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A Proud Tradition of Excellence
PAUL BATISTE LEADER
www.paulbatisteconservatory.com
www.batisteculturalartsacademy.com
Batiste Tradition of Excellence
The musicians in Batiste Brothers Band/Batiste Family® grew up together in the same New Orleans, Louisiana neighborhood and bonded over their shared passions for sound, rhythm and beats. Each member brings a unique musical aesthetic to the band and over the years we’ve grown comfortable jumping genres and mashing up influences.
Destined to served
In 2005, after the storm, I knew the arts would be more difficult to restart. So, I founded the Paul A. Batiste Conservatory of the Arts, Inc. a non-profit education corporation with a 501(c)3. My goal was to help to facilitate the many needs of the arts during a time of crisis. The purpose of the Conservatory is to restore, preserve, protect, and support the arts in our schools. The Conservatory is an educational organization whose goals include replacing band instruments, band uniforms, sheet music, materials and supplies lost due to Hurricane Katrina and providing scholarships to music students. I have been an educator for more than 30 years and have 35 years of being a leader of the Gladiators, and more recently, the Batiste Brothers Band who is one of New Orleans’ most popular musical families. Also, I am a veteran of the US Army and former member of the 204th and 202nd Military Police Company. My experiences-working as an Itinerant Instrumental Music Specialist, Band Director, Guitar Instructor, Band Instructor, General Music Teacher and Special Education Teacher at over a dozen schools, give me the dedication and knowledge to develop my family into premiere education service providers and teachers. In New Orleans, the arts are under-going an enormous transformation. The tide is shifting away from state funding. Consequently, non-profits are asked to step up to the plate. The arts are apart of the State Comprehensive Curriculum Guide. It is a state mandate. Yet, it is not adequately funded or programmed. As citizens, we must provide activities for our youth. They are unfairly asked to provide activities for themselves. Children should be allowed to be children-and not have to create opportunities to learn or be educated. In the absence of fundamental rights, our young citizens may drift in the wrong direction. Finally, I have a duty to give-back to the Batiste Family for letting me be their leader since 1971, and to the school system for allowing me the opportunity and privilege to teach and serve.
Born of One-Nighters
I did my student teaching at Mc Donogh Sr. Hi. with the late Lloyd Harris.
The Batiste Brothers Band also toured locally with him. Starting out, the idea of living the road band life was the last thing on our minds. After we did all the local gigs, we realized the only way for us to evolve as a band was to hit the road. Over the decades, we logged thousands of gigs — with the occasional festival appearance — in cities across the country and the world. Our time on the road proved crucial in shaping our sound.
World Famous Batiste Brothers Band
In 1976. I founded the Batiste Brothers Band to do what my mom as me to. My mom and dad had
As a band director, I have started music programs from elementary school to high school. In addition, I have routinely started band programs from scratch. Also, I have partnered with a charter school and applied for a charter school.
The Conservatory is an educational organization whose goals include replacing band instruments, band uniforms, sheet music materials and supplies lost due to Hurricane Katrina and providing scholarships to music students.
DREAM BIG
Mrs. Obama tells
New Orleans
students to 'dream
big'
WASHINGTON - "Dream big. Don't aim low, aim high." That was the message First Lady Michelle
Obama delivered Wednesday to 80 Middle
School students, including 22 from New Orleans.
"You have to prepare your minds and your bodies
for greatness," Mrs. Obama said at the ornate
State Dining Room at the White House.
For now, she told the students, their main job, as
she regularly reminds her two daughters, "is to go
to school, do your
homework everyday."
show how involvement in the arts can boost
grades, graduation rates and civil engagement.
The First Lady told the students that in addition
to working hard at school, they need to read
everything "you can get your hands on."
"That's one of the things that President Obama
does - he reads everything. He reads all the time.
You have to read, read, and read again," Mrs.
Obama said.
The First Lady told the students if they work
hard, and get a little encouragement along the
way, they will have great opportunities.
"The truth is that I know that I wouldn't be where
I am today, and I know that my husband,
President Obama, wouldn't be where he is today
if he hadn't gotten that kind of inspiration from
somebody in our lives. We wouldn't be who we
are today without all these people who pushed us
and believed in us and gave us opportunities to
learn and grow and fulfill our potential. We
wouldn't be here."
The students watched the Academy Award
nominated film, "Beasts of the Southern Wild,"
and Mrs. Obama signaled how she'd vote if given
the chance. The inspiring story of how a six-year-
old girl helped her family overcome tremendous
obstacles in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina,
is one of the "most powerful and most important"
films in a long time, Mrs. Obama said.
"It shows us the strength of our communities, no
matter what they look like," Mrs. Obama said. "It
shows us that these communities can give us the
power to overcome any kind of obstacles. And it
also tells a compelling story of poverty and
devastation, but also of hope and love in the
midst of some great challenges."
The cast and crew later participated in a q and a
with the students and Rachel Goslins, the
director of the President's Committee on the
Arts.
The Batiste students were excited about the
chance to meet Mrs. Obama, as well as the star of
the inspirational movie, Quvenzhane Wallis, who
plays six-year-old Hushpuppy. Hushpuppy, the
movie's heroine.
"
"It was great," said Gary Robichaux, executive
director of the charter management organization,
ReNew, which operates Batiste. "We got to meet
with the First Lady. We
Michelle Obama and family (White House
photo)
, one of eight schools nationally chosen for a two-
year federal Turnaround Arts program designed
to
The New Orleans contingent was from Batiste
Cultural Arts Academy
just watched the president land in his helicopter
from his trip (to North Carolina
). And we even got to see Bo (the Obama's dog)
play on the front lawn of the White House.
Very cool."
The students were excited.
"I know New Orleans has a lot of negative things
going on, and this is a chance to see something
positive," said Algernon Jacques, 12, a 7th grader.
Algernon got the advice from Mrs. Obama he
sought on "how to do well in life."
Paul Batiste, founder of the Batiste Brothers
Band who helped found the school located at the
former Live Oak Elementary School, said he's
thrilled the students had a chance to meet the
First Lady and get a behind-the-scenes look at
America's most famous house.
"I can't tell how excited I am that our students
are getting this opportunity," Batiste said. "The
students have come a long way."
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