AGENCY PROFILE
Creating Next-Level Opportunity for Next-Level Talent
Across the touring live music industry, we represent fan-favorite musicians with both Latin and North American roots. We partner with trusted performing arts centers, festivals, and promoters to bring these acts to their fan bases.
With a rich network of venue partners across the United States and experienced industry knowledge, we employ a data-driven approach to help our clients reach their artistic goals.
We were one of the first talent agencies to book Latin artists into Performing Arts Centers and we continue to blend innovative vision with a seasoned approach.
With a passion for music shared with our clients and appreciation for business shared with venue partners, the Roots Agency is committed to facilitating successful deals formed through integrity, creativity, and collaboration.
HISTORY OF THE ROOTS AGENCY
The Roots Agency began in 1995 as Drake & LaRoche, an aspiring boutique agency representing a modest roster of five singer/songwriters. Founding partner Sean LaRoche heralded from the glory days of Premier Talent, a legendary booking agency, which represented such British giants as Led Zeppelin, The Who, Yes, and Jethro Tull. Under Sean’s tutelage, Tim Drake quickly learned the ropes, booking that same year his first 130-date national album promo tour (for Vance Gilbert’s Shaking Off Gravity). Over twenty years after its inception, the agency continues to focus on a small, but select roster. Recently, The Roots Agency was nominated for a 2017 Pollstar Award: Independent Booking Agency of the Year.
KEY PERSONNEL
Tim Drake – President/Agent
tim@therootsagency.com
201-263-9200
Tim Drake started in the music business at age fourteen, while still in high school. He promoted his first national act, Mountain, at age eighteen, which was followed soon thereafter by shows such as Billy Joel, Aerosmith, and The Kinks. In 1995, after fifteen years as an independent concert promoter, Tim founded a boutique booking agency, Drake & LaRoche, which was eventually re-named The Roots Agency.
Tim has served as Vice President of the Board of Directors for the North American Performing Arts Managers and Agents and frequently participates in industry forums and seminars and was awarded the NAPAMA Award for Excellence in the Performing Arts by an Agent or Manager. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Management from Pace University.
Tim is responsible for overseeing agency operations and for booking all promoters and presenters in New England, MidAtlantic, and Pacific Northwest.
Luisa Kormann – Agent
luisa@therootsagency.com
917-979-8589
Luisa Kormann was born and raised in Germany where she started her career in the Performing Arts as an Assistant Director at Theater Lübeck and Volksbühne Berlin. In 2014, Luisa moved to the U.S. to pursue her Master’s Degree in Performing Arts Administration at New York University. After graduation, she worked in the Development Departments Jazz at Lincoln Center and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater before becoming the Agent for the Southeast at BiCoastal Productions in 2017. Since 2020, Luisa has worked as the Agent for the Midwest and Southeast at The Roots Agency.
Luisa is currently the Vice President of the Board of Directors of North American Performing Arts Managers and Agents.