The Roots of Music
The Roots of Music
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| Formation | 2007 |
|---|---|
| Type | Youth organization |
| Legal status | Non-profit organization |
| Headquarters | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Location | |
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Region served
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Orleans Parish, Louisiana |
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Founders
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Derrick Tabb Allison Reinhardt |
| Mission | "to teach, protect and empower at-risk youth through music education, academic support and mentorship while preserving and promoting New Orleans’ great musical and cultural heritage" |
| Website | The Roots of Music |
Roots of Music, Inc. is a non-profit educational organization based in Orleans Parish, New Orleans, Louisiana. The organization operates an after-school program which provides academic tutoring and music mentoring for at-risk middle school students ages 9–14.
After Hurricane Katrina, funding for public school music programs, specifically middle schools, was reduced or cut. Rebirth Brass Band snare drummer, Derrick Tabb and Allison Reinhardt developed a plan the establish a youth organization for music that would be citywide with the primary objective being to keep young children off the streets and provide a safe haven during peak times of gun violence - 3pm to 7pm. In 2007, Reinhardt and Tabb co-founded Roots of Music, Inc. and launched a pilot program in May 2008. The Roots of Music Crusader Band debuted in 2009 to wide critical acclaim. The program now services 140 students with a waiting list of approximately 400.
Students accepted into the Roots of Music after-school program participate in both the academic tutoring and are members of the Roots of Music Crusaders Band. They are transported by bus from about 40 schools in Orleans Parish Monday through Thursday to the group's headquarters in the Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans.
For the first hour and a half of the after-school program, the students receive assistance with homework assignments and academic tutoring in core subjects as needed. The remainder of the time is dedicated to music education, song rehearsal and field practice (marching). Members of the Rebirth Brass Band and other New Orleans area music professionals support the program through mentoring and marching practice.
After music education and rehearsal, the students receive with a hot, nutritious meal provided by Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana, a member of the Feeding America network of food banks. After the meal, the children are transported via bus to their homes across Orleans Parish.
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