On Monday, December 8th, in conjunction with the Manship Theatre in Baton Rouge, the Preservation Hall Foundation with members of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band conducted a very special outreach event for the youth of the Baton Rouge Juvenile Detention Center.
In the span of two hours, pianist Rickie Monie, drummer Joe Lastie Jr., tuba player Ronell Johnson, and trombonist/singer Freddie Lonzo performed three short sets as part of Manship Theatre’s partnership with the detention center to bring arts into the lives of the young people serving time there. Each show lasted roughly 30 minutes, with a personal concert with tunes such as “Bourbon Street Parade,” “Hello Dolly,” and “When the Saints Go Marchin’ In.” After each song, members of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band had time for questions and discussion.
By the end of each performance, the students were nodding their heads, dancing, and immersing themselves in the arts.
On Thursday, December 18th from 4 to 5pm, the Preservation Hall Foundationcelebrated the launch of their education outreach programNeighborhood Horns. Neighborhood Horns places introductory learning instruments directly in the hands of students interested in traditional New Orleans jazz. In addition, the program provides students with continuing music education, expanding their development in live performance, history, theory and practice, as well as opportunities to participate in masterclasses at Preservation Hall and community performances.
The event took place at Lagniappe Academies, the first recipients of Neighborhood Horns, located in the Treme just blocks from the French Quarter and Preservation Hall. Their students, faculty and staff were treated to a performance from the PresHall Brass with special guests from the Preservation Hall Jazz Band , which concluded in a presentation of pBones and pTrumpets to their school and their students. The pBone and pTrumpet are light-weight, durable, and accessible instruments made of plastic, ideal for the younger students who may have difficulty with the weight and balance of a metal instrument. Made in the UK for brass players by brass players, the pBones and pTrumpets come in an array of bright colors and will allow us to help teach students at Lagniappe Academies without have them fear that they are mishandling or damaging the instrument.
The mission of Lagniappe Academies is to promote academic excellence, resilience, and self-awareness in New Orleans’ children. By partnering with families, community organizations, and other institutions that share our core beliefs, Lagniappe Academies inspires students to celebrate their cultural heritage and embrace new opportunities.
Lagniappe Academies has a unique method of achieving a strong, comprehensive student and staff culture. Using research from the field of positive psychology, their school culture promotes well-being, resilience, relationships, and good habits. Additionally, Lagniappe Academies is one of 341 open-enrollement schools in the state with 90% or more of their students who receive free or reduced lunches and only one of 22 schools in the state to receive a letter grade of “A” or “B.”
Check out some photos and videos of the event below.
On Friday, December 5th, Mark Braud and Ben Jaffe of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band joined the students of Waltrip High School for a Masterclass with their top jazz band. During their hour masterclass, students performed for Ben Jaffe and Mark Braud on a variety of tunes from their current repertoire.
Check out these photos from their masterclass below:
Little Kids Rock is one of the largest free music education programs, having aided in the development of more than 325,000 under-served schoolchildren across the U.S. access to fun, engaging, Modern Band music classes and brand new instruments at no cost to the students, teachers, or school districts. The group of students that came to the sound check were only a few of their many talented students. It was a great opportunity for some of their students to attend their first performance and to observe and learn more about professional musicians, their processes, and soundcheck.
Check out some of the photos of their time with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band!
On Saturday, November 15th, the Preservation Hall Foundation was joined by the Joybox Express to conduct a very special performance and masterclass for the students of the Roots of Music.
The Joybox Express is a 501(c)(3) that raises money for charitable organizations that enhance the quality of children’s lives, focusing on those that provide access to programs in the arts & athletics. In their most recent endeavor, they paired up with Artrain to travel the entire length of the Mississippi River by bicycle, from the headwaters at Lake Itasca in Minnesota to New Orleans. Pushing off on September 1, they visited dozens of communities in this 95-day, 2,000-mile journey, offering concerts, workshops, and Group Rides to as many people as possible, especially kids when possible. Eleven educators were a part of their team, preparing materials and a suggested curriculum to maximize the educational impact of our visits.
Check out these incredible photos from their time at Preservation Hall!
Mark your calendar. In less than one week, millions of individuals across the globe will come together to make Tuesday, December 2nd, the most charitable day ever. Join the Preservation Hall Foundation this Giving Tuesday to help protect, preserve, and perpetuate Traditional New Orleans Jazz.
Additionally, you can celebrate Giving Tuesday by visiting Preservation Hall between 12PM and 5PM that day for special Giving Tuesday sales. Special items include a one day only release of the limited edition Preservation Hall Jazz Band signed 2014 official New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival poster. All sales will benefit Preservation Hall and the Preservation Hall Foundation.
On October 29th, Ben Jaffe and Charlie Gabriel of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, in conjunction with the Preservation Hall Foundation, CenterStage’s BrightLights Education and Modlin Center for the Arts, conducted a masterclass and lecture series for students in Richmond, VA. The event focused on the history of New Orleans Jazz and the civil rights movement. During the class, Ben and Charlie invited students to come up and learn improvisational techniques and ended the class with a small performance.
After the masterclass, Ben Jaffe stated: “When you walk into a these new environments meeting young people for the first time you never know what your are going to encounter. Working with the students in Richmond reminded me of the power of music and what I get to do everyday. Those students really knocked my socks off in terms of understanding and appreciating Charlie and me as well. The level of their musical skills was incredibly impressive for students that age.”
Take a look at some of the photos take by Shannon Hooker of the Modlin Center for the Arts:
The concert was a combination of performance, as well as the history and culture of New Orleans jazz music and Preservation Hall’s role in it. During the presentation, Mr. Freddie Lonzo was surprised with a copy of Second Line Magazine from the Gwynedd Mercy University Archives that featured a photo of him from over 40 years earlier!
Mr. Monie and Mr. Johnson started their masterclasses at Fretz Middle School, teaching their middle school band students more about improvisation. The band played a riveting version of “Saints go Marching In” at the conclusion of the class, one of their first performances as a full band!
Later in the afternoon, they joined students at School Street Elementary, a group of beginner band students who had yet to play their first full tune together. After teaching the student more about playing together as a band, they learned and subsequently played “Hot Cross Buns.” It was a treat not only for their students, but for Mr. Monie and Mr. Johnson.
Now that the dust has settled, we wanted to take time to thank all of our wonderful performers, partners and you, the fans, for making our first annual Preservation Hall Ball a roaring success!
To our performers who joined the Preservation Hall Jazz Band on this historic of evenings: Allen Toussaint, Ani DiFranco, Maverick Sabre, Tao Rodríguez-Seeger, Beats Antique, Topsy Chapman and Betty Ann Williams, we extend our deepest gratitude.
Due to your generosity the Preservation Hall Foundationwill be able to continue to disperse instruments and provide music lessons to young aspiring jazz musicians, and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band will persist with their numerous outreach events while touring the world. The donations will truly go towards preserving, perpetuating and protecting the art of traditional New Orleans jazz and it is all thanks to YOU.
See you next year at the Ball and the next time you join us at the Hall!
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