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Friday, March 14, 2014
Features
Irish Eyes
Musicians’ Village preserves rich tradition Isabella Cross Features Editor
After Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans natives Harry Connick Jr. and Branford Marsalis joined together with Habitat for Humanity to build 72 homes in the Upper Ninth Ward. In order to preserve New Orleans’ culture and musical history, the organization constructed the neighborhood. These complexes were built to provide housing for generations of musicians and their families after the catastrophe left them with no place to go. Habitat for Humanity purchased the 8.2 acre tract of land. With the help of over 40,000 volunteers, the neighborhood was built. People were reluctant to move back to Louisiana, but village resident James Westfall, who moved into his home in 2009 said, “Owning a house gives you a little more security, one less thing to worry about.” Originally from Houston, Westfall moved to Louisiana 14 years ago to study music with Ellis Marsallis at the University
Isabella Cross
Musicians’ Village brings together local performers in the New Orleans area.
Isabella Cross
Musicians’ Village, located in the Upper Ninth Ward, provides housing for local musicians who lost their homes after Hurricane Katrina. With the support of Habitat for Humanity and local celebrities Brad Pitt and Harry Conrick Jr., the neighborhood was built.
of New Orleans. He plays keyboard/piano and vibraphone. Westfall plays in two bands, a jazz trio band, “The Wee Trio” and an electro-pop band, “Bionica”. According to Westfall, “There are so many audiences in Louisiana, you never know if they’re there for you or just for the musical culture.” Westfall teaches the Thelonious Monk Institute NOCCA Jazz Combo at NOCCA. He helps them rehearse once a week. In the village, everyone knows each other by name. “I’ve met a lot of musicians that I would never have crossed paths with unless we lived on the same block,” Westfall said. One of the perks of living in the neighborhood is how it is quiet and secluded and how it is only a ten minute drive to the French Quarter, a popular place for musicians’ gigs. “I almost feel like I live in the suburbs,” Westfall said. Another perk is that musicians can rehearse together since they live in close proximity to each other. This makes for convenient collaborations for the fellow performers Westfall explained that when he was younger, he could handle music every night, but as a musician, having a day without music is really relaxing. Due to routine night performances by the musicians, everyone in the neighborhood is usually out after hours. Ellis Marsalis Center for Music, located in the center of the village, serves as the hub. It includes a theater that seats 170 people, a recording studio and a dance studio. Performances in the center have been gaining popularity in recent years and occasionally feature musical performances
from residents of the village. Westfall said, “It’s nice to have an opportunity to see other musicians perform.” The performances bring people to a part of town they normally would not visit. Because tickets are three dollars, the shows are a smart way for entertaining performances. Shows generally happen every Tuesday and often are tributes to famous Louisiana musicians. On Tuesday, March 11th, Jesse McBride and the Next Generation Big Band performed a tribute to Harold Batiste and Peter Badie. With the peak of the musical season approaching rapidly, more tourists are coming to town for festivals like Jazz Fest.
Southern Style Tours provides tours of Louisiana’s famous locations, including Musicians’ Village. “Every hour there’s a bus that drives by,” Westfall explained. He believes that tourists come visit because they have heard the story behind the village and want to see the sight for themselves. Various musicians from the village perform at Jazz Fest, French Quarter Fest and Loyola Jazz Fest. With all the different cultures and types of music in Louisiana, tourists like to hear different styles of music and experience the Louisiana culture through food and music. “Sometimes we have to remind ourselves to play music for the sake of playing music,” Westfall said.
Isabella Cross
The Ellis Marsalis Center offers classes in music as well as audio and engineering. The center has classes such as Mardi Gras beading. The classes are free of charge.