New Orleans City Council Praises Tipitina's Foundation, Instruments A Comin'

New Orleans’ City Council yesterday issued a proclamation recognizing and honoring Tipitina’s Foundation for the success of our INSTRUMENTS A COMIN’ program, which supports music programs in New Orleans area schools.

The INSTRUMENTS A COMIN’ program has provided more than 2.2 million dollars’ worth of new, high-quality band instruments to New Orleans schools, benefiting more than 2,200 students across more than 60 public and charter schools.

The proclamation, issued at the request of District “A” Councilmember Susan Guidry and signed by the entire council, reads as follows:

Whereas, the City Council takes great pride in recognizing those individuals, institutions, and organizations who are dedicated to the City of New Orleans; and

Whereas, the mission of the Tipitina’s Foundation is to support Louisiana and New Orleans’ irreplaceable music community and preserve the state’s unique musical culture; and

Whereas, the Tipitina’s Foundation has been striving diligently to achieve this mission, since its inception, through four programs which focus primarily on young musicians; and

Whereas, the Instruments A Comin’ program has raised more than 2.2 million dollars’ worth of instruments for the youth of New Orleans over the course of its 9 years of operation; and

Whereas, the program targets public and charter schools in the Greater New Orleans area with exceptional band programs, which encourages excellence in elementary, middle, and high school music programs; and

Whereas, over 2,200 students across more than 60 public and charter schools have been provided with new instruments from this program; and

Whereas, the Tipitina’s Foundation recently held its 9th annual benefit concert and auction for the Instruments A Comin’ program, which proved to be an enriching event for those who attended it and a valuable tool to raise funds for music programs; now, therefore,

BE IT PROCLAIMED THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS recognizes and honors for the outstanding success of the Instruments A Comin’ program: THE TIPITINA’S FOUNDATION at the request of Councilmember Susan G. Guidry.

In accepting the proclamation I told the Council that it's an honor to do this kind of work, and we genuinely appreciate the recognition. In the course of managing Instruments A Comin' we end up calling all the schools in town. What we've learned is that approximately 30% of the public and charter schools in Orleans Parish have no music teacher, and no music classes. Twenty-five percent of the students enrolled in RSC and OPSB schools are missing out on the very real developmental benefits of active music making. And losing the chance to participate in New Orleans' unique musical cultures. So we have a lot of work to do; these type of honors help.