GR OO VE
Keeping the
28 | TUL A NE SCHO O L O F LIBER A L A RTS M AG A ZINE
SUMMER COURSE/ CREATIVE INDUSTRIES SPOTLIGHT For the past eight years, William (Bill) Taylor has been teaching courses on the music business for the School of Liberal Arts in addition to his work in the New Orleans community. Since 1997, Taylor has worked with renowned organizations and institutions such as WWOZ, Tipitina’s, and the Trombone Shorty Foundation, where he is now executive director. This summer, Taylor bridged these experiences with his desire to introduce students to New Orleans’ dynamic cultural history and offerings in his course “Keeping the Groove,” presented as part of the Creative Industries Summer Program. Throughout “Keeping the Groove,” students gained a greater understanding of the city’s music culture, heard from many musical guest speakers, learned how the music business functions, and explored how this particular community approaches challenging situations. Taylor’s experience working with musicians and businesses on relief efforts in the years following Hurricane Katrina became an important foundation for class discussions as students navigated a changing cultural landscape during a global pandemic. Through coursework and a service-learning component with the Trombone Shorty Foundation, Taylor’s course gave students a pathway to learn from, engage with, and consider how the musical cultures of New Orleans can help us navigate the future.
