PHF YTD Impact Report: Quarter 2, 2025
Dear Foundation Friends,
As we reach the halfway mark of 2025, the impact of your support is stronger than ever. From thousands of students stepping through the doors of Preservation Hall to Legacy musicians sharing their stories under the oaks at NOAAM, this quarter has been a powerful reminder of how music connects, educates, and inspires.
Below, you’ll find highlights from the past two quarters. These are milestones made possible by our incredible community of supporters, educators, musicians, and partners. Your support helps us carry the music forward.
So Far in 2025...
4,438 Students From 75 Schools Visited Preservation Hall For Kids In The Hall Field Trips.
Students from 25 different states have visited Preservation Hall.
States Represented: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Washington D.C., Wisconsin
$210,875 Dispersed To Musicians For Community Engagement, Education, And Other Foundation Programming.
"Our student who had been asked by Mark Braud to sing a solo with the band told us that it was her best day ever. In that impromptu moment, she felt seen, and an impact was made that may last a lifetime."
-Testimonial from Westminster School
16 Local Partners Amplified Our Mission Through Community Events.
Last quarter, Preservation Hall Foundation supported 16 Community Engagement events by providing subsidized live music and educational programming from Preservation Hall musicians. Highlights included the Hotel Hope fundraiser, the Homer Plessy Green Gala, exhibit openings at the Historic New Orleans Collection, and a sponsored stage at Super Sunday. These events reached an estimated 1,650 community members. Community isn’t just part of our mission- it’s the heart of everything we do.
Saturdays @ NOAAM
New Orleans African American Museum
This quarter PHF partnered with the New Orleans African American Museum (NOAAM) for their Saturdays @ NOAAM series: an ongoing celebration of Black culture, music, and community with free admission to the museum’s campus.
This season’s programming has been rich with local voices. As part of the series, NOAAM invited musicians from PHF’s Legacy program to participate in Saturday’s as a way to further engage the community, spotlight the importance of intergenerational engagement and a space for what CMW calls “sacred recall.” Saturday’s offers an opportunity for PHF to engage the eldest musicians in an accessible location where
anyone can enjoy and participate in family friendly activities. In April, Gregg Stafford and his Sound Hounds kicked off the partnership and spent an hour beneath the oaks telling stories of his life in the Treme. June’s event featured Wendell Brunious and his Pres Hall Quartet, which included fellow Legacy members Mark Brooks and recently inducted pianist Mari Watanabe.
Walking Tours @ The Roots of Music Sculpture Garden
Our Kids in the Hall school program now offers a deeper, more immersive experience, thanks to our incredible partner Leslie Compton of Cultural Curriculum Project.
Students now enjoy guided tours through the Roots of Music Sculpture Garden in Armstrong Park led by Preservation Hall musicians before their performance at the Hall.
These expanded field trips explore the origins of jazz, spotlight pioneers like Buddy Bolden and Louis Armstrong, and spark meaningful student-musician conversations.
Teachers can extend the experience with free online lesson plans from the Preservation Hall Foundation.
Local participation is rising- and so is student engagement. As one local teacher shared:
“It really was unlike what a lot of our students have experienced before... The band leader truly connected with them and answered all their questions.”
We’re proud to help the next generation connect with their culture, and deeply thankful for Leslie Compton’s vision in making it possible.
Musician Spotlight: Bruce Brackman Passing The Torch To The Next Generation
Clarinetist and Culture Bearer Bruce Brackman formed a special relationship with students in Chalmette High School’s Talented Music program this past school year through weekly group and individual lessons made possible by the Preservation Hall Foundation. The longtime Preservation Hall musician brought decades of experience and a deep love for New Orleans music into the classroom, helping young musicians sharpen their skills in performance and improvisation.
CHS senior Orlando Espinosa-Martinez reflected on the experience, saying, “Learning from different perspectives is essential when studying something as complex and expressive as jazz.” His sentiment was echoed by Talented Music teacher Jason Rusk, who noted the lasting impact of Brackman’s guidance on the students' passion for the music.
Happy 93rd birthday to legacy saxophonist and beloved culture bearer Daniel "Weenie" Farrow! We were honored to celebrate him with friends and family at The Hall this June.
LEARN MORE ABOUT DANIEL FARROW HERE
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