Takin Care of Business

There are so many reasons to love this city, including its attitude toward the musicians. In this town, it's not shameful or embarrassing for my kids to tell their friends their dad is a musician. It's an honor. I don't have to worry about long pauses after explaining what my husband does for a living, nor does he get asked "what do you do in the day time?" when he shares his profession with others. The reply here is always "Cool. Who does he play with?" People here get it.

Not only are musicians revered, they're also well taken care of thanks to the New Orleans Musicians Clinic, through LSU Medicine. That's right, a special clinic and set of doctors who see musicians at little or no cost. Where else on earth would that happen? To boot, their families are taken care of too. Though it's constantly facing possible closures due to scarce funding, people here rally behind it and see to it that musicians get medicine, lab work and check ups like the rest of us.

It's not just charity however, it's an investment. Music is the soul of this city and a huge industry-driver too. JazzFest, French Quarter Festival, Satchmo Fest... there are tons and tons of festivals that rely on musical talent to bring tourists and visitors out. It's one of the main reasons people come here and stay here. You gots to take care of business to get any business.

Several times a day the local jazz radio station plays the day/evening's concert listings and it still amazes me every time I hear it. There are dozens of bands playing every night, all across the city. There's some kind of festival, celebration, parade and gathering every weekend here and almost all of them have live music. In fact, I think there's more live music now than 10 years ago when we were last here.

Some cities have great momuments to past leaders placed all around their metropolis. We have those too. But our real treasures are living and breathing, blowing sweet and funky sounds throughout the crescent city.