since 2006
Sustaining Roots Music
a Raleigh Charter Community Project
SOOTS (Sustaining Roots Music) was founded in 2006 to raise awareness and support for aging Piedmont blues musicians through the Music Maker Relief Foundation.
What began with student-led fundraisers like the Fat Tuesday Feastival and May Day Cake Bake soon grew into annual benefit concerts in downtown Raleigh featuring Music Maker artists and friends. Along the way, SOOTS partnered with Center for the Study of the American South to connect hands-on social entrepreneurship with the study of Southern music, folklore, and regional traditions. Rooted in music, community, and cultural stewardship, SOOTS continues to support artists while learning from and giving back to the traditions that inspired it in the first place.
What began with student-led fundraisers like the Fat Tuesday Feastival and May Day Cake Bake soon grew into annual benefit concerts in downtown Raleigh featuring Music Maker artists and friends. Along the way, SOOTS partnered with Center for the Study of the American South to connect hands-on social entrepreneurship with the study of Southern music, folklore, and regional traditions. Rooted in music, community, and cultural stewardship, SOOTS continues to support artists while learning from and giving back to the traditions that inspired it in the first place.
