One thing Katrina taught us in New Orleans is that this city has a spiritual pull that is unbelievably strong.

There are so many people whose homes, businesses—and families—were devastated. There are so many who were displaced and who are living elsewhere. Yet, most of the Katrina diaspora is desperate to move back not only to New Orleans, but to the homes—many of them in families for generations—that were destroyed by the storm. It’s still heartbreaking to see a guy living in the Ninth Ward in a house he’s repaired that’s surrounded by nothing, where once there was a neighborhood.

If nothing else, Katrina has certainly made us stronger, and has definitely separated the “men from the boys.” If you still live here, you’re keeping the faith; you’re a hero, you’re a pioneer, and you’re the hope for our future. If you’ve moved here from somewhere else, thank you for bringing your energy and ideas to help rebuild our city. If you can’t get back (yet), we’re pulling for you and hope you can come back soon.

Everyone living in New Orleans has Katrina stories, and our lives are sort of split into two: pre- and post-Katrina. August 29, 2005 has had a profound impact on our lives, and will continue dictate the way we live and conduct our business until the day we die. I wonder, though, what impact the spirit and resolve that evolved from our collective tragedy will have on a new generation 20 years from now.

I worry about that, just as I wonder what will change in the cultural aspects of New Orleans over the next 20 years. Will there be a brass band culture? How will the Mardi Gras Indians fare? Will the Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs continue? Unless we nurture these crucial aspects of the city’s culture, they may wither and die away.

The answer to preserving these precious aspects of our city’s culture is, of course, rooted in education, specifically arts education.

I’m certainly not an educator, but I know that unless kids are exposed to something early on, they won’t appreciate it, and they certainly won’t care anything about it. When you’re a kid, you think in the moment, and cultural history doesn’t mean anything. I truly believe that if Louisiana politicians can do anything, they can legislate the teaching of our unique culture. When I was in school, we read U.S. and Louisiana history. Let’s face it, though, most kids think that history is b-o-r-i-n-g. A proactive way to preserve our musical culture would be to add “Cultural History” to the curricula of public schools statewide. So who’s writing the textbook? Is this something Mitch Landrieu’s Cultural Economy Initiative would handle, or Department of Education? Who is our cultural champion in the education on a statewide level?

Kudos to Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience for winning the first-ever Cajun/Zydeco Grammy award. And sincere congratulations to Cynthia Simien for having the fortitude and passion to create the category and for developing the political clout within the Recording Academy to actually make it happen. You go, girl!

My own experience at the Grammys was pretty cool, I must say. For those who have never been to the event, there’s a “pre-telecast” awards event where most of the Grammys are presented (this is where Terrance and band got their award). There are actually 100 categories that are awarded in what turned into a three-and-one-half-hour ceremony, hosted by Patti Austin and Peter Frampton. This is a much smaller event, and many of the winners didn’t show up to accept their awards (this is show biz, after all, and it’s much better to be seen at the television show sitting in the audience than with a bunch of nominees for such categories as “Best Tejano Album.” The fact that a pretty large proportion of “stars” didn’t show up to receive their Grammys made me personally feel okay—I’m always thinking about the musicians who don’t show up to receive their Best of the Beat Awards!

The Grammy show itself was really amazing. I’m not a particularly starstruck person, but seeing Beyonce and Tina doing “Proud Mary” was quite a moment. The production of the show was like nothing I’d ever seen before… made me want to write a thank-you note to Ken Ehrlich and his crew for doing such a great job. I’m not usually one who watches the entire Grammy extravaganza on television, but in person—Yowza! It was really a fantastic show. Oh yeah, and the Simiens have created a “Creole for Kids” arts-in-education performance and booklet… not only educating kids on their cultural heritage, but creating a market for their music. Smart.

The OffBeat staff will be on its way to South by Southwest (SXSW) another signature music event in Austin, the self-proclaimed “Live Music Capital” (yeah, right—well they said it, so it must be true: hint, hint, Louisiana marketers!). Cover girl Susan Cowsill is our sponsored artist for this year’s event. We’ll have our traditional booth at the trade show, and will sponsor a party at the Continental Club Friday, March 14 from 3 to 5 p.m. with the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation and others. Susan Cowsill and Paul Sanchez will perform, as will Les Poisson Rouges, Glen David Andrews and the Iguanas. See y’all there!

Congratulations are also due to the French Quarter Festival as it celebrates 25 years of celebrating local culture, music and food in the heart of the city. It’s really a shame that more people from outside New Orleans haven’t been to this event; the weather is usually gorgeous, the music is all local (this year the Radiators are scheduled to perform), and the food is killer. Plus, it’s in the beautiful French Quarter, and the admission is free. Check out FQF’s new Web site at www.fqfi.org.