The Preservation Hall Foundation has unveiled Preservation Hall Lessons, a free series of online music lessons for K–12 students co-created by the foundation and members of the Preservation Hall community of musicians.
New Orleans’ Preservation Hall was established in 1961 to honor one of America’s truest art forms: traditional New Orleans jazz music. Preservation Hall continues its mission today as a cornerstone of New Orleans music and culture both via the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and the organization’s various other outreach efforts.
Preservation Hall Lessons, designed for teacher utilization in either a digital classroom or in-person, includes content focused on introductory and advanced techniques for the range of instruments in a traditional jazz band, stylistic tips, as well as the cultural and historical context of New Orleans music. While the famous New Orleans concert hall has not hosted a live performance with an audience in eleven months as coronavirus continues to wreak havoc on live events, the new educational series continues the organization’s mission of carrying the torch of traditional New Orleans music and culture into the 21st century.
Whether a classroom is “in-person” or virtual, whether students play instruments or simply enjoy music, whether one is seeking creative ways to teach math or social studies or art, there is a wide range of lessons to meet a variety of needs. Lesson plans on Preservation Hall Lessons are searchable on the database according to grade, subject, genre, topic, and discipline.
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Notes Ben Jaffe, the board chairman and co-founder of the Preservation Hall Foundation and creative director/tuba player/bassist for the lauded Preservation Hall Jazz Band, “Preservation Hall is committed to celebrating the wisdom of the musicians who perform here for generations to learn and benefit from.”
Currently celebrating its 10th Anniversary, the Preservation Hall Foundation protects, preserves, and perpetuates the musical traditions and heritage of New Orleans through music education, community engagement, archive conservation, care for elder musicians, and support for its entire 60-member musical collective.
For more information on Preservation Hall Lessons or to peruse the database of lesson plans, head here.
