Hard Work and History: Rivers Musicians Perform and Explore on March Break New Orleans Trip

 

Two years following Rivers Honors Big Band’s debut in Cuba, students from Honors Big Band, the classical strings program, and the choral program were back on tour this March with an immersive trip to New Orleans to explore the birthplace of jazz. 

Led by Executive Director of Performing Arts Javier Caballero, the itinerary blended performance and practice with cultural visits and an exploration of the city’s rich history. Rivers Jazz Director Philippe Crettien, Performing Arts Department Chair Dan Shaud, and Choral Director Krissy Skare also attended, and Head of School Ryan S. Dahlem joined the group for part of the trip, too.

Caballero explained the choice of New Orleans as a destination, saying, “Few cities are as synonymous with music as New Orleans, considered by some to be the birthplace not just of jazz, but of American music in general. For example, the first opera house in America was built in New Orleans. From its founding, the city has been steeped in many traditions, customs, and ethnicities, creating a unique cultural melting pot where African, Caribbean, Creole, Spanish, Native American, and European traditions have fused.”

The Rivers crew packed an ambitious schedule into the five days of the trip. They explored the city and its many cultural and culinary delights, and they attended masterclasses and a Preservation Hall Jazz Band show. Students performed at a community concert along with a local jazz band, The Next Generation Jazz Band of New Orleans. Classical instrumentalists and vocalists performed two tunes with the jazz band, including a jazz standard by Oliver Nelson called “Stolen Moments,” arranged by Greg Hopkins (the commissioned composer for the 2025 Rivers & RSC Jazz Festival.) Students also tried their hand at improvising over the blues at a workshop with the legendary New Orleans trumpeter and educator Wendell Brunious.

During a visit to Tulane University, the group had the opportunity to reconnect with Rivers musical theater alum Ceci Giebutowski ’25, who is in her first year of studying musical theater and psychology as an undergraduate there. She gave a tour to the vocal students on the trip, and also joined the Rivers students for a portion of the jazz workshop at Tulane.

At Tulane, students also split up by genre to work with experts in their field. Classical instrumentalists had a masterclass with orchestra conductor and cello professor Maxim Samarov and were coached on their chamber pieces and solo repertoire.  “We tried to make sure there were opportunities for classical and vocal musicians on the trip, in addition to the jazz for which New Orleans is rightly famous,” commented Shaud.

In a blog entry from the trip, Honors Big Band member Gabe Manasseh ’26 wrote about jazz students’ experience at Tulane. “We even got to work with the school’s brass band,” he wrote. “The director taught us the original styles of New Orleans second line, which included emphasizing beat four for the percussionists. We stepped out of our comfort zone by learning new music without sheets and using the lyrics to guide the melody and rhythm. Not only was it about learning the rhythmic and melodic components, but the music is about the celebration of life and culture.”

In one of his blog entries, Gavin Bollar ’27 reflected on the community concert with The Next Generation Jazz Band of New Orleans, which took place at a community center in nearby Metairie. “Months of hard work came to fruition as my peers and I performed for an enthusiastic crowd of locals,” Bollar wrote. 

Bollar went on to describe a quintessentially New Orleans scene that he experienced during the joint performance. “As Gabe [Manasseh] and I were aiding the New Orleans street groove of the song ‘Second Line,’ I glanced up to see a sea of white handkerchiefs waving back and forth,” Bollar wrote.

The gesture stems from a New Orleans funeral custom, which, in turn, emerged from West African-influenced musical and funeral practices. A traditional New Orleans funeral is made up of multiple groups of people: the “first line,” which solemnly carries the body to its resting place, and the “second line,” consisting of musicians and dancers. As the “second line” makes its way to the funeral, “the mourning very quickly subsides into the true tragic beauty that is the cycle of life,” Bollar explained.

“When the ‘second line’ comes through, it is tradition for onlookers to take out a white handkerchief and wave it in the air out of respect and celebration to the one who has passed,” Bollar wrote. Attendees at the community concert waved handkerchiefs in response to the song “Second Line.”

“To see this tradition firsthand was truly impactful,” Bollar reflected. “It reminded me of my humanity, and I felt solidarity amongst every single one of those handkerchief bearers.”

Though the trip was short, students left with plenty of beignets and takeaways, both musical and personal. “We all learned from each other,” said Crettien. “​​I think all the students in all three tracks benefited from this immersion in music in New Orleans. Jazz, blues, rock, funk, and classical—NOLA breathes music 24/7!”