A City that Grooves

Outer Journey 

 

It is nearly impossible to visit the city of New Orleans and not hear amazing music. We heard so many kinds of music playing on the streets throughout the day. One of the most popular ones seemed to be jazz. One of our tour guides mentioned that jazz is allegedly originated from New Orleans. She also mentioned that NOLA is known as the “Big Easy” due to how easy it is to get a gig being a musician in this town and it showed when walking the streets. The popularity of music on the streets is because you do not need to obtain a permit to play music there. One of my favorite musical experiences was when our group stopped at a restaurant called “BB Kings” and they had live music. This band was my favorite because it was Brynna and Rachael’s birthday, so we made sure to let them know and they made it special. They pulled the girls up to the stage and gave Brynna a cow bell and Rachael a tambourine. The front singer had such a deep voice it sounded like your typical blues singer. Their style was more a blues sound than anything else.  This was one of my favorite experiences because they had great rhythm and knew how to get the crowd involved. Some of the other musicians on the street gave me the vibe they only wanted money and could be rude to people who didn’t contribute anything. These guys made their birthday memorable and sounded great while doing it as well. They didn’t sound like most artists we heard due to their singers unique rough and deep voice.

Inner Journey  

The band with the blues

This city spoke to me in many ways this week, but through the music was a major one. The city spoke to me in the music by showing that everyone has an opportunity to do what they love. As you walked down any street whether it was Frenchman, Bourbon, or Decatur you could hear some exceptional music that would catch your ear. There were younger men who played buckets with drum sticks and even something as simple as that sounded outstanding. It showed how many people have a passion for a beat and how it moves people. Obviously, many of them wanted money because they don’t get paid to play, but some you could tell just loved seeing other’s reactions. This way my favorite part. Seeing people doing what they love and getting to know others in the process is truly a New Orleans thing. If we went to Chicago and someone was playing on the street, you wouldn’t see tons of people stopping or talking to others because they are in such a hurry. New Orleans is a slow-paced city that brings people together whether it be through music, art, food, or alcohol. The music draws people to huddle around and listen to what they are playing. It also speaks to you through the instruments. With lower pitched instruments it can make you feel somber or sad. With higher pitched instruments it can make you feel happy or excited. The artists know how to speak to you and move you with their pieces.