About Us
Roots Music is located in Marin County, California, just north of the city of San Francisco. Led by
Artistic Director and Co-Founder Steve Gardner, a well-known fiddler and local performer of Irish American roots music, we provide students of all ages with a well-rounded and solid education
in the performance of traditional folk music.
Our mission is to nurture the spark of excitement that leads a person to first pick up an instrument
and to provide the technical and artistic training that allows students to play well with other
musicians and quickly improve their skills.
The school offers private one on one lessons with teachers from many different folk
traditions, including Irish Traditional music, bluegrass, old-time and klezmer band. In addition to
ongoing lessons, we also run shorter duration group classes for students ranging from
complete beginners to advanced students. For more experienced students and community
members, we provide workshops and master classes with well known folk music performers
who are traveling through the area. And in keeping with our philosophy that music is meant
to be shared with others, we provide opportunities for our students to participate in
jams, sessions and recitals that are open to the public.
Our Teaching Philosophy:
need to perform well on their instruments and to be able to interact with a community of musicians.
From learning by “ear” to learning to read notes, we believe that a solid technical and artistic
education will help students have greater enjoyment of their art form. And we believe in keeping
the “aural” tradition alive by providing opportunities for our students to play with a variety of
professional mentors and peers in group settings.
Folk music traditions are art forms that can and should be available to everyone,
of all ages. Music is for everyone!
