There's a Tear in My Beer

New Orleans is known as the birthplace of Jazz and it can be experienced literally all over the city. Jazz musicians usually play brass or woodwind instruments. From street corners to restaurants and bars, local amateur and professional musicians can be heard year round. Milton, one of our tour guides, said that Jazz obviously has things that other types of music has, like melody and different notes and time signatures, but what sets it apart is the fact that there is also a lot of improvisation. New Orleans was the only place in the country that did allow slaves to play instruments in a band, but they were not allowed to play in an interracial band or to play on the same stage as an all-white band. They say that Jazz music is a combination of African beats and classical music. Louis Armstrong is probably one of the most well-known Jazz musicians from New Orleans. On a tour, we learned that Louis Armstrong left New Orleans to travel and play music all around the country, but when he came back, he was still feeling an extreme amount of racial tension, so he chose to stay away. Despite this, there is a park named after him, Armstrong Park, and within it is Congo Square. We were able to visit this site which was considered to be somewhat of a retreat for black slaves when they got their Sundays off work. They were able to go and play music and spend time with family members and friends in a space that was theirs.

            It seems that music, especially Jazz, really is a way of life. The tour guide, Milton, told us that music is not made in New Orleans but it is felt. We quickly found out that everything in New Orleans is done big! Even funerals are considered a celebration and people can still be a part of organizations that will make sure that the member gets a Jazz Funeral if they so choose. When someone gets married in New Orleans, they can choose to have a Second Line celebration, which basically means they get to parade down the street being followed by a band, most likely a Jazz band.

            When you walk around New Orleans, especially near the French Quarter and Jackson Square, you will hear music. Some musicians will play by themselves, like today when we saw a man playing a horn by himself and sounding amazing. Or sometimes people play in a band together, with several different instruments. We saw many bands while we were walking through the French Quarter. They use old five gallon buckets for stools and old wash boards for instruments in some cases. It really is amazing to see (or hear, really) what can be done with a handmade instrument. If you ever decide to visit New Orleans, I highly suggest bring cash so that if you really enjoy a certain band or musician, you can let them know how much you appreciate their talent by throwing a dollar or two into their tip jars. I just think about how much time they are spending on the street, even in the cold weather, providing entertainment for people and they really appreciate when they are noticed. 

            As I said, everywhere you go in New Orleans, you are going to hear live music. Sometimes it is just instrumental and sometimes there is someone singing along. Usually there is no cover at the bars and often times, the musicians are just playing on the corner or in the middle of a street and hoping some kind souls will drop a few dollars in their tip jars. Music really can speak to a person. I know I personally love listening to different types of music and trying to understand the lyrics. I can hear a song and it will bring up a memory from years ago. every time I hear “Crash,” by The Dave Matthews Band, I think back to sixth grade because it was playing in the background when my mom sat my sisters and I down and told us that we were moving. I was devastated because I did not want to quit cheerleading in the middle of the season and I did not want to leave my friends. It still makes me feel kind of sad when I hear it, but it is also bittersweet because so many things in my life changed for the better after that move. I also remember specific Hank Williams Junior songs, like “There’s a Tear in my Beer,” and every time I hear it I bawl hysterically because it reminds me so much of my grandpa who passed away suddenly about three years ago. luckily I don’t hear it often, but when I do, it makes me sad and then it makes me happy to remember some of the best times I had with him. It is crazy how much emotion can come from a song.

Being in New Orleans, you can definitely see and feel how much music means to the people there. Music can bring people out of some really difficult times. It is awesome to see the city support such a huge musical community and allow them to do something they love while making somewhat of a living at the same time. Hopefully, some of them are making it work enough to support themselves or possible even their families. I tried to learn how to play the guitar but I ended up stopping several years ago. I took lessons from a professional and then my son’s father bought me a guitar and tried to teach me more later on. Eventually I just gave up trying to make time for it since I wasn’t really getting anywhere with it, but it is something I really wish I would have stuck with. I just think having a talent like that is amazing and even if I wasn’t very talented, I did enjoy playing sometimes just for fun.

Another thing about New Orleans and music that is just amazing to me, is that there is footage of people playing their instruments among the wreckage and debris after Hurricane Katrina. I think that playing those prized and sacred instruments probably really brought some solace to people, especially if that was one of the few possessions that didn’t get ruined in the storm.