DJ Tree Narkewicz performs a set at Open Decks Night at the Roots Music Project in Boulder, Colorado, on Sept. 2, 2026. (Photo by Liam Howard)
Roots Music Project seeks to help Boulder musicians get noticed in the streaming era
By Liam Howard
Roots Music Project is looking to give Boulder’s artists an opportunity to perform and promote their music regardless of the resources available to them.
One example of that was Open Decks Night on Sept. 2, which allowed local DJs a free platform to perform.
“Any publicity is good publicity,” said Tree Narkewicz, who was one of the performers that evening.
A small crowd looking to hear new artists showed up to support the local talent in an atmosphere of smoke machines and bright lights. Five DJs took the stage, and their talent was evident.
But it raised one question: Why haven’t they been discovered yet?
As streaming platforms have transformed the music world, local artists have had to change how they approach getting started in the industry.
Boulder has a fair share of local artists looking to get started, especially with the University of Colorado Boulder’s College of Music producing young artists. The city also has a variety of performance venues, such as the Fox Theatre and Chautauqua Auditorium, where artists at various stages of their careers can find their footing.
“Denver is just a hub for a lot of emerging artists,” said Jackson, a master’s student in trombone performance and pedagogy at the College of Music, adding, “ … Along Pearl Street, a lot of people busk, and it’s common for a lot of the students here to busk as well.”
But the way that artists find their audience has changed. Steele at Roots Music Project said it requires more initiative on the artists’ end.
“A lot of promotion used to come from the venue,” Steele said. “… Now, it has completely flipped to where the artist is the promoter.
“If the artist isn’t promoting themselves and they aren’t marketing their music, I can tell instantly because that show will sell two to three tickets.”
Roots Music Project is a nonprofit organization that started in 2019 behind founder Dave Kennedy.
The organization raises money through ticket sales and education to continue supporting local artists. And part of its education program focuses on helping artists traverse the complexities of the industry.
“Part of our education model is, ‘Look, I know you don’t want to be social media influencers, but you don’t have to be,” Steele said. “Just get people to enjoy you and your art. Find a way to present it in this new digital world, because it has definitely changed, and it’s still constantly changing.”
The Roots Music Project’s website lists streaming and the impact of AI as a gap in the growth of local artists that it is trying to fill: “How can musicians survive if their products are being ripped off by AI and given away for free?”
Roots Music Project is also preparing the next generation for the music industry — 42% of the organization’s performers are under 25.
While sponsors and fundraising events have helped grow Roots Music Project, education has become its primary path forward.
“I could just open my doors and let anybody come in here and play, but I’m just hemorrhaging money doing that,” Steele said. “So, we have to get national bands, bring them to town, and pair them with great local bands. That seems simple, but it’s quite hard to do.”
