There’s a real groundswell of change in the city of New Orleans. If, as a Jazz Fest lover, you’ve been here before, you can remember what the Fest was like in years past. There used to be a “Fess” Stage. There were fewer people. Many more local and roots bands. In my opinion, there was more adulation being paid to the music and musicians that you’d hear at the Jazz Fest because there were so many bands that you could not enjoy live anywhere else. And that’s still the case, in many respects.

But since Hurricane Katrina, everything in New Orleans changed. In order to survive—and because they were displaced to other cities and states—many musicians had to take to the road much more than they had in the past just to earn enough money to live. A lot more people were exposed to New Orleans and Louisiana music. In some ways, it’s become ubiquitous.

The Jazz Fest is big business—it generates millions of dollars for its producers and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, which owns the Fest itself. To its everlasting credit, the Foundation presents free community festivals all year, which have also spawned a number of other music-based festivals throughout the year, thus enhancing our “festival economy.” The Foundation also contributes substantially to community education, performance and cultural projects, including its School of Music, community grants and support for radio station WWOZ-FM. Just like any business, the Jazz Fest is always trying to reinforce its brand and establish itself with a market of younger consumers. After all, the Festival is almost 50 years old, and the early Festers are sometimes almost too decrepit to make it around the Fair Grounds anymore. You need legs and stamina to do it right.

With a market of younger audiences come booking changes. More national acts. Hip-hop. Alt-country. Pop rock. To some, Jazz Fest has become more of a social and cultural event than a transcendent musical experience—not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Luckily, in New Orleans we have the opportunity to experience local music every single day. Yes the music scene is changing and attracting a crowd of people who may be more into the party scene, but c’est la vie.

I think it’s important for the original Festers to indoctrinate newbies into why the Jazz Fest has endured for so long. Instilling respect and appreciation for our music, culture and traditions are of the ultimate importance. So old-timers: Be patient, be respectful, enjoy, and pass the torch on to another generation. And the same goes for you newbies: Be respectful of our culture, learn from it, immerse yourself. Become a real New Orleanian. We need you.

Happy Jazz Fest, y’all!