Has anybody been following the story about the Musicianâs Village being planned by the Habitat for Humanity? Initially, it didn’t sound well thought-out (to me), but as it has been fleshed out, it’s grown into an interesting idea.
There’s some very high-powered home-grown talent involved â Harry Connick Jr and the Marsalisâ. Like me, these folks all went to NOCCA (New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts), and their creative thinking got me thinking, too.
There will be single-family dwellings for younger musicians with families, and easy-to-care-for condominiums for elderly musicians â many of whom had lived in poor sections of town before the storm hit. The cultural center would include a performance hall, rehearsal space and rooms where the musicians could give lessons.
I wonder whether the âmusicâ? side of the NOCCA âhouseâ? couldnât get involved with this? Depending on who ends up living in the âVillageâ? (and where they decide to build it), there may be some potential for mentoring and lessons over there.
Just a thought.
What’s disturbing about the village concept is that it plays into the rather frightening vision of New Orleans as Charleston if it were under the control of Disney. Do we want just the musicians back, living in their happy subsidized little ghetto, without the neighborhoods they came from? Will it be nicer than the camps we’ll build for the people who serve the food and drinks and bus the tables and clean the rooms of their imported audience?
Markus
http://wetbankguide.blogspot.com
Remembering Katrina, Envisioning New Orleans
I actually saw this as an early idea to re-start a neighborhood. I don’t see it as “stand-alone”, but part of a larger effort. But that could just be me.
Wynton and Branford are more than a little bit familiar with the NOLA turf. I am sure they are absolutely committed to the whole city. They aren’t “Disneyland” kinda guys.
However, I doubt that they (or H for H) are going to build anything in a major flood zone. Could be wrong about that, though…