Studio 3 one one 6, visit here.
