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!
This Saturday, September 13th, join the Preservation Hall Jazz Band as they perform at Farm Aid, 2014.Farm Aid features the best that music has to offer, while remaining true to its ultimate mission – supporting family farmers on their land.
For 28 years, Farm Aid has been supporting farmers and strengthening America. Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp organized the first Farm Aid concert in 1985 to raise awareness about the loss of family farms and to raise funds to keep farm families on their land. Dave Matthews joined the Farm Aid Board of Directors in 2001. Farm Aid has raised more than $45 million to promote a strong and resilient family farm system of agriculture.
The Preservation Hall Foundation is honored to help bring and sponsor the Preservation Hall Jazz Band performance at Farm Aid! Don’t forget to check out the Farm Aid Youtube page during the concert to see footage from the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and many other incredible artists!
Friends and Preservation Hall Foundation Supporters! We’re excited to announce the Preservation Hall Ball at the Civic Theatre in New Orleans on Friday, October 3rd, a benefit for the Preservation Hall Foundation.
Grammy-winner and New Orleans icon, Allen Toussaint, will join Preservation Hall Jazz Band at the Preservation Hall Ball to debut their joint “Oh Yeah!” national tour, which will depart for 40 shows across the country the following week. Ani DiFranco, experimental world fusion and electronic group Beats Antique, and Alexander Ebert, lead singer and songwriter of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros will all also join the Preservation Hall Jazz Band as we pay tribute to the band’s first pianist and touring band leader “Sweet” Emma Barrett, with a night of unique musical collaborations and entertainment, with more guests to be announced.
All proceeds from the Preservation Ball will directly benefit The Preservation Hall Foundation. The Preservation Hall Foundation’s mission is to protect and perpetuate music education programs for underprivileged children in the greater New Orleans area. The foundation sponsors a wide array of community programs ranging from school field trips, master classes, free community performances, and private lessons. More information on programs and how to get involved at http://preservationhall.com/hall/foundation/.
TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE NOW! CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE!
On July 3rd, members of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band performed songs from the New Orleans traditional jazz repertoire and selections from their new album of original songs, “That’s It!” at Battersea Park for an outreach performance. During the show, Creative Director Ben Jaffe, whose parents started the legendary venue of the band in 1961, briefly discussed the origins of jazz in New Orleans, a history of Preservation Hall and its significance of in the American Civil Rights movement.
Earlier this summer, the Preservation Hall Foundation received a Mid-Atlantic Arts Council USArtists International grant for support of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band‘s European tour. This 6-week tour was the most important international outreach activity for the current members of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band since their 2006 post-Katrina tour. The band performed at key festivals in The Netherlands, France and Switzerland in conjunction with the European release of “That’s It!” by Sony Music in the territories. This not only yielded a tremendous boost in profile, but also added resounding audience support and promoter enthusiasm has opened the door for other European festivals and shows in the future.
On the creative side, the band benefited greatly by performing in the amazing setting of the French Riviera on Bastille Day at the 52nd annual Jazz a Juan Festival. This event was very meaningful to the musicians in the band, as it is in the adopted home of their idol and mentor Sidney Bichet. The presence of a memorial statue in a park near the stage led the band on a journey to pay homage to the clarinetist and composer, which progressed into the live performance during which the band played two Bichet compositions to round out the set, El Manicero and Saint Louis Blues, now part of the regular set list.
Check out these photos from the Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s performances at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, Netherlands on 7/11, Jazz a Juan Festival in Antives, France on 7/14, and Jazz Tage Lenk Festival in Lenk, Switzerland on 7/19.
On Thursday, July 31st, we hosted the Capital Focus Jazz Band, the Youth Learning Program of the Potomac River Jazz Club. Led under the direction of Dave Robinson, the group marvelously played Traditional New Orleans Jazz standards with the utmost flair. The group is open to all young musicians in the greater Washington D.C. area, by audition, and provides young people with a positive means of expression, as well as self-confidence gained through professional performance experiences.
The Capital Focus Jazz Band raised funds for their trip via indiegogo, and also performed as a part of the Satchmo SummerFest. We can’t wait to see what their students do next!
Check out these photos of their performance at Preservation Hall.
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