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I visited New Orleans 15 months after
Hurricane Katrina and was deeply affected
by what I saw. It looked like a nuclear
bomb had gone off. There’s nothing like seeing
that kind of destruction fi rsthand. When there’s a
pickup truck in a tree, you know it’s big.
It was very apparent to me that the
response was extremely disorganized at the
Federal level. The fact that so many residents
of New Orleans were still struggling after the
disaster was shameful. There was a strong sense
that if something good was going to happen,
they’d have to do it themselves.
Among the citizens deeply affected
by Katrina were New Orleans musicians,
who in many cases saw their communities
completely destroyed. I can’t think of another city
in the world that’s so identifi ed with music as New
Orleans. America needs a cultural heart as much as
an economic one, and the importance of helping
these people transcends geography. Unfortunately,
many of the city’s musicians were still in desperate
need of assistance. |
Mike Mills, bassist and co-songwriter for the band R.E.M, and Kevin
Cordt groove to raise money for displaced New Orleans musicians.
(Event photos by Vicky Pombo)
In the midst of the turmoil, I witnessed
musicians helping other musicians. Pro-artist
groups such as Sweet Home New Orleans, Arabi
Wrecking Krewe, the New Orleans Musicians
Relief Fund and Future of Music Coalition all
worked to ensure that the city’s musicians could
return to their homes and communities.
And the efforts continue. The December |
“Hope for Home” party to benefit Al
“Carnival Time” Johnson took place at the
home of Eric and Sharapat Kessler, and was
co-organized by Michael Petricone, Sweet
Home New Orleans and Future of Music
Coalition. It was my pleasure to perform not
just in a solo set, but also backing up a true
New Orleans music legend, Al Johnson.
It’s always a humbling experience to sit
in with people who have been playing music
for longer than I’ve been alive. Such moments
help me rediscover my innate love of music. It
also felt really good to see the people in D.C.
respond so positively, and I had a great time.
There’s still a lot to be done to put the
city back together. Donations are always
appreciated, but residents — particularly older
individuals — still need volunteers to go down to
help clear debris from their houses. It’s incredibly
important that we never forget New Orleans, its
spirit and what it means to American culture.
For more information go to www.futureofmusic.
org and www.sweethomeneworleans.org |
