Roach collaborated with musician Chris Rodrigues, her longtime musical partner, to celebrate an obscure holiday. The enchanting combination of Roach’s skillfully greased spoon and Rodrigues’ resonator guitar set this performance apart.
Unlike typical videos of teenagers strumming guitars or pianists covering pop songs, there’s something unique about their music, the setting, and the genuine passion they exude. Despite the porch’s intimate ambiance, the duo retains the approachable charm of street performers.
In her formal capacity back in town, Roach serves as the president of the Asheville Buskers Collective. Despite the seemingly spontaneous nature of street performances, the collective ensures fairness among Asheville’s buskers. They advocate for a system where performers “rotate to another location every two hours, allowing the waiting busker to take over.” Discussing this structure with the Washington Post, Roach remarked, “Everybody follows it … it kind of perpetuates itself. … But the best part about it is, it gives our performers out here a chance to listen to each other and get to know each other.”
After Roach’s porch performances went viral, eager audiences now gather on the sidewalks to witness such musical magic. Despite the newfound attention, Roach, accustomed to local success, nonchalantly notes, “Our crowds were spilling into the street long before (the viral video) … we were used to having large crowds.” It’s heartening to witness a talented musician like Roach receiving the recognition she deserves
