The Rebirth are 'talkin loud' for UTNO on the bus shelter at the corner of Elysian Fields and Filmore. |
New Orleans music is known throughout the world as part of our unique heritage and local culture. But our musicians, along with our educators have suffered from direct attacks on education budgets and on the professionalism of our local teachers who we rely on to help our children succeed. Many musicians also teach or have family members who are teachers. Without music and arts education in our schools, the future of our city will suffer, because our children are our future.
Several nationally known local musicians are speaking out to voice their support for our teachers and other school personnel. Musician Charmaine Neville, Deacon John Moore, President of the American Federation of Musicians, and founders of the Rebirth Brass Band Phil and Keith Frazier are adding their images and words to UTNO’s citywide ad campaign titled “We Are With UTNO.”
These large ads are on display in several bus shelter locations around the city: Charmaine Neville: North Broad and Esplanade; Deacon John: S. Carrolton and S. Claiborne, and also in the shelter at MacArthur and General DeGualle on the Westbank; and the Rebirth: Elysian Fields and Filmore.
(See all the photos in the Musicians Campaign Photo Album)
“Teachers help students create beautiful music and beautiful minds.”
As a professional musician, I know the value of strong teachers and a good education. Growing up, I attended just about every public school in New Orleans. Without the music teachers and voice teachers who taught me and other New Orleans musicians, there would not be this generation of musicians.
If we don’t value our children and those who teach them, we will lose something very important to our city. We will lose a whole generation of future musicians and artists.My teachers are definitely the reason I’ve been able to do what I do. They just didn’t teach me from books, they taught me from life. Teachers help students create beautiful music and beautiful minds.
Singer, Songwriter, Musician
“Music is about hitting the right notes, and teachers help students hit those notes.”
As President of the Musicians Union, an AFL-CIO affiliate, and the first African American elected as president, I know the value of having a collective voice and I know what it means to be a union member. I’ve been an active union member since 1958.
Many of the musicians I have worked with came out of New Orleans public schools. In my own band, my saxophone player is a public school teacher, my trombone player is a public school teacher. Several members of my own family are teachers.
I know my success can be attributed, largely, to the quality of the education I received. I have sung at the White House and at the Louisiana governor’s inauguration. I have been on worldwide television, been inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, and been honored by the U.S Post Office as part of a joint project with the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
Music is about hitting the right notes, and teachers help students hit those notes. Our students deserve to have the best teachers. And our teachers deserve to have a strong voice. United Teachers of New Orleans supports our students and our teachers. That’s why I am With UTNO.
Deacon John Moore
President
AFM (American Federation of Musicians)
Local 174-496
AFL-CIO
“Talkin’ loud – sayin’ somethin!’ Our kids need strong teachers who will make a difference in the classroom every day. That’s why we are with UTNO.”
Our culture is what makes New Orleans unique and music is a part of our heritage. Members of the Rebirth are all public school graduates and alumni of Joseph S. Clark High School. When we were in school, we had marching band and concert band during the course of the school day. You don’t get the musical education in public schools now that we received then. Maybe you get one hour a day. We had band as an elective. Now they get no band classes at all. That’s a big difference. There is a lot that our future musicians are not being taught in school. They’ll have to pick it up elsewhere.
What’s the success rate at these new schools? We have a nephew who goes to a school that is now a charter. They are not teaching the fundamentals. They’re just teaching how to pass the exit test.
The school system is too separated. It’s hard to understand who’s running what. It makes things confusing. You want your kids to go to good schools. If it’s confusing for parents it can also be confusing for the kids attending the schools. Everybody needs to come together. That’s why we support United Teachers of New Orleans. It takes strong teachers to really make a difference for our kids.
See Charmaine Neville's message of support for UTNO in the bus shelter at North Broad and Esplanade.
Phil and Keith Frazier
Musicians, Rebirth Brass Band
