“I am not sure but I’m almost positive that all music came from New Orleans”

— Ernie K Doe, Emperor of the Universe

In reading Coming Through a Slaughter, I didn’t quite comprehend how Buddy’s music was so unique that it couldn’t be recreated. However, upon being in New Orleans I now understand, how the genius of the music in Louisiana can only be understood in the details found in the experience of listening. From the last couple of days, I have learned through the experience of listening that the music in New Orleans reflects the people. It reflects their resistance, their history, and their essence.

What makes the music so different in New Orleans, is that it touches your soul. Walking through the city, you hear music all around you. The people you pass, all have a sense of joy which is unique as city life is often viewed as taxing. From my experience, living in the city of Los Angeles the past couple of years, the citizens don’t have that particular spark which is found here. That spark that is contagious and changes your mood through just walking by it. Overall, based of my experience in New Orleans, it is a city that is unique in the sense that it has a welcoming aura that manifests itself with strangers coming up to say hi on the street or through members of the community expressing how we are all a part of their family; inviting you to join in on their celebrations despite just meeting. I have never experienced this view on life in any other city that I have traveled to.

The people of New Orleans have experienced so much in the last couple of years, that it’s hard to believe that they have any reason to celebrate. For example, at the Hurricane Katrina exhibit at the Presbytère, I was shocked to learn that the people of New Orleans still hosted Mardi Gras parades shortly after, despite the mass destruction. I expected that the people to be crushed and sad. Instead, they were celebrating life. It sort of reflected a feeling of gratitude that they were alive rather than the atmosphere of compliant and stress that is experienced in cities such as Los Angeles. What really resonated with me in this exhibit is an interview shown of a citizen of New Orleans. In this interview, she explained that in hosting the parades after Katrina, it symbolized hope for the community; that they as community will not be washed away. With the saying “This is our city” being said in such musical celebrations. This particular exhibit made me realize how the music created in New Orleans was more than just an artistic melody but rather it is a beautiful representation of resilience. It changed my perspective in music but also in life. It showed me that the beauty in the creation of music, is that it teaches us that we as a society, need to be more appreciative of the little things we have and have achieved.

Moreover, during our stay we had the opportunity to witness the Second Line parade of the social club, Money Wasters. I had never experienced, a parade such as this particular one. It was a parade that could be best described as full of life. There were people dancing on roofs and with their pets. But perhaps the most prominent feature of the second line parade, was the saying on their banner, “DAMN if we do, DAMN if we Don’t”. For me this reflected, the history of the second line parade. It acknowledges the West African culture robbed from the enslaved people that founded the city; showing that their essence as a culture still remains. It also showed how to be together in shared spaces, dancing together, rubbing shoulders in the middle of the action alongside the band playing, or walking at the edges meeting new and old friends. It was profound in the sense, that the joy expressed in these parades showed that it is possible to create a unified and inclusive society.

The music created in New Orleans, literally cannot be recreated anywhere else as it is a reflection of the city itself. The city has many monuments reflecting its association to music, commemorating the good and bad times the city has faced. It even reflects the blend in culture that exist in the city. One example is Congo Square in which bands from New Orleans currently come together on Friday afternoons to play. This is symbolic of the square’s origins of being a universal sharing platform for the enslaved people. This is similar to the development of the jazz scene that is still prevalent through the city. As deciphered in Coming Through a Slaughter, jazz represented a way in which individuals and groups could gain recognition, self-worth, and respect in the tremulous 1900s.

If you listen to the Jazz Bands on Frenchmen or go to Preservation Hall, you could still feel that sense of proudness to be New Orleans through the music. One of my favorite music experiences in New Orleans has been at Preservation Hall. What is unique about Preservation Hall is that it focuses on preserving the musical traditions that founded the city. With witnessing the performance at Preservation Hall, I realized the uniqueness in their mission. It wasn’t about preserving the traditions but rather the resilience of the African slave influences and the immigrant influx faced by New Orleans. For me, I felt it reflected one mixed culture rather than all the entities that influenced the genre; it represented my view on hearing the word diversity. What is special about the city is that these ideals expressed through the music are reflected even through the clubs on Frenchmen and Bourbon. Hearing a salsa interpretation of jazz through the Brass Band at 30/90 on a Friday night, it made me feel represented. However, it also made the person right next to me of African Descent also feel represented. This is something, I never have observed elsewhere.

The music of New Orleans is a representation of what society could be if we leave race and social classes behind: unified & joyful. I never felt so inspired and touched by music as I have in New Orleans, nor do I feel I will be inspired anywhere else as the music produced here has been a byproduct of the experiences faced. At the end of the day, I feel that we can all learn important lessons from the details in New Orleans Music.