root·stock (ro͞ot′stŏk) n. - The part of a plant, often underground, from which new above-ground growth can emerge, or which can be grafted onto a completely different plant to create a hybrid.

Rootstock Studios is a small-but-mighty songwriting, recording & media production space in Silver Spring, MD powered by musician, songwriter and producer Michael Shereikis (me).

Since opening Rootstock Studios in 2008, I have had the pleasure of producing critically-acclaimed albums for groups like Zieti, Chopteeth, Cheick Hamala Diabate, and Elikeh, as well as recording demos, video background music and creative audio content for a variety of clients.

Featured Music Productions

Howard University's "Read Africa Aloud" video series produced by Arzouma Kompaore, with background music by Rootstock Studios.

Rootstock Studios has produced audio and video programs for Afropop Worldwide, Howard University, The Africa Center, Celebrate Africa Festival (2021 virtual livestream) Takoma Radio, Takoma Park City TV, as well as teaching African music courses for the U.S. Foreign Service Institute, James Madison University and others.

Featured Media

Two African music legends are reunited (virtually) for this beautiful Afropop Worldwide program produced by Georges Collinet and the Afropop team, with a little help from Rootstock Studios.

"Home is Where the Music Is" was co-produced by Rootstock Studios/Jolly Papa and Georges Collinet Productions for the Africa Center in NYC. It explores the experience of African musicians working abroad in a variety of styles and locales, featuring interviews with Sampa the Great, Jupiter Bokondji (Jupiter & Okwess), Wunmi and Daniel Dzidzonu.

The sixth and final episode of Jolly Papa TV, produced by Rootstock Studios in collaboration with Takoma Park City TV.

Chopteeth Afrofunk Big Band performing (virtually) my song "Weigh Your Blessings" in the early days of COVID, produced by Rootstock Studios and Rachel Shereikis.

Rootstock Studios has been producing mostly African music in the Washington, DC area for the past 20 years with artists like Chopteeth, Zieti, Cheick Hamala Diabate, Massama Dogo and others.Rootstock Studios has also produced audio and video programs for Afropop Worldwide, Howard University, The Africa Center, Celebrate Africa Festival (2021 virtual livestream) Takoma Radio, Takoma Park City TV and more.

Michael's bio

"Technology is a servant who makes so much noise cleaning up in the next room that his master cannot make music.” — Karl Kraus

Rootstock Studios

Rootstock Studios is designed to maximize creative flow while minimizing distraction. Everything you need to bring a musical idea to life is dialed in and ready to roll: mics, drums, bass, guitars, synths, midi madness, a 16-channel interface and the latest Studio One software. The space is modest--just two small rooms in a converted garage--but it is mighty.

RECORDING

In addition to producing my own music, recent collaborators and clients include Zieti, Dogo du Togo, Cheick Hamala Diabate, Osekre & The Lucky Bastards, Jean-Marie Ahanda (of Les Têtes Brulées), The UnXpekt'D, Doublejig Music and others.

PERFORMING

For the past 18 years I have been the principal composer, lead singer and guitarist for 11-piece horn powerhouse Chopteeth Afrofunk Big Band, as well as occasionally playing bass with DOGO du Togo and Uasuf Gueye Trio.

ZIETI Orchestre Ivoiro-Américain

While living in Côte d'Ivoire in 1997 I joined up with Zieti just as the group was forming. We have stayed close ever since. With the generous help of US friends and family we have been able to ship instruments and musical gear, record albums remotely, open a studio in Abidjan and equip another studio in Laurent's village. In 2024 we built, brick-by-brick, the future home of Studio Djépao, Laurent's recording space and Guéré cultural center in far western Côte d'Ivoire. Below is a video recap of our efforts in 2024. We're going to keep working and dreaming, come what may...www.ZIETI.com

[**Check out the Rootstock Studios Spotify channel for African themed playlists.]

Michael's Story

A proper bio will be added to this space at some point, but the broad outline involves a midwestern kid, college on the east coast, married young (still married!), Peace Corps in the Central African Republic, grad school in New Orleans, two years in Abidjan (Cote d'Ivoire) doing graduate research on the anthropology of popular music, two awesome children, a decades-long collaboration with Ivoirian musicians Narcisse Yeoue and Laurent Tiende of Zieti, six years co-hosting the popular Jolly Papa radio and television programs and 20+ years performing and producing music as part of the Washington, DC African music scene, principally with Chopteeth Afrofunk Big Band. If you're asking, I sing, play guitar and play bass on stage, and am not shy on keyboards and drums in the studio.

Here's an interview and impromptu looper pedal set I did for VOA Afrique, Voice of America's French language channel, produced by Arzouma Kompaore, filmed at Rootstock Studios.