By Grace Weber - 2006 YoungArts Alumna in Popular Voice
Last weekend, I and 5 other YoungArts alumni were flown down to the incredible city of New Orleans to perform for the christening of a newly renovated Carnival Cruise Ship. We were sent there to represent YoungArts and to honor our amazing art-momma, Lin Arison, who was the focus of the Carnival ceremony. I was hired to be the creative director for the show and so it was my job to put a 20 minute show together that showed off each singer, dancer, and musician's talents in the best way. I decided that since we were going to be in New Orleans, one of the world's most musical, creative and historic cities, we should perform a show that would pay tribute to New Orleans music and culture and history. I had never been to NOLA before and wasn't completely sure of the exact history, so I did what any human with a computer would do, I hopped on the interwebs and googled "MUSIC ABOUT NEW ORLEANS" and "MUSICIANS FROM NEW ORLEANS" and "NEW ORLEANS HISTORY, WIKIPEDIA." Luckily, it didn't take me too long to pick 4 songs that I felt embodied the essence of New Orleans jazz and soul and after finding images from the city for our backdrop, editing an audio clip from a Louis Armstrong speech, and a little finessing, I felt confident that we'd not only showcase each Young Artists' talent well, but we would do a nice job tipping our hat to the Big Easy.
It wasn't until I landed in New Orleans, though, that I began to understand that true essence of the crescent city, that I began to understand and feel the current of magic that wraps it's way through the river, down the streets, into the music clubs, and around the bones of anyone who steps foot onto the land. It's something I realized after our rehearsal on Saturday evening, as we walked down the broken sidewalks and through the tunnels of honeysuckle vines that covered the walls of houses looked to be plucked right from an idyllic movie set, almost too beautiful to be real.
What I discovered is something that can only be spoken in a whisper...New Orleans is alive.
The city breathes. In and out, nice and slow. It knows you're there. It can feel your foot steps on it's back and it watches you as your weave through the neighborhoods from ByWater to Mid City and down through Frenchman Street. The voodoo is palpable, but it's not scary as is so often depicted in movies and stories with witch doctors and dolls. No, this voodoo is wise and it welcomes you in like an old grandmother opening her arms, ready to take you on a journey if you let her.
And so, I let New Orleans take me on a journey over the span of one week. I made friends with a group of local musicians and I was able to see each of them play music at different venues every single night. I sat in artsy cafes with the South's version of young hipsters (they're nice and smiley) and I rode the historic street cars from uptown to downtown with my head peeking out the window, letting the warm humid air whip around my cheeks. I experienced Bourbon street in all it's dirty realness and I even sang on the street next to the famous Cafe Dumond.
I let the magic of NOLA take me on a journey and by the end, I found that this magical city of New Orleans can begin to feel like a second home in a very short period of time. The wise old grandma that was just beckoning you to come in, has now wrapped you up in a comforter, given you a hot toddy, put a Louis Armstrong record on, and in a kind voice has said, "you can stay as long as you need sweetie." And just like that, your soul is filled, your worries are gone, and you're home. There's no place like NOLA, there's no place like home.
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