Student gospel singers take stage at New Orleans festival known for celebrity acts

NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival each spring is known for hosting some of the world's most famous jazz, funk and rock acts. Yet it's also become a showcase for lesser-known talent: local schoolchildren.

Gospel choirs from area high schools took the stage Friday at the festival's famed Gospel Tent, continuing a decades-long tradition for Louisiana students.

First up to perform was the Eleanor McMain choir, jolting the audience with a blast of musical joy, from the rollicking call-and-response of ''Melodies From Heaven'' to an a cappella rendition of the ''Battle Hymn of the Republic.''

Choir member Chloe Bailey, 18, said the performance is about pride.

''Not only do I get to make myself proud, my parents proud, I get to make the whole world proud and have a look of how beautiful it is to see Black people and Black children thriving and going up higher, because we don't get a lot of opportunities like this,'' she said.

In a city with a rich music heritage, the festival is a prized opportunity to celebrate arts that teachers say do not receive the attention they once did in schools.

Music education suffered in New Orleans in the 1990s due to funding cuts, said Matthew Sakakeeny, a professor of music at Tulane University. Up until then, majority Black schools typically had at least one full-time music teacher, even when schools were segregated, but dozens of teachers lost their jobs and offerings were ''drastically cut back,'' he said.

Hurricane Katrina was another blow, leading to the city's traditional public schools being replaced with charter schools. Sakakeeny said there's enormous pressure to focus on core academics, rather than arts, as they'll get shut down if their test scores are not good enough.

''It's just ironic that we're the birthplace of jazz, yet middle school students, elementary school students might not even go to a music class,'' said Emeka Dibia, the choir director McDonogh 35, the first public high school established for Black students in New Orleans.

Gospel has been an integral part of Jazz Fest since it began in 1970, headlined by gospel legend Mahalia Jackson. Students from McDonogh 35 started performing in the 1970s, and more schools followed, Dibia said. It's now tradition for Jazz Fest to have a day featuring student gospel choirs.

Even the artist featured on this year's official Jazz Fest poster, Tarriona ''Tank'' Ball of Tank and the Bangas, performed in the Gospel Tent when she was in ninth grade.

Choirs from another historic Black public high school, L.B. Landry, as well as two local Christian schools performed Friday, while McDonogh 35 will perform next week.

McMain soloist Tyree Arso, 18, said it's amazing to think about performing at the same festival as artists like Lil Wayne.

''It makes me recognize the people who have come before me, and it reminds me to try to do my best to honor them,'' said Arso, who will attend the Boston Conservatory at Berklee next year.

Gospel choir is an extracurricular activity at schools like McMain, where choir director Clyde Lawrence has been mentoring young singers for decades. He said religious music is allowed in a public school setting because there's educational value to learning about a variety of musical styles.

''I want to expose them to our heritage, to gospels, to hymns,'' he said.

Choirs are paid to perform at Jazz Fest, which provides funding for arts education. But the opportunity matters for other reasons to students like Leah Hawkins, a sophomore at McDonogh 35.

Leah says she's been surrounded by gospel her whole life, but in front of an audience she'd shake with stage fright. Her mom told her to join choir anyway: ''You're going to sing.''

Since then, Leah, 16, said her confidence has blossomed.

''You can't care about what people think. If you have a voice then use it, it doesn't matter what it's for,'' said Leah.

Her choirmate Wesley Whitsett, 17, said he also needed an adult to push him to get over his nerves. Both students sang with a student choir at the opening of this year's Super Bowl, performing ''Lift Every Voice and Sing'' with Ledisi.

''I didn't know I could do that. I thank God that he gave me the opportunity to sing,'' said Wesley.

Yet even for kids who have performed at the Superdome, there's something about the Gospel Tent stage. There may have been millions of people watching the Super Bowl, but Jazz Fest represents New Orleans' soul.

''I don't even know what kind of feeling it is,'' said Leah. ''It's a very big feeling, I can say that.''

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