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.

Photo Recap: The Packer Collegiate Institute Masterclass

On Tuesday, March 18th, the Preservation Hall Foundation hosted the Packer Collegiate Institute for a masterclass and private concert with their 19-piece big band.

Led by Jeffrey Hills, Darryl Adams, and Frank Oxley, the masterclass taught the students about styles and types of songs played in the Traditional New Orleans Jazz repertoire, as well as how to better their ensemble playing both in small and large groups. Check out these pictures from their trip here:

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Photo Recap: The Parker Elementary School Jazz Band Master Class

In April, we had the pleasure of hosting the Parker Elementary School Jazz Band from Houston, TX. The group, comprised of fourth and fifth grade students, joined us on a weekend field trip, where they performed at UNO and Loyola University. We were happy to have them join us and learn from Mr. Maynard Chatters. The Parker Elementary School Jazz Band students walked away learning more about Traditional New Orleans Jazz, as well as ensemble playing.

Check out these photos from their day of masterclasses:

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If you know of a school or music group that is coming to New Orleans for a field trip and would like to have a masterclass at Preservation Hall, please contact Ashley Shabankareh at ashley@preshallfoundation.org.

The Preservation Hall Junior Jazz Band to Appear on WWOZ’s Cuttin’ Class Series

For over 30 years WWOZ has put New Orleans music, past and present, on the airwaves. Now they are looking to the future by showcasing Nola’s newest crop of young musicians. Together with Coventry Health Care of Louisiana, WWOZ is thrilled to present Cuttin’ Class – a series of live in-studio performances by middle and high school age students from the Greater New Orleans area.

Each Cuttin’ Class presentation brings young Nola musicians to the studio to give them the chance to perform on live radio. The show hosts sits down with the band leaders to talk about the band, what it’s like to be young musician, and about the music education opportunities in New Orleans. The future is in our hands, and we want to give it all the encouragement and support we can. The schools and organizations bringing bands to Cuttin’ Class are doing just that: making sure that New Orleans music is a passed on down through the generations.

The Preservation Hall Junior Jazz Band is honored and thrilled to be a part of this music series. Tune into WWOZ 90.7 on Tuesday, April 2nd at 10:00am to catch our fine young talents perform Traditional New Orleans Jazz! Don’t live in New Orleans, no problem! You can also stream the performance live at http://www.wwoz.org!