Preservation Hall Foundation Launches Neighborhood Horns At Lagniappe Academies

On Thursday, December 18th from 4 to 5pm, the Preservation Hall Foundation celebrated 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.

About Lagniappe Academies:

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.

Waltrip High School’s Masterclass with Ben Jaffe and Mark Braud

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 Meet the Preservation Hall Jazz Band

On November 1st, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band were joined by students from the Little Kids Rock from Brooklyn, NY for an open soundcheck.

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!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

 

 

 

Outreach Recap: The Joybox Express and Roots of Music masterclass at Preservation Hall

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 slideshow requires JavaScript.

Outreach Recap: Rickie Monie and Ronell Johnson work with BCPAC students

On Thursday, October 16th, Rickie Monie and Ronell Johnson of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band visited a few schools in Bradford, PA as a part of the Preservation Hall Foundation‘s ongoing outreach initiates while the band is out on tour with Allen Toussaint.

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.

Check out these photos from their masterclass!

 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

Thank You for Having A “Ball!”

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.

We want to acknowledge our wonderful partners, for without whom this wouldn’t have been possible. The Civic Theatre, Bowery South, Hotel Monteleone, Pyramid Audio, Hall Piano, Whole Foods, Capital One and Loftin Group LLC.

Due to your generosity the Preservation Hall Foundation will 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!

The Bells Of The ‘Ball’

Maverick Sabre, Ani DiFranco Allen Toussaint, Beats Antique, Tao Rodriguez-Seeger and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band

Photo Recap: Afterglow Reception and Carr Center Outreach in Detroit, MI

On October 6th, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band  and the Preservation Hall Foundation partnered with the Carr Center , a non-profit arts institution that produces historic and cultural programming for youth and adults, n efforts to preserve Detroit artists, Detroit culture and Detroit’s African-American history.

Joining in for their ongoing program, “A Day at the Carr,” the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, along with members of Gabriel Hall, as well as legendary, award-winning Detroit trumpeter, Marcus Belgrave provided a riveting performance and historical session on the connection between Detroit and New Orleans to the students of Cass Technical High School. Check out this photo of everyone who was involved in the program!

 

Later that week, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band along with Gabriel Hall partnered for “Afterglow,” an official after-show reception that benefited both Gabriel Hall and the Preservation Hall Foundation.

The reception immediately followed the Music Hall concert and helped further bring awareness for the forthcoming opening of Gabriel Hall in Detroit while enjoying cocktails and complimentary creole food by Gabriel Hall’s chef at this intimate fundraiser at the Jazz Cafe inside the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts.

The event also honored Charlie Gabriel, senior clarinetist and saxophonist with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, a Detroiter for more than 50 years and one of the strongest living ties between New Orleans’ musical influence on Detroit jazz, brass and Motown. His nephew Dameon Gabriel, a lifelong Detroiter, is spearheading the opening of the Gabriel Hall music venue, restaurant, bar and mini-musuem in Detroit.

Check out photos from the reception below:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Photo Recap: Preservation Hall Jazz Band Masterclass at OKCU

On Thursday, September 25th, the Preservation Hall Foundation and Oklahoma City University hosted the Preservation Hall Jazz Band for a masterclass for some of their up-and-coming music performance students, led under the director of Professor of Trumpet, Michael Anderson. During the masterclass, students performed tunes such as “The Preacher,” “All of Me,” and “La Vie En Rose” and enhanced their performances under the guidance of Ben Jaffe, Rickie Monie, Joe Lastie, and Mark Braud.

Check out these photos from their masterclass:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Preservation Hall Foundation Hosts the Capital Focus Jazz Band

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.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

 

 

Photo Recap: Silence is Violence Field Trip to Preservation Hall

On Saturday, May 31st, the PresHall Brass and the Preservation Hall Foundation welcomed local non-profit Silence is Violence and their Peace Music Clinic musicians. Their students were introduced to the hall, its history, and danced all throughout the PresHall Brass’s performance.

Check out these photos from their time at Preservation Hall!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

About Silence is Violence:

SilenceIsViolence is a campaign for peace in New Orleans, founded following the murders of musician Dinerral Shavers (December 28, 2006) and filmmaker Helen Hill (January 4, 2007). Dinerral and Helen were beloved friends, neighbors, and artists of New Orleans’ Bywater-Marigny district. Following these tragedies, Ken Foster, Helen Gillet, and Baty Landis organized a march to New Orleans City Hall to express dismay at the silence of city leadership on the issue of violent crime.

The January 11, 2007 March For Survival was attended by 5,000 concerned citizens. On that day, citizens from all parts of the city spoke directly to our leaders and each other about their fears and hopes for a safer and more equitable city—and SilenceIsViolence was founded.

The mission of the Silence is Violence is to call upon both citizens and public officials to achieve a safe New Orleans across all communities. We engage youth in positive expressions and actions to counter the culture of violence. We demand respect for every life, and justice for every citizen in our city.