When you think of country music, The Roots of Music may not be the first name that comes to mind. Even so, the Marching Crusaders are set to perform at the Country Music Association (CMA) Fest in 2025. Roots will travel to Nashville, Tennessee on the first weekend in June to seize this opportunity to perform for country fans from across the globe.

The Roots of Music’s Marching Crusaders will perform on Sunday, June 8th, 2025 outside of Nissan Stadium from 6:30 pm – 7 pm and will also perform alongside Ashley McBryde later that night. This is the 52nd year of CMA Fest and the festival directly supports the CMA Foundation’s mission to further music education programs across the country.

The Marching Crusaders is an after-school music education program that serves around 200 students from ages 9-14 in the New Orleans area. Sixty of these students will be traveling to Nashville. As the students arrive by plane, great care is being taken in transport of their uniforms, instruments, and equipment to be hand delivered by truck. This is the first time that a
student-lead band will be featured on the televised version of the concert. “This is an unprecedented opportunity for our students to shine on a national level,” says Jaron “Bear” Williams, former Marching Crusader and current band director at The Roots of Music. “We’re so grateful for the CMA Foundation’s support and for the chance to show the world just how amazing our kids are.”