The Times-Picayune
STRIKE UP THE BAND

Stoked by the music culture smoldering in New Orleans, school marching bands are ready to set Carnival afire
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
By Darran Simon
Paul Batiste wanted everything to be perfect, so he slept only a few hours the night before. He made a mental checklist as he drove from his home in Metairie to Sophie B. Wright Charter School on Sunday:
Pass out the uniforms and white gloves, keep an inventory of everything, make sure the band is calm -- and get them ready to march. His musicians couldn't help their excitement.
At Sophie B. Wright, the birth of a new tradition sparked emotions just as high.

Paul Batiste directs the first-ever marching band at Sophie B. Wright Charter School. Last year, before they had instruments, Batiste had drum student beat on drum pads and textbooks. “Marching bands, the ones that are developing, are helping the city to come back from the storm,” Batiste said.
Batiste knew his musicians had been forced to prepare at warp speed, since the band started just last year. He would have them play a song over and over again. Then, he made them flip over the sheet music and play it from memory.
Last year, before they had instruments, Batiste had them beat on drum pads and textbooks.
Sunday would the first of four parades, a small number compared with the likes of Xavier and St. Augustine, but it didn't matter. Sophie B. Wright now would be part of the tradition.
"Marching bands right now, the ones that are developing, are helping the city to come back from the storm," Batiste said.
Dionne Cooper's son, David, made her drive around to the houses of seven relatives the night before to let them know David, a drum major, was marching -- and they had better come see him. He had worn his marching shoes out on a day painting murals for a city program. "I have to break them in," he told her.
Cooper set the alarm for 6 a.m. to wake up David that morning. When she got up, Cooper found her son in the bathroom, already brushing his teeth. Cooper was a student at Sophie B. Wright back in the 1980s. She had marched at John McDonough from 1987 through 1989. It would be a proud day for her, too.
Conveniently, perhaps fittingly, their campus sits right on the parade route, so the students could walk to line up on Napoleon Avenue for Sunday's Carrollton parade. Batiste hugged a parent volunteer at the school for luck and followed after his band. They would march in an hour, about noon. "Stay in line," Batiste told them. He knows a thing or two about music. He is part of the Batiste Brothers Band, which plays a mix of funk, jazz and R&B.
Alonzo Cyprian, 13, kept track of the time with his orange digital watch. "Two minutes to 11:30," he yelled out to no one in particular. "You heard me," said Alonzo, who plays the trumpet, trying to make sure it sunk in. He and his fellow musicians sat on the grass or knelt on one knee. A few munched on chocolate provided by a parent. Another parent squirted water in the mouths of thirsty musicians. Alonzo stopped watching the clock after noon. It was now about 12:30 p.m., 30 minutes after their start time. The call came a few minutes later. The band filed out between Oktoberfest and Indianapolis 500 floats.
"Left, left, left, right, left," Batiste said, watching his musicians walk down Napoleon.
"We have to work as hard as we can to get the music back," Batiste said, "and what better way than to carry a banner and march with pride for the city.
The New York Times
In New Orleans, Bands Struggle to Regain Footing


Lee Celano for The New York Times

Members of the St. Augustine Marching 100 dressed for the Krewe d'Etat parade in New Orleans last week.
NEW ORLEANS , Feb. 19 — When the first Mardi Gras after Hurricane Katrina took place last year, New Orleanians felt something vital was missing: the strutting steps and triumphal horns of the city's proud, immensely competitive high school bands marching between the floats
The reason was obvious: Nearly all the city's schools were still shut, and most of the students had been evacuated. This year fewer than a third of the public schools in New Orleans have reopened — many more are due this fall — and much of the city's old population remains dispersed. But some of the top high school bands are back: a rare, heartening sign not only for the parades but also for the long-term vitality of New Orleans culture.
“Music is New Orleans, and marching bands are part of every phase of our city's life,” said Allen T. Woods, the principal of Frederick A. Douglass High School in the hard-hit Ninth Ward. His school's band was booked for two parades in this Mardi Gras season, which began on Feb. 10. The members are wearing matching warm-up suits, since band uniforms are still on order. But they are marching.
But music has not been a priority for New Orleans schools struggling to reconstruct buildings and entire academic programs. Paul Batiste, the band director of the Sophie B. Wright Charter School, had his band practicing on what he could afford from his own pocket — just the mouthpieces for trumpets and clarinets — until instruments were provided by private groups, including the Tipitina's Foundation and Mr. Holland's Opus. FEMA has also supplied instruments to some schools, among them Douglass High School in the Ninth Ward.

PAUL A. BATISTE CONSERVATORY OF THE ARTS, INC.
A Non-Profit Corporation
P.O. Box 74491
Metairie, LA. 70033
paulbatiste@aol.com

Paul A. Batiste is one of seven boys born to John and Estella Batiste. He is a professional musician, band director, guitar teacher and composer. He is the recipient of the Superintendent's Award, Con Brio (for service to music), the National Elementary Schools Recognition Award and the Wal-Mart 2007 local Teacher of the Year Award. In addition, his experience in education and the entertainment business spans 20 years. He has been an educator for more than 20 years and 35 years of being a leader of the Gladiators, and more recently, the Batiste Brothers Band who was honored by the Ladies in Red. Also, he is a veteran of the US Army and former member of the 204 th and 202 nd Military Police Company and he has received the National Defense Medal. This makes him a knowledgeable and talented asset to the community.

Currently, he is the band director and guitar teacher at Sophie B. Wright Charter School in New Orleans, Louisiana. He has embarked on an effort that will impact the music industry of Louisiana. The mission of the Conservatory is to put music education first in the music industry. By strengthening the music departments of our school systems, we strengthen the school system. The purpose of the Conservatory is to restore, preserve, protect, and support the arts in our schools. The Conservatory is an educational organization whose goals include replacing band instruments, band uniforms, sheet music materials and supplies lost due to Hurricane Katrina and providing scholarships to music students.

You can help! By making a tax-exempt donation to the Paul A. Batiste Conservatory of the Arts, Inc., a non-profit corporation and a 501(c) 3, you help fund the process of teaching the whole child. Music is an integral part of the learning process. Music develops self-esteem, self concept, self awareness, discipline, character, school spirit and a sense of belonging. In a like manner, it has been proven that it helps with test taking and the overall production of a student's development.

Finally, assist us in placing music instruments in the hands of young people while keeping them away from instruments of destruction. Let's put the Arts in young people's lives.

These are excerpts from the book “Chord Changes on the Chalkboard (How the Public School Teachers Shaped Jazz and the Music of New Orleans)” by Al Kennedy.
“Music teacher Paul Batiste Strapped on his guitar and as in years past at the Lafayette Music Festival, Backed Up musicians playing a wide variety of New Orleans musical styles. An itinerant instrumental music teacher who visits Lafayette Elementary Several days a week to teach instrumental music to beginners, Batiste offers his students a living lesson in New Orleans music history whether he is teaching or performing.
  

Whenever a band is short a guitarist or just needs his accompaniment, Batiste switches easily among jazz, rhythm and blues, country gospel and whatever other musical styles the performers require. Since 1991, when former Lafayette teacher Sue Hall started the annual festival with former Principal Ann Bashful, Batiste's guitar has been the backbone of the Lafayette House Band. A dedicated and determined teacher, Batiste has organized and promoted the school festival, and his work as a backup musician on the day of the festival can stretch to eight hours. Batiste donates his time to raise funds so Lafayette School will be able to purchase a few more instruments, enabling him to reach a few more children.

While speaking of other musicians, Batiste is also speaking of himself and Lafayette co-workers when he remarks that “New Orleans musicians are some of the must unselfish musicians in the world.” He explains that musicians often give their time-at no charge-to help young children learn to play an instrument. The loose musical network of New Orleans links the musicians to the children and the schools. Everybody benefits.

Musicians give school a big boost - Fest to benefit Lafayette
By JVL BENSON

 

Lafayette Elementary School on South Carrollton Avenue has friends in musical places. In fewer than three years, the volunteer efforts of local musicians have helped the school buy 30 pieces of band equipment and install a public address system in the school auditorium.

But the school's very best friend has to be its principal, Ann Bashful, who decks the walls to the corridor out side the school office with pictures of musicians, such as the one of Kid Thomas and his Algiers Stompers at Speck's Moulin Rouge. Her most notable achievement, however, was the idea for an annual Gospel and Jazz Festival at the school, the third of which will take place Saturday.

It just so happened that Bashful was surrounded by people with connections who could make such a thing happen in a grand way.

At the time, I had Hezekiah Brinson as a vocal teacher. He was the director of Brothers and Sisters In Christ, a gospel group, and I had Sam Henry, a musician with his own band, as a string teacher, I had Paul Batiste, a member of the Batiste Brothers Band, as a band teacher. “All of them had so many connections in the music community. Hezekiah brought the gospel people in and Paul, Henry and Sue brought the jazz people in. I was so lucky they all knew so many people”.

“Three years later, Brinson has been replaced by Brenda McIntosh as vocal teacher and Henry and Batiste have fallen victim to budget cuts”.

“I've been a professional musician for many years,” said Henry, who still helps the school with its music festival. I believe in the adage ‘educating the total child'.

In a like manner, Batiste continues to call in favors from fellow musicians who can help make the festival a success. “One can always count on New Orleans musicians to provide a valuable resource to the city”, he said. “Similarly, elementary school bands are the foundation for the parade seasons and many other industries in the city. To support music education is to support our city's future”.

Bashful agrees and eagerly awaits the day when there will be enough resources to develop and outstanding music department at the school.

The Times-Picayune
Friday, November 22, 1991
By John Richardson

New Orleans

On Election Day Nov. 16, I was lucky enough to attend a gospel and jazz festival and Lafayette Elementary School.

I enjoyed performances by some true New Orleans legends—Danny Barker, Pud Brown, Allen Toussaint, George and Leo of the Meters, Marva Wright, Barbara Shorts, the Batiste Brothers, Wanda Rouzan and Sam Henry. All these great artists dated their services free of charge, I understand.

This event, from a foreigner's perspective (I am from England), was quite enthralling. On a historic election day, I watched young people and old, black people and white, relaxing and enjoying some great music. Hats off to all concerned, musicians and citizens of your wonderful city, for showing how people can live and work together .

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC NEWS
New Orleans Needs Pianos, and Jazz
Pilgrims Deliver

Out of the Storm

When guitarist and keyboardist Paul Batiste joins the Batiste Brothers onstage at the festival May 7, he and his tow brothers onstage at the festival May 7, he and his two brothers will all be performing on donated instruments.

Batiste also uses his donated keyboard, obtained through the fund, to teach music at the Sophie B Wright Charter School in New Orleans.

I'm also helping my students at Sophie B. Wright school get instruments through other means,” he said.

“We're working with [the New Orleans-based artist-relief nonprofit] Tipitina's Foundation to get band instruments. We're trying to have a 75 piece marching band ready to march for the parade season.”

Some of what Batiste now earns from performing and teaching goes back into restoring his home, which was severely water-damaged during the two months he and his family spent in Dallas, Texas, as evacuees.

You just don't feel like doing anything musically, I call that being in the storm. But the keyboard and other assistance that I got brought me out of the storm.”
 

P.O. Box 74491 - Metairie, LA 70033 - paulbatiste@aol.com