Class Got Brass 2022 Announcement

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation Announces Return of Class Got Brass Competition for Louisiana middle and high school students

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation’s Class Got Brass competition returns on April 3, 2022 after a two year hiatus. The event will take place at the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center (1225 N. Rampart Street). Class Got Brass is free and open to the public.

Louisiana middle and high schools who register for the competition create a New Orleans-style brass ensemble with up to 12 members and compete in a second line-style parade for a select group of celebrity judges. Winning schools will take home a share of over $45,000 in funding for musical instruments and other supplies. The competition will have both beginner and advanced categories. All competing schools will receive at least a $1,000 stipend towards musical programs.

School bands scheduled to compete in the Advanced category include Abramson Sci Academy, Edna Karr High School, George Washington Carver High School, L W Higgins High School, L B Landry High School, and Young Audiences Charter Schools. First place winners in the advanced category will receive $10,000, second place $7,000, and third place $5,000.

Competing in the Beginner category are Belle Chasse Academy, Riverdale High School, ReNEW Dolores T. Aaron Academy, Fannie C Williams Charter School, GEO Next Generation High School, Kenner Discovery Health Sciences Academy, KIPP Central City Academy, KIPP East Academy, Langston Hughes Academy, Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary School of Literature and Technology, Mildred Osborne Charter School, ReNEW Laurel Elementary, Ridgewood Preparatory School, and Tom Benson School. First place winners in the beginner category will receive $5,000, second place $4,000, and third place $3,000.

Registration begins at 11:00am.

Gates open at 1:00pm.

The competition begins at 2:00pm.

Information about Class Got Brass, including a registration link for school band directors, full competition guidelines, COVID protocols, and a song list may be found here: https://www.jazzandheritage.org/2022-class-got-brass-registration/

Class Got Brass is presented by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation in partnership with the Preservation Hall Foundation.

ABOUT THE NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & HERITAGE FOUNDATION

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation invests proceeds from Jazz Fest and additional funds that we raise for year-round programming in education, economic development and cultural enrichment.   Education programs include the Don “Moose” Jamison Heritage School of Music, the Tom Dent Congo Square Lectures, the Class Got Brass competition for school brass bands, a youth audio workshop program, youth vocal workshops, and more! Economic Development initiatives include the Community Partnership Grants, the Catapult Fund accelerator program and Sync Up entertainment industry workshops. Cultural enrichment programs include the Jazz & Heritage Concert Series and annual Foundation Festivals: the Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival, the Congo Square Rhythms Festival, the Tremé Creole Gumbo Festival and the Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival.  Importantly, these are free programs that the Jazz and Heritage Foundation has developed over many years to ensure that we give back to Louisiana. The Jazz & Heritage Foundation also owns radio station WWOZ 90.7-FM and the Jazz & Heritage Archive.  In late 2014, the Foundation opened the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center – an education and community facility named for the late Jazz Fest founder George Wein and his wife Joyce.  In March of 2020, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation established the Jazz & Heritage Music Relief Fund – a statewide relief fund to support Louisiana musicians who were affected by the pandemic. In the last two years the Jazz & Heritage Foundation has been able to provide relief funds of more than $2 million dollars supporting musicians, music industry gig workers, Black Masking Indians and other indigenous cultural practitioners. To learn more about the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, please visit us online at www.jazzandheritage.org