Roots of American Music provides numerous local public programs
in Northeast Ohio as well as faciliates programs of interest for music lovers of all kinds.
January, 2012 - 1:30pm
Martin Luther King Day - Maltz Museum
ROAM performance: Unchained from Slavery to Civil Rights. Featuring vocalist Evelyn Wright, bass-master Ray DeForest, keyboardist Joe Hunter, and guitarist Kevin Richards.
Songs of America
December, 2011
Students in a home school program of the Parma Branch Main Library participated in a Songs of America program presented by ROAM teaching artists Kevin Richards and Sheela Das. They learned about the roots of American music and heard gospel, traditional, Irish, and blues music. Students sang along, some danced (!), and all wrote a song about the holiday season that listed their favorite things: presents, music by the tree, family, excitement, and everyone's favorite -- HAM !
Song Writing for Teens
October, 2011
East Cleveland Public Library opened its doors to ROAM for a teen song writing program! Roots of American Music staff Kevin Richards and Sheela Das presented a variety of musical styles, instruments and songs to students in the afterschool program at the ECPL. This creative group of students produced two entirely new sets of lyrics to some old time and popular tunes. Here is an inspirational song they wrote to "I've Got Rhythm":
Life is what,
What you make it,
What you make it,
Is what life's all about.
Life is what,
What you make it,
What you make it,
Is what life's all about.
Change your thinking,
change your speaking,
Change your actions,
Make a difference.
Life is what,
What you make it,
Make a difference,
That's what it's all about,
That's what it's all about.
Final Performance of SUMMER OF SISTERHOOD at Westside Community House
August, 2011
Afi Scruggs led a ROAM band in backing songs performed and written by participants in this multi-arts summer camp.
Final Performance of Heights Youth Club Afterschool Music Workshops
April, 2011
ROAM artists, Kevin Richards, Jack Mizenko, Sheela Das, and Ray Deforest backed students on the stage of the Heights Youth Club for an audience of peers, parents, and supporters. ROAM worked with students over a 10-week period, engaging them in an afterschool Roots to Rock music experience. Ten songs were performed by students and a ROAM band. Special thanks to the Cyrus Eaton Foundation for their support!
Maltz Museum STOP THE HATE essay contest incorporates ROAM song writing competition at four schools.
April, 2011
ROAM artists worked with students at Hannah Gibbons, Clark Middle School, East Tech High School, and Successtech High School to create original song lyrics - some of the songs were performed at the museum's final awards event held on April 10, 2011 at the Severance Hall Reinberger Gallery.
Song Writing for Teens
March, 2011
Greenbriar Middle School in Parma. Jack Mizenko and Sheela Das worked with the energetic and creative students in the Kids Cafe to create a theme song for the club to "Bo Diddley" originally "Hush Little Baby." Here is their song!
"Cafe starts afterschool at 3,
Some of us then go to Glee,
Making smoothies is so fun,
Helps us get our homework done.
Hey, Greenbriar, Hey Greenbriar,
Hey, Greenbriar, Hey Greenbriar.
Excercising is so cool,
We all jump around like fools,
Socializing with our friends,
And the party never ends.
Hey, Greenbriar, Hey Greenbriar,
Hey, Greenbriar, Hey Greenbriar.
Shiloh Middle School in Parma. Two ROAM teaching artists worked with 20 students afterschool to demonstrate numerous instruments and musical styles to prepare them for songwriting. Students created original song lyrics to the tune "Worried Man Blues," a traditional American song. Students decided thoughtfully to write about the recent tragedy in Japan. Here are some of their lyrics:
"I lost my house, but I still have this song,
I lost my house, but I still have this song,
My family is gone, but they won't be missing long."
"A wave came crashing down, and washed away my town,
A wave came crashing down, and washed away my town,
My brother's lost, but my sister she was found."
Song Writing for Teens
February, 2011. Shaker Heights Public Library. Two ROAM teaching artists worked with 19 students afterschool to create original song lyrics to the tune "Bo Diddley" originally "Hush Little Baby." Bo Diddley was well known for the "Bo Diddley beat," similar to "hambone", a style used by street performers who play out the beat using body percussion, patting arms, chest, legs and cheeks while chanting out rhymes. Here is one of their songs!
"I can't wait to get outside, go to the park and down the slide, splishy splashy swimming pool, gonna get wet, gonna get cool. Summer camp is lots of fun, eat hot dogs and hamburger buns.
I love summer, I love summer, I love summer, I love summer!"
ROAM partners with Natural History Museum
June - July, ROAM artists will provide summer camp experiences in the Circle.
