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A Year After Katrina, the Jazz Foundation of America is Still Doing the Job, and You Can Help |
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Written by Administrator
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Thursday, 31 August 2006 |
 Dr. Michael White © Andrea Canter
For 17 years the Jazz Foundation of America has been an organization at
the forefront of providing emergency assistance and long-term support
to veteran jazz and blues musicians across the country. Katrina left
countless New Orleans musicians and their families unemployed and
homeless, with their lives literally washed away.
“Their troubles will not go away anytime soon. We need people to
support such organizations as ours who are doing what the government is
not ” says Jarrett Lilien, President of E*TRADE FINANCIAL and the Jazz
Foundation.
“With the Jazz Foundation, It’s simple; you give to them and they give
to the musicians in crisis who made our lives rich all these years”
says Richard Parsons, CEO & Chairman of TIME WARNER Inc., “It’s a
wonderful organization and they do exactly what they say they do.”
This year you’ve seen and heard about Jazz Foundation's efforts on CNN,
ABC, NBC, CBS, WOR, FOX . HBO, WBGO and NPR and you’ve read about it in
PEOPLE Magazine, Wall Street Journal, NY Times, Post, Daily News,
Associated Press and there were 98 other publications, television and
radio stations around the world. We were lucky enough to have the help
from big-hearted people with big names, like Danny Glover, who joined
our Board of Directors, Agnes Varis and Richard Parsons, our Board of
Advisors, and Bill Cosby, Elvis Costello, Quincy Jones, Bonnie Raitt
and Chevy Chase are also dedicated supporters.
Most of the devastation we see are the people who were effected by the
Flood and not the hurricanes. And as we all realize, so much of the
unncessary heartache and destruction of lives, could have been avoided.
As rewarding as it has been to be there for these heroic men, women and
children, it has been devastating to see the effects of the aftermath
on families. More then anything, to see this destruction of a world
like no other, where music once filled the streets 24 hours a day and
it was commonplace to see 12 year olds walking home from school,
practicing the trumpet.
If low income housing is not created for artists and for the poor, the
very garden that grew this city of music will be at risk of extinction
and New Orleans will become a cardboard city without a soul.
We must find a way to bring the people of New Orleans back home and
stop this unconscionable man-made devastation of American families and
lives.
Some of Jazz Foundation's Programs:
HOUSING: Days after the Flood, because of the on-going efforts and
contributions of Jarrett Lilien, President of E*TRADE FINANCIAL &
JFA, as well as the special people at E*TRADE FINANCIAL Corp., the JFA
was able to establish New Orleans’ first post-Katrina Emergency Housing
Fund for musicians — housing, relocating and saving hundreds of New
Orleans musicians and their families from homelessness and mortgage
foreclosure in nearly 20 states.
EMPLOYMENT: Through the beautiful heart of “Saint Agnes” Varis, of
Agvar Chemicals Inc., the Jazz Foundation created the first performance
employment program, which has grown into an $800,000 solution. This
Agnes Varis Jazz Foundation in the Schools Program was also made
possible with the help of Richard Parsons & the good people at TIME
WARNER Inc., actor/producer Fisher Stevens and rock band Pearl Jam.
To date, this program has already given 3,100 individual employment
opportunities. It has put several hundred displaced musicians back to
work, with a minimum of $200 per gig, bringing free performances to
thousands of children in schools and the elderly in nursing homes, in
over eight states where the musicians have been forced to settle.
Through the huge hearts at Music & Arts Center ,Yamaha and New
York’s Beethoven pianos the Jazz Foundation secured over $250,000 worth
of new top-shelf instruments to New Orleans most beloved senior and
junior jazz and blues artists, including Treme Brass Band, Rebirth
Brass band, The Hot 8, Davell Crawford, Shannon Powell, Dr. Michael
White, Henry Butler, Lionel Ferbos (age 95) Cyril Neville, Derwin
Perkins, just to name a few.
It was the Jazz Foundation of America that replaced Fats Domino’s piano
after the Flood.
ONE MUSICIAN’S STORY
After being displaced by Katrina, the Rollins family of New Orleans,
like many Katrina survivors, ended up in a city far from home. There
had been frightening moments — like having to search for their oldest
son who had first stayed behind because wouldn’t leave without his dog.
They found their son, but the police would not allow his one year old
puppy, Zina, to evacuate. They had to leave her in the house with bags
of dog food. Three months later, when they were allowed to return, the
dog was still alive! The ASPCA would not let their son take the large
dog out of state until they had a house with a backyard.
They were forced to settle in Atlanta. Mom, Dad, four children and two
baby grandchildren, but at least they were alive and together. It was
difficult, it meant living in a small apartment in a rough part of
town. Ella, mother with four children at home, secured a full-time job
at a local chain store making $233 a week before taxes — Rodney, her
husband, who had always earned his living as a musician in New Orleans,
was now employed by the same store as his wife, he was working the
night shift, she was working days. I remember the day he called me in a
panic. Their teenage son, Davon, (a young pianist), was in the hospital
after trying to save the younger ones from a grease fire on the stove.
He was so worried that they might lose their new home, after all they’d
lost in New Orleans, that he actually carried what was on fire, out of
the house. They didn’t know if he would ever be able play piano again
because his hands were badly burned, he also could not walk for a month
and a half because of burns on his feet and legs. They had no health
insurance and the Rollins’ needed help.
Months later, Davon has healed, and he can play the piano again and
walk just fine.
“When this first happened I was so depressed” said Davon. ”The Jazz
Foundation called the hospital social worker and got me Medicaid
insurance. Then Wendy told me that with all these burns and bandages, I
would need some cool clothes and they gave me $500 to the best store in
town and I even got to rent a tuxedo for the Prom. She even got me some
gloves to cover my hands, I felt so great, I went to the prom and I
never thought that would happen. They made me feel comfortable with my
scars. Wendy emailed and called, always checking on me, like a friend
would do.”
Within a week, we moved the family into a wonderful house, with a
backyard in lovely neighborhood, thanks to E*TRADE FINANCIAL, where
they could now be reunited with “Zina” the puppy.
Currently we're trying to help Davon get into college, but it’s a
struggle because his transcripts were lost in the Flood. They have
moved the family back to Louisiana and Rodney will be employed in the
Jazz in the Schools Program and will also be working in New Orleans
club four nights a week.
“We’re going back to New Orleans,” said Rodney. “Thanks to the
Foundation, I will be playing music again, like I am supposed to do on
this Earth. I’m getting back my purpose in the world. I’m getting the
music back, and that’s what will keep my soul alive.”
For more information about Jazz Foundation of America,
or to make a donation visit:
www.jazzfoundation.org
or write to:
Wendy Atlas Oxenhorn
c/o Jazz Foundation of America
3rd Floor
322 West 48th Street
New York, NY 10036
Email:
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Telephone: 212-245-3999
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 Sunday, 12 October 2008
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