Up from the Streets

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New Orleans music and its extensive influence around the world hosted by Oscar nominee and 6-time Grammy Winner Terence Blanchard. With Afro-Caribbean influence to Mardi Gras Indians and Second Line parades, New Orleans is home to a unique mesh of cultures.

Director Statement: Up From The Streets is a film about how the music of New Orleans reflects the culture of the city; and how music has the power to change lives. New Orleans is my hometown and the music here has been a vital source of inspiration for myself and the citizens of this amazing city. Our music unites us, providing a deep spiritual connection to the city’s rich multi-cultural foundation that began 300 years ago. In many ways, the story of New Orleans is the story of America – a country founded by people who wanted freedom, and wanted to escape social injustice and cultural biases. The music of New Orleans became not only a celebration of life but also, at times, an expression of a want, need, and desire for freedom

Dr. Michael White is an accomplished, multi-faceted New Orleans-based clarinetist, bandleader, composer, musicologist, jazz historian, and educator widely regarded as one of the leading authorities and culture-bearers of traditional New Orleans jazz music. He has performed in over two dozen foreign countries, played on over 50 recordings, received countless awards, made multiple national television appearances, and been featured in major media publications.