New Orleans: Jazz and Jambalaya

New Orleans 2027 will be a musical, cultural, and culinary exploration of one of America’s most unique and exciting cities.  

Students will develop an appreciation for jazz music from the city where its roots lie and learn about its current significance as one of America’s greatest art forms.  Students will also explore local culture from other perspectives, such as cooking, human migration, history, language, and architecture. We will watch live performances, and tour local museums such as the legendary Preservation Hall.  We will also get a taste of New Orleans’ one-of-a-kind cuisine: a mix of Creole, French, and Southern American flavors, such as po’ boys, fresh oysters, spicy jambalaya, gumbo, and desserts, through local eateries and a cooking class. Exploration of culture and history will come from traveling through historic neighborhoods, going on an airboat swamp tour, discovering local voodoo culture, enjoying an evening jazz cruise, and going on a haunted New Orleans tour. Students should plan on doing a significant amount of walking around the city.

Educational Goals:

1. Develop an appreciation for jazz music as well as New Orleans funk/soul music and learn about its history and significance as “America’s art music”

2. Discover the local melting pot that is Creole cuisine and learn about how the food from various cultures has evolved into today’s local cuisine 

3. Explore local architecture, culture, and history by visiting historical sites and reading selected material prior to the trip

Instructors: Abigail Goldberg and Arnold Lewis

Open to: Grades 9-12

Limit: 12 students    

Cost: $2570

Local Day: Friday, March 5

Depart: Sunday, March 7

Return: Friday, March 12