Trip to New Orleans for American Studies course strikes harmony for two campuses:
Passion of music in the city of jazz comes alive for students

Being a music major doesn’t automatically mean we know everything there is to know about music. People assume that music majors dedicate a good percentage of their time talking about Beethoven and Debussy. The truth is we need a break from the music world once in a while, too. Practicing in a jail-cell sized square of concrete can drive anyone crazy after a few hours.

Princeton campus students are required to take a course on Music History since 1900. Contemporary music isn’t just about Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake. It’s about the birth of jazz and its influence on people like Stravinsky and Schoenberg. It’s one thing to talk about the different stages of jazz, and it’s a whole other to experience nearly every type of jazz in six consecutive nights of New Orleans bar-hopping.

Have you ever heard of Zydeco? I didn’t until I went on this trip. If country and R&B had a love-child, Zydeco would be the jazzy result. This form uses accordions, washboards, drums and guitar. It’s the type of music you can’t help but get up and dance to. The same evening, we headed to a bar to hear Kermit Ruffins & the Barbeque Singers blast out on his trumpet. The close quarters made it difficult to really see the band, but it was the type of music you could sip a cup of coffee to. Even one of our own, Will Floyd, took the microphone to scat out a tune with Kermit.

The following evening, we waited in line to hear Trombone Summit: four trombones, a piano, a bass and drums. This was the type of jazz that I typically think of when I hear the term “jazz.” Each instrument got its own time to shine with a solo. It was a sit-down event, but this jazz experience left much to be desired for my personal taste.

Instead, my interest was piqued with the following night’s performance from Trombone Shorty at Snug Harbor. Composed of five men under the age of 25, these guys knew how to work a room. They had it all: talent, stage presence and the fortunate luck of being attractive men. Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews wowed the crowd with his trombone, trumpet, piano and drumming skills. Every band member switched instruments for the last song to confirm the suspicion that these guys were brilliant musicians.

To take in so much culture and jazz and history in seven days was a lot, but we all walked away from the trip retaining a lot of memories. Even the Westminster kids can say that they learned a lot from this trip, because jazz isn’t about musical knowledge. It’s about passion. It’s about camaraderie. It’s about the love of the music. Apparently even Katrina couldn’t kill the soul that emanates from good ol’ N’awlins.

—Gina Molinari from Princeton

When I arrived in New Orleans, it was very difficult to see the images we have grown to associate with the Big Easy post-Katrina. Most of New Orleans from a tourist’s perspective has been repaired or at least cleaned up. Still, the city is a long way away from being the place it once was. A place once known for its culture, music and food is now better known for its corruption and crime statistics.

We were staying in the French Quarter, near the infamous Bourbon Street, a place rather untouched by flood waters. Our trip would center on traveling to local restaurants, bars and nightclubs experiencing the true flavor of New Orleans music and cuisine. Our itinerary included New Orleans hot spots such as Vaughn’s, Rock ’n’ Bowl, Snug Harbor and Antoine’s. It was hard to refrain from asking bartenders and locals about their “Katrina stories,” and though they were so grateful to have us spending money and patronizing their businesses, they couldn’t help but comment on how things have changed. Only one-third of the people have returned to the city, and there seems to be no timeline in sight for the displaced homecoming.

The word “hurricane” is not always frowned upon when in New Orleans, especially when visiting Pat O’Brien’s. This New Orleans landmark is credited with inventing the rum delight, the Hurricane, as well as the accompanying Hurricane glass. The food in New Orleans is some of the freshest, most unique cuisine in the continental United States. Seafood dishes are on every menu and are a Big Easy favorite. We were able to experience everything from a classic po’ boy sandwich to a meal at the oldest restaurant in America, Antoine’s. If we did get the urge to snack, we would head over to the local joint Dé- jà Vu for one of its famous burgers.

The music we heard was unlike anything you could find in the jazz section of your Best Buy. The music we heard was soulful; it had passion and a tone it could only get from being belted in its birth city. Jazz musicians were just happy to be home; you could hear it in their voices, and their instruments and see it on their always-smiling faces. Remember the name Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, look him up on iTunes, buy his CD. It’s hard to put into words, but trust me.

Dr. Sullivan, our trip organizer, has a true passion for New Orleans and jazz that is very contagious to his students. Aside from the tacky souvenirs and crazy pictures, the thing that I will take away from this experience is the resiliency of the New Orleans people. Through everything they are still smiling, still singing and still cooking. They take pride in showing off their culture and way of life that can never be lost or taken away. A bartender on Bourbon Street summed it up best when he said, “When life hands you lemons – make hard lemonade.”

-Karson Langenfelder from Lawrenceville