Roots of American Music

Soon after graduating from CH-UH High School, Kevin Richards started giving guitar lessons at Dick Lurie’s Cedar-Lee studio. Eventually, Richards opened his own school, the Fairmount School of Music, where he continued to teach, while also playing in rock and bluegrass bands.

When the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum opened, its education department tapped Richard to help present some of their school's programs, which illustrated rock music’s evolution from its roots in blues, R&B, bluegrass and country music. It was during those programs that Richards realized how many kids had no idea that there was any other music besides what they heard at home, whether it was hip-hop or rock. And, they certainly didn’t know – or have any reason to care – that the music they listened to had roots in other, earlier forms. So, Richards launched the Fairmount Music Education Fund, which was soon renamed Roots of American Music (ROAM). ROAM, a nonprofit organization, is headquartered in a storefront on Fairmount Boulevard, just east of Taylor Road, downstairs from the music school. Its mission, “ensuring that our diverse communities remain connected to the history and spirit of our country through preservation, performance and education using traditional American music,” does many things. But mainly, ROAM provides two types of programs, both of which use American roots music as a mechanism to personalize and teach American history and geography.

Residency programs are custom-designed for the classroom and provide interactive lessons in which a group of ROAM musician-educators works for an extended time – as long as a whole school year – with elementary school classes. The students learn various forms of roots music – including blues, zydeco, folk and others – while they learn about American history, geography and other areas of social studies. The students write lyrics about what they’ve leaned and set them to various styles of songs. The songs are then recorded with the kids singing and ROAM’s professional musicians playing.

The assembly programs are single performances designed for larger groups of students. The performance provides a 45-minute history lesson in an entertaining musical context. Both types of programs open up opportunities to students who would otherwise be very unlikely to receive any music education or performance experience in school.

ROAM has recently begun a Masters of Guitar series at Nighttown. The series features guitarists from around the country who perform a wide variety of musical styles. ROAM will host a benefit at Nighttown on May 15 called “Tangled Up in Bob” -- a celebration of Bob Dylan’s 67th birthday. The benefit will feature a group of musicians, including Richards, playing an evening of all Dylan songs, with several guest artists, plus a full dinner buffet. For more information about ROAM or the benefit, call 321-9353.

David Budin is a freelance writer living in Cleveland Heights.