Sunday, February 15, 2009

Youth music program Struts their belongings this season's Mardi Gras


If you're like me, you're probably feeling pretty down, and demoralized the land these days because of control crime and violence in our city. But there is more light in our town in the future, and it grows brighter every day thanks to far-sighted group of musicians who created the phenomenal program that changes the fate of New Orleans' next generation.


Roots music is one of the most extraordinary youth program at the New Orleans scene today. This program takes the risk of young people at the most influential turning age and are most vulnerable to the influence of dysfunctional family life, drug addiction, crime and poverty in their midst, and connect them in a strict but care and academic music program. RF takes active, preventive approach to crime in New Orleans, giving young people, it is better to do something to achieve, and the skills needed to build a future post.

And the program was founded and has led some cities to the most popular and influential musicians, who just so happens to be debuting his young prodigies during the season, Mardi Gras parades. (See schedule below parade)

Ian McNulty
RF Founder Derrick Tabb and studentRebirth Brass Band drummer Derrick in the loop Tabb roots music program was founded just over a year ago, in the living room of his cousin, drummer, bass Terence Andrews in the famous musical family Andrew. To date, the program is run by Tabb, Band Director Lawrence Rawlins and Instructors Shoan Ruffin, Allen Dejan, and Edward Lee.
RF after school program operates Monday through Thursday from 3-7 and is free to all youth ages 9-14 who want to participate. The program provides music education, training, management consulting, food, uniform, band instrument rental and transportation, and programs for students who live Uptown, Downtown and the Westbank.

Sitting in his music studio in the upper part of the city, Tabb discusses his experience with today's youth of New Orleans.

"We're finding a lot of children have problems, especially with regard to Katrina." The children have many distractions. They have to deal with a lot of things they should not have to deal with. We have many children, cared for their grandmother, great grandmother, who do not have their parents. The great grandmother barely walk, live on fixed incomes, and they are raising these kids. These are, we have to go after. We me the guy who had seen children dead in the water, saw someone drown, and he did not has a parent. His mother died, my father is in prison, and he was living with someone he calls his "aunt" who did not actually aunt with 15 other children, and there are crack smoking going on. "
Tabb assistant Allison Reinhardt chimes in, "and he was fabulous baby!"

Tabb reflect for a moment then adds: "Interestingly, it will sound when it allows you to search all of that emotion. He knew the weight in one day."

Under the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina is the foundation of community weakened by high rates of multi-murder, a by-product of our previous low-quality public education system. For many poor people, not school degrees are much less basic skills of literacy, crime and violence are the only available answers to the seemingly hopeless conditions of their lives.

Ian McNulty
Roots MusicThe Montenegro New Orleans program gives children a better alternative to violence, instability and chaos of street culture of life, offering them an entertaining place to interact with each other, learn from first-rate teachers, as well as being part of a team. It also allows young people from different areas to meet and develop relationships, offsetting the geographical separation, which could lead to the development and gang fights for neighborhood turfs. The program is implemented in the downtown area of medium-sized cities and draws students from all over the city for a city marching groups, helping students to contribute to long-term relationships that can contribute to their further development at school and in adult life.
Tabb admits that his upbringing in the midst of TREME Brass Band and his subsequent travels around the world, as the musician holds the power of youth, he is trying to attract.

Children in the brass band scene here. When I was young, you can go and refer to any musician. They were there in the vicinity. After Katrina, you can not touch them. Now they, like the stars are here ... I have traveled the world with a drum - traveled to Europe when I was 11. I learned a lot about life through music.

(Students in the program) want to do better in school, to save their documents. I tell them: "You must help the school, I want to get it for you. You want to play that horn, go everywhere we go, you need to do something for me. Read this math."


RF leaders to measure the success of the program by criteria such as enrollment, persistence rates, group participation, and student GPAs and GPA improvement. Currently, the program has 98 students and 90% attendance rate. And any incident in behavior that occur as a matter of decision of the head of doling out strict sets of push-ups and sit-UPS.

Derrick smiles. "Sometimes all this to do push-ups, as a student of acting. Sometimes the good have to suffer for the bad. This is called" wearing them. "

Gambit Magazine food critic Ian McNulty, who lives next door, where the RF practices observed first-hand manner ROM combat discipline and training paid off in the strengthening of student growth:

"Four nights a week now, we can hear them start to practice in the Cortez Street. They start at about the same time every night, which I surround signal that the working day comes to an end.
First, they sounded awful, of course, but teachers have been drilling them on the music and discipline, too. When they act like jackasses, they were ordered to run phase block or do push-ups. Now pack tightly. Last night, the music started, but it sounded like it was right outside my window. I went downstairs, and of course the whole group and dancing group was marching down a block as the parade. Neighbors up and down blocks went to the porch, dancing, flashing lights on and off the porch, admiring. It was Awesome start. "

Since its inception, ROM developed a diverse group of supporters who believe in our formula for success. Other musicians who support this program in the way of teaching administration include Roots co-founder of Troy 'Trombone shorty' Andrews, Revival in the range of leader Phil Fraser, soul rebels tuba player Edward Lee and a host of other music legends. Teachers from Dillard and Tulane to help students with their homework. And a sociologist from LSU Rick Weil is working with the disc more than a year, helping the group to lay the institutional framework through networking and research.

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