Registration is now open to students for the fall semester Youth Music Education Program (YME) at the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music. The YME program provides music education and academic enrichment to youth living within the Ninth Ward and surrounding communities.
The Center, located at 1901 Bartholomew Street, uses music as a focal point of a holistic strategy to deliver a broad range of services to underserved children, youth, and musicians from neighborhoods battling poverty and social injustice. Through its YME Program, the Center provides a safe, positive environment where children can develop musically, academically, and socially. The program features instruction in various music disciplines including piano, strings, percussion, bass, guitar, brass, woodwinds, vocal, and jazz band. Additionally, the Center offers classes in music and computer technology including computer coding, music production, lighting production, video production, and audio engineering.
As a part of its mission to support the whole child, the Center also provides additional wraparound services, including behavioral health counseling, homework assistance with tutoring in reading and math, and a healthy habits meal program. Classes for the fall semester begin August 22 and end December 6.
“At the heart of the Center’s mission is the fundamental belief that music has the power to transform young lives,” says Lisa Dabney, executive director of the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music. “We consider it an honor to provide our students with a safe space and the tools to nurture their talents and creativity. Nothing gives the team of music educators, staff, and volunteers at the Center greater joy than knowing that we are enriching the lives of our students—each and every day.”
The Center first opened its doors in 2012 with the help of New Orleans natives Branford Marsalis and Harry Connick, Jr. and was named after the legendary jazz pianist, educator, New Orleans native, and patriarch of the Marsalis family, Ellis Marsalis, Jr. During his lifetime, Ellis Marsalis influenced and mentored some of the world’s leading jazz musicians. Using his pedagogical approach, Ellis played an instrumental role in developing the YME’s curriculum and core music program. He served as the Center’s artistic director from 2010 until his death in 2020.
Located in the Ninth Ward, an area known for its roots in music and cultural history, the 17,000-square-foot facility stands in the heart of Musicians Village and was part of a dedicated effort to rebuild and bring music back to a community devastated by Hurricane Katrina. The facility features a large performance space with state-of-the-art lighting and sound recording facilities, a computer center and listening library, a dance studio, classrooms, and teaching facilities for individual and group instruction. The Center provides employment for the members of the community and helps promote local artists and musicians within the New Orleans Metro Area.
The YME program hosts over 200 students per semester and provides after-school and Saturday youth development programs for students ages 8 to 18. Enrolled students are provided with an instrument and given the opportunity to take beginner, intermediate, or advanced lessons as appropriate based on skill level. No prior musical experience is required.
The YME program has a proven success rate, with 89 percent of students showing advanced musical technique. Since its opening, the Center has served over 3,000 children and thousands of community members and helped celebrate and promote over 300 musicians and cultural influencers.
Enrollment for the YME program is on a first-come, first-serve basis for those who meet eligibility requirements. The non-refundable registration fee is $30.00 per student, and priority registration is given to returning students and children living in the Musicians Village and the 70117, 70126, 70127, 70128, 70129, 70032, and 70122 zip codes. Students living outside those areas may contact the office to determine eligibility by calling 504-940-3400 or emailing [email protected].
Registration forms are available on the website.Return completed registration forms to [email protected], and the EMCM registrar will contact you. Registration forms may also be obtained by contacting the EMCM at 504-940-3400 or by emailing [email protected].
