Roots of Music heads to Nashville for CMA Fest
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The Roots of Music Marching Band heads down the Bacchus route in 2024. Photo: Erika Goldring/Getty Images
Since Derrick Tabb founded The Roots of Music in the wreckage that Hurricane Katrina had made of the city's music education opportunities, the band has played at events and festivals around the world.
Yes, but: They've never played a country music festival, and that changes this weekend.
The latest: The Roots of Music will close out the student marching band performances for CMA Fest outside Nissan Stadium in Nashville, and they'll join Ashley McBryde onstage Sunday.
What he's saying: "It's an extraordinary experience for the organization," Tabb tells Axios New Orleans. "We would not ever get in front of these people that you're going to get in front of to showcase what we're doing down here in New Orleans."
Catch up quick: The Country Music Association Foundation has supported The Roots of Music for years, and its board recently was in New Orleans for its annual meeting.
- That turned into a visit so the CMA Foundation folks could see how the music education program is getting along, Tabb says.
- "The visit turned into a party, a parade, that has now paraded all the way to Nashville," Tabb says.
Between the lines: The visit, Tabb says, is another way to underscore how Black musicians are a part of country music history, a fact Beyoncé has been loudly underscoring with her "Cowboy Carter" album and tour.
- "Our kids have an opportunity to experience what's going on and how the music is made and to be around some actual stars," Tabb says. "That intrigued them to know more about country music and what's happening in that genre."
What's next: CMA Fest is this weekend in Nashville, but the performances will also air on June 26 on ABC. Details.
Go deeper: Nashville's CMA Fest doubles as a four-day music education fundraiser