Dallas artist Angel White is among the lineup for this year’s Rooted in Rhythm showcase.

Rachel Parker

Rooted in Rhythm, a DFW-based music showcase spotlighting up-and-coming country artists, returns for its second year to keep building bridges between creatives and opportunity.

The concert is headlined by Elsie, a country musician who came into the national spotlight on Season 21 of “America’s Got Talent” earlier this year. She will be joined by North Texas’ own Angel White, Andrea Vasquez, Adrian Garza, Southbound Twins, Lori Rayne and spoken-word performer ShySpeaks. The festival will be on Saturday, Oct. 3 at McKinney venue District 121.

Millennial Maven Creative Foundation (MMCF), the nonprofit behind the annual Rooted in Rhythm showcase, is dedicated to providing women and youth economic equality through mentorship, training and a variety of hands-on educational experiences, affording them greater exposure to the arts. The concert prioritizes country artists of color, hoping to offer more opportunities in a space that has historically been monopolized by white artists.

“What was important for us was to showcase emerging artists in all colors,” says Bridgette Jones, executive director of MMCF. “They need to be seen, and they need a place where they can showcase their talent. We wanted to provide a platform for them to be able to do it and just to make it more accessible. That’s the entire goal of the Millennial Maven Creative Foundation: to create different economic opportunities for creatives right here in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.” 

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Mississippi native Elsie, who performed at last year’s inaugural concert, says what MMCF is doing with this showcase is priceless. 

“I couldn’t be more excited to be returning as a headliner of Rooted in Rhythm. This is such an incredible cause, and it’s so needed,” Elsie tells the Observer. “Instead of begging for a seat at the country music table, the Millennial Maven Creative Foundation decided to build their own.”

The theme for Rooted in Rhythm this year is “Positively Pink” to honor the life of a creative and friend of the organization, Destiny, who died of metastatic breast cancer at the age of 30.

“When you think of health, that’s a major part of being able to create,” Jones says. “When you’re healthy, you’re able to have a clear mind, and you’re able to do the things that you want to do. So, we really wanted this festival to focus on giving people opportunities who may have obstacles [and] to get them the funding and the accessibility that they need in order to try out those new skills, or to pivot into a creative career.” 

To further keep Destiny’s legacy alive, MMCF created the “Create Your Destiny Grant,” a fund to support the art of creators who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, ensuring treatment won’t be the thing that keeps them from pursuing their art.

“We hope this grant makes it possible to try. Becoming an entrepreneur myself, sometimes you just need the ability to just do it without strings attached, without being afraid to fail,” Jones says. “I like to say that we encourage people to be successful failures. A lot of times, people do not do creative careers because they do not have the financial support in order to do it.”

The showcase is also part of a larger season of the organization’s programming, including line dance classes, a financial literacy workshop presented by Credit Union of Texas, an exclusive listening party at Lane Boots and more.

“We will have different workshops that will be geared towards musicians to ensure that not only do you get to perform, but how can you create longevity in this career? And that’s through our financially sound workshop,” Jones says. “So, we’re trying to do all of the work to ensure that creatives, especially in the Dallas area, actually can have a sustainable career.” 

Rooted in Rhythm will take place on Saturday, Oct. 3, at District 121 in McKinney. Doors open at 2:00 PM, with performances running from 3:00 PM to 10:00 PM. For more information, check out the organization’s website. Tickets start at $35.