It's impossible to think about the city of New Orleans without its trademark music community. Founded hours after Hurricane Katrina flooded the city, New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund, Inc. has provided housing, furniture, grants, transportation, instruments and anything else it can to assist those still struggling to rebuild their lives post Katrina. The New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund, Inc., a grass roots certified 501c(3) non-profit was founded in Internet cafes and FEMA rooms by musician Jeff Beninato and his wife Karen and has been supported by volunteers and friends of New Orleans music including Wilco, REM and Dr John.
To help raise national awareness of the second battle for New Orleans, NOMRF commissioned Jackson Squared(c). Pop artist L. Steve Willilams, Jr. depicts Michael Jackson, whose birthday was on 8/29, riding with the Andrew Jackson statue in Jackson Square with the ReDefine 8/29 and hurricane warning flags flying in the background. "It's a way to forever tie the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, with the City of New Orleans, the cradle of rock and roll," Beninato explains. It's also appropriate with 500 pounds of band uniforms on their way to New Orleans this week.
With the 4th Anniversary of Katrina approaching, keeping New Orleans recovery in the public eye is crucial. Millions of Americans will never forget as they watched the horror unfold before their eyes when 80% of the city flooded along with many areas of neighboring parishes. Hundreds of thousands of other survivors were scattered around the country, some of them just now making it home. In the first few years after the storm, the New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund was able to mail hundreds of direct grants to musicians across the country to help them return.
With grass roots charities struggling to survive, the New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund now receives more physical items than financial donations, ranging from drums to desks. Tanio, a brass band drummer, received a donated van for gig transportation. When the band's van was stolen, the lawyer who processed the donation paperwork donated her car just in time for his family's Hurricane Gustav evacuation. This week, 500 pounds of bright blue band uniforms were shipped from Williamstown School in New Jersey to Lusher Charter School to give them the chance to have a marching band. And within the last year, the Astor Crowne Plaza donated 20 floors of four star furniture to Furnish our Neighbors as the New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund helped them kick off ReDefine 8/29. The furniture sells for $8 and $29 to those returning home and people drive home with truckloads. Furniture was also donated to musicians living in the Habitat for Humanity Musicians Village. Help keeps rolling in in the form of instruments including 3 grand pianos, guitars, horns, congas - even vintage clothing for gig wear. And the charity was pleased to offer a free family friendly CC's Coffee Shop series that gave musicians extra gigs this summer.
"It's been humbling how many of their own instruments music lovers have sent us, even four years after the storm when many are struggling themselves. Those who have the least sometimes have the most room in their hearts for a city still healing," said Karen. "Instead of focusing on the day to day struggle of trying to keep a small charity running, it's heartening to focus on the help that's still coming from music lovers and musicians."
Beninato agrees, and just told Press of Atlantic City about the charity's support from New Orleans legend Dr. John: "His presence can make ailing friends and family members forget their troubles just a bit. We visited his friend in the Musicians Village who was having a tough time paying for his medication, and through Mac's generosity he forfeited his expenses from a show used to help many musicians. The New Orleans Musician's Relief Fund has a great debt of gratitude to Dr. John for his unselfishness as an ambassador for the music of our city."
Jeff adds that "Tragedies like the Galveston hurricane and Minneapolis Bridge collapse are forgotten too quickly in today's news cycle, like New Orleans, but I believe that people have enough compassion to go around if given the chance. Traveling across America after Katrina to raise funds for displaced musicians because we couldn't go home, it was amazing how many local jazz and dixieland bands would be playing traditional New Orleans songs. The sounds of New Orleans still entertain people across America, and it drove home the point that our music is a cultural mainstay."
The posters are available in New Orleans at Winky's, More Fun Comics and Snake & Jake's Christmas Club Lounge.
This year's rebooted ReDefine 8/29 download will feature 6 tracks: Dr. John, Dream Warrior; Ian Hunter, When the World was Round; REM, live South Central Rain; Peter Holsapple, Chris Stamey and Branford Marsalis, Begin Again; Dave Pirner, Start Treating People Right; and the late Barry Cowsill, Kid. Rolling Stone Magazine gave the first ReDefine 8/29 download a four star review.
New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund Link: http://www.nomrf.org
JACKSON SQUARED LINK:
Furnish Our Neighbors Link: http://bit.ly/gJLCf
Press of Atlantic City Link: http://bit.ly/108oN9
For more information, contact:
Jeff Beninato
Chairman
New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund
jeff@nomrf.org
