For years, OffBeat has fought the good fight. Our whole raison d’etre was the promotion and preservation of our musical culture, keeping it alive, and helping it to grow, prosper and evolve.

When I first started the magazine, my mind boggled at the wealth of talent in New Orleans. The music literally bubbled up from the street. That’s become a cliché phrase, but once you do any research about the source of the city’s indigenous music, you find that the Mardi Gras Indians, brass bands, and multiple forms of jazz have literally been spawned by the tradition of passing the music from one generation to the next.

You’d think that because we have something that is so unique and precious—and ultimately ethereal—that there would be more interest in making sure that our music, that’s so ingrained in what makes us unique, isn’t lost forever.

That isn’t the case in New Orleans.

How many people in this city look at local musicians with disdain—unless they want them to pay a benefit party for their favorite charity (for free, of course)? How many members of elite Mardi Gras krewes will spend tens of thousands of dollars throwing crap on the streets and quibble about paying a local band to play their balls? I’d venture to say that only a very small percentage of people who live in New Orleans know anything about our musical heritage. Yeah, they know who Fats Domino is… maybe even Allen Toussaint, Irma Thomas, the Marsalis Family and the Neville Brothers. But how about Danny Barker? Harold Batiste? Fred LeBlanc? Ed Volker? Tommy Malone? Phil Frazier? Sonny Landreth? Warren Storm? Donald Harrison, Sr.? Monk Boudreaux or Bo Dollis? Oliver Morgan… and the thousands of the other musicians—past and present—who have contributed so much in making our city and state’s culture so unique, and yes, desirable to people from around the world?

Let’s face the facts. It’s not only local people who are ignorant of our musical culture. It’s probably safe to say that most people who live in cities the size of New Orleans don’t know much about local music and musicians. But then again, there’s nothing in the US that can compare to the music of New Orleans. Or New Orleans’ cultural contributions to the world in terms of cuisine, culture and history. There’s something so soulful and real about what we have here; no place else can compare to it.

It’s not the fault of this city’s ignorance alone. It’s also the culture (or lack thereof) in the US. We’ve become so twisted and manipulated by big money entertainment over the past two generations that it’s a wonder roots music has managed to survive at all. Or even the live music that’s played in clubs. I’m sorry, but dance and electronica doesn’t really create much of an emotional impact—except maybe to get you laid that night. Music clubs are not just performance venues; they are the breeding grounds for nascent composers, great musicians, and create the atmosphere for a musical culture’s preservation and evolution.

I never thought I’d say this, but I’m rather glad that the “jam band” phenomenon evolved. At first it seemed to be a bunch of post-millennium hippies, but I think it has developed into a group of people who have honed their ability to appreciate more interesting music and improvisation. At least it’s growing a market of people who really listen to music—other than most of the junk that permeates the media. Of course, this jam band demographic will someday get really weary of camping out, sweating and noodle-dancing. Then Bonnaroo may become a bit more sedate (we all get old and like our creature comforts eventually. Does this mean there will soon be RV parks at Bonnaroo?). The promoters already created a Preservation Hall tent—or is that just capitalizing on Katrina?

At least the jam band promoters are developing, cultivating and mining a market. If the people in power (government, big business, etc.) would think in terms of “developing markets” instead of “culture” (that word has sort of a drippy, do-goody, non-profit-making connotation), they’d realize that music, if nurtured with responsibility and care, and promoted in the proper way could develop markets for culture, which will result in a lot of people making a lot money over the long run.

The biggest concern we should all have in New Orleans regarding music is making sure that the people who make the music come back here to live and that our music-and culture-makers are healthy. It’s crucial. Without them, our musical culture is going to either die, or become museum fodder, no question about it. The second thing we need to keep our music alive is to educate kids on the importance of our culture. If they don’t hear the music and learn about it when they’re young, they’re not going to appreciate it.

Let’s give incentives to people who are doing things that are improving and preserving the culture. How about giving financial incentives to commercial radio stations that play a certain percentage of local music? Why aren’t there incentives for businesses to open music clubs that play “cultural” music like jazz or brass band music, or even just “original” local music? Remember, we need those music clubs to keep the music alive, and to allow it to grow, flourish and evolve. We need more music clubs, not less!

There are ways to preserve and to enhance our musical culture. We—and I don’t just mean cheerleaders like me; I mean politicians, government leaders and business owners—have to decide that we’re going to do it. We have to make them listen and to convince them that without our music, we’re on the road to becoming just another southern city.

Once they’re convinced, then we can find a way. We don’t have much time; we have to get busy, and soon, or it’s going to go away.