The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation Announces Class Got Brass 2022 Competition Winners and School Music Education Grant Recipients

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation’s Class Got Brass competition took place on April 3, 2022, outside of the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center. 

Middle and high school students from across Louisiana registered for the competition to create New Orleans-style brass band ensembles competing in a second line-style parade for a select group of celebrity judges. Celebrity judges included Kerry Brown, Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes, Barbara Lacen Keller, Kevin Louis of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Leslie Cooper of WWOZ 90.7 FM, and Leon “Kid Chocolate” Brown. The competition was emceed by LeBron “LBJ” Joseph, anchor of Moving New Orleans Forward on WGNO. Grand marshals for Class Got Brass were Babydoll Kit of the N’awlins D’awlins Babydolls and Uncle Clyde, ambassador of the Original Wild Tchoupitoulas Mardi Gras Indians.

The Foundation is pleased to announce the winners of the Class Got Brass 2022 Competition:

In the Advanced Category: 

1st place – $10,000 to L. B. Landry High School

2nd place – $7,000 to George Washington Carver High School

3rd place – $5,000 to Abramson Sci Academy

Schools in the Advanced Category who received $1,000 for participating include Edna Karr High School, L W Higgins High School, and Young Audiences Charter Schools, and Riverdale High School.

In the Beginners Category: 

1st place – $5,000 to Mildred Osborne Charter School

2nd place – $4,000 to GEO Next Generation High School

3rd place – $3,000 to Langston Hughes Academy

Schools in the Beginner Category who received $1,000 for participating include Belle Chasse Academy, ReNEW Dolores T. Aaron Academy, Fannie C Williams Charter School, Kenner Discovery Health Sciences Academy, Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary School of Literature and Technology, Ridgewood Preparatory School, and Tom Benson School.

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