Roots of American Music

Educate, Create, Facilitate

This show examines our shared American experience from a variety of perspectives and seeks to tell captivating stories of people, places, and events with a focus on live performance.

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Latest Episode

The Pandemic Tapes: Episode 4 - Kevin Richards

Join Roots of American Music's Artistic Director Kevin T. Richards as he discusses the struggles of leading a nonprofit arts organization during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the new ways that ROAM is bringing music to its audiences. Kevin shares his perspective on the pandemic’s impact on musicians, as well as how programming is being reimagined to bring music to the community from a distance.

Recent Episodes

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The Pandemic Tapes: Jason Meyers

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Jason Meyers, another popular local musician and ROAM teaching artist, talks about how his life has changed: cancelled gigs, his day job as a hospital therapy program coordinator and father to a newborn.
Listen to The Pandemic Tapes: Jason Meyers

The Pandemic Tapes: Juliana Tabor

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Juliana Tabor, a ROAM teaching artist and kindergarten teacher, talks about how technology is giving her a new perspective as she navigates the pandemic. Forming new, present-day relationships with her students has brought an unexpected closeness and intimacy.
Listen to The Pandemic Tapes: Juliana Tabor

The Pandemic Tapes: Charlie Mosbrook

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In March of 2020 the Coronavirus upended the entire globe and the live music was brought to a halt. The Pandemic Tapes explores this crisis through interviews with musicians and by sharing songs they have written and recorded during "stay at home" orders.
Listen to The Pandemic Tapes: Charlie Mosbrook

Ohio Heritage Music Project: Hotz Cafe: The Original Social Network

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Hotz Cafe is a Cleveland landmark. Hotz is a small neighborhood tavern in the Tremont area of Cleveland, Ohio. Join Clint Holley and musical guest The Luckey Ones as we interview members of the Hotz family and record the band while the bar is open for business.
Listen to Ohio Heritage Music Project: Hotz Cafe: The Original Social Network

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More about Roots of American Music

ROAM was created in 1999 to provide arts programming to the community using traditional American music as a way to connect students to our past. Today ROAM provides arts-integrated programs to diverse communities while promoting and preserving traditional American music -- old-time country, folk, gospel, blues, and early rock -- to enhance educational outcomes and enrich people's lives. ROAM’s programs use traditional American music to help individuals of all ages and backgrounds meet wider goals in education or personal development. Literacy, math, science, self-determination, tolerance, and music enrichment are some of the themes ROAM teaching artists incorporate into music workshops and residencies.

For more information, please visit their website.

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