The Roots of Music was co-founded in 2007 by Rebirth Brass Band snare drummer Derrick Tabb and Allison Reinhardt, in direct response to conditions in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. As school districts across New Orleans cut funding for music programs, particularly in middle schools, Tabb watched kids in his own neighborhood — some he'd known since before the storm — drifting toward trouble with little else to occupy their time. With Rebirth serving as something of the backbone of post-Katrina New Orleans culture, Tabb had the visibility to rally support quickly, and The Roots of Music was born.
The nonprofit's after-school program provides free academic tutoring and music mentoring for New Orleans youth, with Rebirth Brass Band members and other local music professionals volunteering their time to teach instrumental instruction, ensemble performance, and marching technique. Students receive a hot, nutritious meal courtesy of Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana before being bused home across Orleans Parish. Saturday sessions focus entirely on music education, marching, and field routines, preparing students for the program's performing ensemble, the Roots of Music Marching Crusaders, a genuine highlight of New Orleans' Mardi Gras parade season each year.
Since its founding, The Roots of Music has provided more than 2,500 hours of music education and academic tutoring, over 30,400 hot meals, 1,400 bus journeys, and more than 150 instruments to New Orleans youth. Derrick Tabb was named a CNN Hero in 2009 for the program's impact, and today The Roots of Music serves youth ages 3 to 22, continuing to expand its reach. In 2025, the organization celebrated the opening of a new headquarters in the Gentilly Woods neighborhood, marking a new chapter for a program built, in Tabb's own words, on the belief that music has the power to transform lives.
