What's that sound?

Inner Journey


When speaking about New Orleans, music is a staple to the city. Music is one of those magically amazing things that can transfer people to a different time. Music can change the mood of people, from happy to sad, somber to excited, bored to pumped up. All around the city of New Orleans I felt the music at each and every turn. There were big bands of up to seven different musicians playing different instruments. The way they played was by feeling the music and not reading it. Sheet music was nowhere to be seen. I will forever be awestruck by people that can play perfectly by ear. When visiting the Jazz museum, the historic significance of famous musicians was inspiring and made me feel completely musically inadequate. Talent, desire, and being raised in a city that is constantly playing music has helped to shape the amazing musicians that are featured within the museum. There were different types of music that was being played. Jazz was the most common. There was also a woman who played the clarinet. Not only did she play the clarinet, but she blew that thing like she was the big bad wolf trying to blow down the brick house. She played on the street and her family assisted with her show. Her husband and daughter played the and kept the rhythm while she took the reins and played her heart out. She was incredible. When it came to the last note of the song, she blew it for at least twenty seconds start without wavering at all. It brought a tear to my eye; it was like the note flew into my ears and leaked out of my eyes




Doreen Ketchens


Outer Journey



He was sixty-two when he died. His hair was shoulder length, white with small areas of black that refused to age. He wore dark sunglasses while he performed. His voice was gruffly and strained with emotion as he would belt out his songs. His fingers were long and strong but would stroke the ivories in a way that no one else could. This man was born in Bogalusa, Louisiana and raised by a single mother. He was a transplanted to New Orleans when he was a young boy and learned to play by rebuilding broken pianos. The little boy grew up to become a legend behind the keys. His fingers would mesmerize and captivate the eye while seeing him play. Dressed to the nines, he would sit behind his piano, play the songs he wrote and transport the audience to another place. He was known for his amazing piano playing as well as his creative song writing. There was no one alive doing what he was doing at the time. His history is kept in the jazz museum of New Orleans. His room is the first one encounter while walking in. It’s a huge white rectangular room with vibrant colors and artwork based on him all over. There are letters from other famous people adoring him. A black piano starkly contrasts the white walls. Five black phone receivers line the shiny piano. They all continuously loop his famous songs. Pictures of the man line the walls, some yellowed with age, others clipped from decades old newspapers. A small black screen hangs on a white wall facing away from the entrance. It shows an old interview with him describing how he wrote songs and how he grew up fixing old pianos. He was charismatic and showed a short, fleeting glimpse of the legend in his element. His name was Henry Roeland Bird better known as Professor Longhair, the man that became one of the most famous song writers to come from New Orleans.

Professor Longhair