The 2014 Juilliard ARTreach New Orleans Service Project video!

Thank you Shout-Out!

Thanks to the following "Beignet" and "On the Riverwalk" perk awardees for donating via our Indiegogo page! This trip wouldn't have been possible without you!

Ashlee Webster

Doug Eisinger

Emily Kaplan

Emma Goidel

Kellie Tabron

Lisa Yazici

Midori Samson

Stephanie Terasaki

Alexander Donnelly

Andrea Ciannavei

Don Nguyen

Keiko Obremski

Lori Woliner

Rose Johnson

Shana Gozansky

THANK YOU!

Thank you!

View our photos from the trip!

Photos have been posted to our Shutterfly share site! No need to sign up for Shutterfly or become a member. View our photos here, https://artreachneworleansproject.shutterfly.com.

Reflections

Not too long ago was I sitting in Café Du Monde, New Orleans, sharing laughs with my teammates over cafe-au-lait and beignets (so-OH many beignets!), and now, as I sit here on the plane ride back to NYC this early Wednesday morning, I have become aware of the fact that Spring Break is nearing an end and "real life" is drawing near.  However, before I begin to wrap my mind around the concept of rehearsals for Spring Dances starting back up in a day, there are many thoughts permeating my mind about my week spent in New Orleans.  Although I (along with the rest of the team), am running on few hours of sleep, my brain is buzzing, and I feel compelled to get my thoughts down while they're still fresh.

This was my third trip to New Orleans via Juilliard's ARTreach New Orleans Service Project. I have been involved as a team member since my freshman year at school, and this year was my first time serving as one of three student leaders.  I freely admit that it is no easy feat making this project happen and I have an even greater appreciation for past team leaders, now having experienced what that means.  

Coordinating logistics for a sizable group of students, including but not limited to, finding creative and lucrative ways of fundraising $17,000, coming up with agendas for our weekly three hour meetings leading up to the trip, as well as deciding on and solidifying our agenda while in NOLA, coming up with a performance program, rehearsing the program, teaching and learning team-building games, etc.  Mind you, all of this is thought through and discussed with the team advisors and student leaders either at 8 am on weekdays before school starts or in between classes on our lunch break, as well as through a multitude of emails.  At times I was overwhelmed by the magnitude of work that needed to be done, and money that needed to be raised in a relatively short amount of time, compounded by everyone's crazy school schedule.  However, I had faith that our team would find a way to pull it together and make it happen - and, we did!

It is incredible how much work can get done when each person on the team is fully committed. This commitment held true throughout the week in New Orleans in each new task we took on, whether it was someone laying wood panels on the muddy ground of the Habitat site so that no one would slip, grilling paninis for our team dinner even though it was not their designated night to cook, doing dishes after a long day of laborious work, giving massages (which proved to be very necessary), or putting coffee on, first thing in the morning. Needless to say, the teamwork was palpable.

Practicalities aside, something I shared at last night's final team meeting is that this project represents the essence of Juilliard.  Spending just one week with only a fraction of the students at school, I feel more in touch with my art form and the direct effect art has on those around me, and, most importantly, why I wanted to come to Juilliard in the first place.  I crave to be around artists who can't help but perform and entertain, who break out into song and dance because the music overtakes them. It comes from somewhere deep inside and cannot be taught, even in the hallowed halls of a famed conservatory.

Although Juilliard certainly attracts artists of high caliber, the unadulturated, organic qualities that make us who we are as performers and as people, is sometimes overshadowed by the desire to be "perfect" and better than the next one. While technique is absolutely necessary (and a little healthy competition is sometimes needed), it can also be a hindrance.  I have learned specifically from this project to not always harp on the details or allow others define who I am, but to let go and be myself.

Every single team member oozes with talent, and seeing these talents put to use, sometimes in their most bare-bones state, is the most inspiring.  For instance, performing on a grassy, untamed lawn at Habitat, with no marley floor rolled out for the dancers, a lack of proper acoustics and music stands for the musicians, no lighting and set design to inform the actors' monologues, or piano to give us our "A" to keep Ain't No Mountain High Enough in tune, was extraordinarily liberating.  As a result, it allowed us to simply love what we were doing while doing it, and our audience responded.

A special moment for me was after our performance at Trinity Episcopal Church when a young girl whom I have taught for the past two years in New Orleans, both at Dryades YMCA and through the Shalom Zone, came up to me and give me a big hug.  She knew I was a dancer, but this was the first time she had seen me in my element. She smiled and looked at at me wide-eyed, and could not stop hugging me. In this moment, I realized that although our time in New Orleans is fleeting, the impressions we leave are lasting, and this warmed my heart.

I am forever grateful that this project has been a part of my life and a truly defining experience in my Juilliard career.  It is important to venture away from New York and from 60 Lincoln Center Plaza to gain perspective and other life experiences, and to make genuine connections with those you may not otherwise find the time to meet and get to know. Make that time, prioritize it, because art is meant for bringing people together.  Who are we in this world if we cease to make connections with other people?

-Kelsey Connolly

Last Day in NOLA

Today on our last day, Tuesday, March 11, we started off at the Lusher Charter school. We performed three shows for students from kindergarten to fifth grade. In this performance we took a twist on the tale of Alice in Wonderland.
Here are some thoughts on the Lusher performances from John, Austin, and myself:

John: What we did at Lusher today was nothing short of magic. It was an epic, famous, but original tale that was made possible.

Tiffany: It was really cool for everyone to be able to come together with their respective disciplines and create such a great show.

John: Everything came together so quickly. Everyone was so energetic and proactive in trying to contribute as much as they could to the show but at the same time being respectful with the demands of producing the show. It was a great demonstration of generosity.  Generosity is a combination of both giving space and taking it.

Tiffany: It was just as fun for us as it was for the kids because we were also entertained through the performances of each other.

John: The exhaustion after each show dissipated as we heard the cheers of the students.

Austin: Even from show to show, the energy and excitement of the students seemed to increase which brought us even more energy. Being able to interact with the kids during the performances was another element that made these performances nothing like the ones previous. The direct connection really allowed us to see how much joy and fun we were bringing to the audience.


After the Lusher performances and a brief lunch we visited the house that the team from last year worked on. It was truly amazing seeing the faces of returners who saw the fruits of their hard labor.

Then we headed to Kipps Central Academy to teach middle schoolers. Here are some of our thoughts on Kipps.

John: Our best teaching experience. The kids were very focused so we were able to share many exercises and concepts with them without the room becoming too wild. I saw miles of improvement within the students. Although there were a few students that didn't want to participate, by the end, everyone was participating and having fun. One highlight from today was when a girl received a letter from her mother at the end of the workshop; enclosed was an acceptance letter to NOCCA. She mentioned that she aspires to both sing and act, so this acceptance brought such excitement that she started to cry with joy.

Austin: The number was even. 6 dancers 6 students. The kids were easy to let go right from the get-go with "Show Me How You Get Down". Writing names with different body parts in the ground, walls, ceiling, etc... Through the exploration of fundamental joint movements and every member of the class contributing their favorite movement combinations, at the end of the 90 minute workshop the 12 were set and ready with a beautiful performance consisting of completely collaboratively conceived choreography.

Tiffany: We started off with games to get to know more about the students in our group. We saw Jimmy, from Shalom Zone, again today. It was really great to see him with his trombone and so interested in learning about music. In our music group, we had students from the band that learned to improvise along with our team members.

We ended the day with a group dinner at the French Market Restaurant. It was a wonderful but bittersweet time. This past week felt like a dream. We have so many memories, moments, inside jokes, and quotes to last a lifetime.

John, Austin, & Tiffany

Day 6: NOCCA Day!

It saddens me that we have almost reached the end of the trip, but I have never felt more fulfilled and energized. It truly has been a wonderful trip and after individually expressing our reflections from the day, I realized how thankful I am to be able to share music with such a generous and hospitable community.

Before reaching NOCCA (The New Orleans Center for Creative Arts) for our performance and workshops, we drove through the ninth ward; the neighborhood that was most affected by Hurricane Katrina. The returning members of the group were shocked by the number of houses that have surfaced over the past year, which only enhanced the impact of working with Habitat for Humanity on building the foundation of a house. This greatly encourages me to continue volunteering to help rebuild the neighborhoods that still haven't been fully restored.

March 10: "Juilliard Day at NOCCA"

We were greeted with a delicious home-cooked meal consisting of jambalaya and bread pudding. We can't get enough of this cajun cuisine! Following lunch, we were taken on a tour around the beautiful facilities and referred to our respective divisions for workshops. Being the only trombonist in the group, I was conveniently placed with the only jazz trombonist at the school. Naturally, it became a private lesson and a jam; something we both had a lot of fun with.

After our various workshops, we reported to the school's main performance space for an afternoon show. The students were so engaged and responsive to every piece performed by each group member. We even had a few screaming fans in the audience! Overall, it was an extremely successful performance and I think for all of us, it was the most fun we've had performing in a really long time.

For dinner we were invited by Mr. and Mrs. Schrenk for a night of more authentic New Orleans food and spontaneous performances. Red beans and rice is traditionally known as a Monday night staple, so it was served in a plentiful amount. After dinner, everyone congregated in the living room for solos and duets performed by the musicians, then brought to the backyard where John and Victoria performed the balcony scene from Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet,"Jasminn presented an original monologue, and the dancers improvised to a Bach cello piece arranged and played by Stephanie. It turned out to be one of the most unique and intimate performances we've experienced all week. A big thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Schrenk for hosting us, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Shreves and Mr. and Mrs. Guarisco for your support.

It has been an incredibly inspiring week and I look forward to a full day of performances and workshops tomorrow!

-Kalia

Exploring and performing...

Hey everyone!

Yesterday was an amazing day of adventure, exploring, and performing. We started off the day with a group of us going to Fetish - Spatique in the Garden District. Ms. Joanna from Shalom Zone had told the owners (a lovely mother-daughter team) about our team and what we're doing down here, so amazingly they wanted to offer us some breakfast and kind words. One of my favorite inspirational comments from them was "if you all keep giving like this, the universe will always give back to you".

Afterwards we headed into the van and drove to the French Quarter for the rest of our morning off! The weather was incredible, the sky was blue, and we of course were laughing our heads off in the car all the way to the Mississipi River. I don't think I've ever laughed so much in five days as I have here. It's been so wonderful getting to know my teammates and keeping each other lively by laughing until our muscles ache, no matter what crazy circumstances surround us.

Some of us split up to do some shopping, but a group of us wanted a New Orleans breakfast so we headed to the Corner Oyster Bar and Grill for some Po'boys, eggs, and caffeine. We wandered Jackson Square and found some cute boutiques and beautiful artwork, but most importantly a street poet named David Blanton. For a donation, you can give him a subject and he will write you a poem in 20 minutes. Since our theme on this trip has been "Art Nurtures" we gave him that as our subject and explained a little about who we were and what we were doing in New Orleans.

20 minutes later, we return to a beautiful poem that we were so stunned by, we wanted to share it with our audience at our Trinity Church performance later that day (which we did).

"Art Nurtures

There is nothing more powerful
than full self expression,
the cosmic realization that you are
exactly you and sharing that
through art, drama, or dance
is a never ending joy.
The truth is loving the tension
within and without, whispering
or screaming it out, turning
your heart inside out
to those willing to listen with
an open ear to expressions
that may not always be clear.
The Muse is found in the struggle,
in the tension of muscle and mind,
and words that almost say enough.
Artists aren't so tough, they just know
how to bleed the demons within
and make something beautiful in the end."

After receiving the gift of this poem, we headed back to HONO for a team meeting, sandwiches, and a quick prep for our performance. The house was soon filled with music and text in every room-- it was a great reminder of all of our strengths and excitement to perform. Actors were on the porch, dancers were in the kitchen, and musicians roamed through every common area and bedroom they could find. Nothing is cooler than hearing a house booming with art and creativity!

We head to the Trinity Church and after a run-through of the program we give a 60 minute performance to the community. It was wonderful seeing so many familiar faces! After our finale of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", we had the whole church on their feet clapping and singing along! A lot of kids from the Shalom Zone were there and afterward rushed up to us on the stage. The musicians generously helped some of them hold and play their instruments, which was adorable to watch.

We said our goodbyes and headed to the Praline Connection for our team dinner! After all the tastiness the group got to dance to some amazing jazz music played by very talented street musicians out front and then peruse the art fair where chalk drawing ensued.

And of course, it was a delicious end to a delicious day.

-Paton

Day 4!

Today was a huge day for the team, and it started bright (yes, the sun finally came out!) and early as the team ate breakfast, showered, and prepared to leave HONO at 7:30 for our last day at the Habitat site, which included our first performance of the week (but more on that in a bit).

Upon arrival at the site, we were informed that we had to redo a few of the cinderblock stacks that we had built up yesterday, a revelation that might seem discouraging were it not for the amazing energy that the team brought forth to breaking down and building up the concrete (I had particular fun in chipping away the old mortar - a great way to let out excess tension!).

After a couple hours of working, we began to prepare for our afternoon performance - preparation which included setting up instruments in the van, dancing in the street, and rehearsing poetry in the grass near the site.

After lunch and some more cement mixing, it was time to get to our performance venue (an empty grass lot across the street from our site). The performance was well attended by a group of other college-age Habitat volunteers, as well as Habitat site supervisors and people from the nearby neighborhood. The energy was so amazing to witness - since we were outside, there was no piano (and thus instead of playing I worked the "backstage" duties of keeping the program running smoothly), but I was so moved by the amazing talent on display by my peers. The team's dancers, actors, and musicians all worked together beautifully, and with very little rehearsal time pulled together a great show.

Our rousing rendition of this year's group song, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"!

But after the show we weren't done working yet - there was still concrete to be poured, so we returned to our site and finished the project that three days ago seemed daunting. Needless to say, our dinner from Cafe Pontalba by the Mississippi River was very satisfying.

Oh, and during the day some of the team (including myself) was interviewed by a journalist from the New Orleans Times-Picayune, and put together a wonderful article (with some epic pictures) that you can check out by clicking right HERE.

It's hard to believe we're halfway through the week, but after today I know that there is so much more excitement and inspiration to be had in these next few days. For now I'm off to go explore the French Quarter with the team!

-Robert

Thoughts on Day 3

Day 3 begins at 6 AM. Lunches are packed, breakfasts are served, and the team is headed out the door for a long day at Habitat for Humanity. We arrive around 7:30 and get straight to work; Lumber is moved and cinder blocks are stacked. Our amazing teamwork this week has really paid off- the foundation of the house we're working on is finally finished!

At noon, we leave the Habitat for Humanity site and arrive at a nearby park, where we split up into groups and disperse throughout the neighborhood. Collaborating with a few other student groups from around the country, we cleaned up yards, streets, and sidewalks. The combination of a sunny day and the gratitude that was shown from residents and passersby put us all in a great mood. 

We said goodbye to the friends we made at the park and headed over to the Trinity Church for Shalom Zone. Just as we had expected, we arrived to an auditorium full of kids aged 5-14 bouncing off the walls. Our games and team-building activities were as successful as they were tiring! I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say I wish we could've spent more time with the group of kids we just met, but I'm so glad we were able to meet some of our teaching goals and we all had such a great time. 

Finally, back to HONO. Homemade dinner is delicious after a tiring day, and we re-energize as we prepare for the rest of the week. Can't wait to perform at the Habitat site tomorrow!

Kara leading a warm up on our first day with Habitat for Humanity.

Day 2 Recap: Mud, children and laughter!

March 6, 2014

6:00am - Wake up call! After much needed rest from our long day of travels yesterday, our NOLA team was up bright and early making breakfast, preparing for our first day of building and construction at the habitat site.

7:15am - Arrived at the habitat site ready to get started on building a house! After getting acquainted with our habitat site supervisors and having a quick safety orientation, we began cleaning-up one of the sites, bringing wet cardboard, scraps of wood, and clearing garbage to the dumpster. Then, while some of us spent the rest of the morning lifting and transporting piles of lumber, the rest of us built the foundation of the house, stacking cinder blocks meticulously on top of layers of mortar.

11:30am - Lunch time! Never before have I been so excited to get into a van for the sake of warmth. Food, heat, and a reenergizing nap was a nice way to break up our day.

12:30pm - Returned to work and continued with our morning tasks on site; however, this time there was more rain and gusts of wind. Although the weather was not ideal, the cold and wet weather did not stop us from continuing our work and having a good time. Team work, good laughs, and spontaneous warm-up sessions throughout the day kept us warm and made the weather conditions all the more bearable.

3:15pm - Left the habitat site and made our way to the Trinity Church for our first teaching session!

4:00pm - We were greeted by our high-energy students at the church and began promptly with our planned lesson plans and teaching groups. Through interactive games and fun activities, we cultivated a positive, empowering environment for the students to break out of their comfort zones. Although the students challenged our own energy levels, I think we all accomplished and got through to the students with our teaching goals.

6:30pm - Arrived back at Hands On New Orleans (HONO), the accommodations where we are staying for this week. The dinner crew #2 immediately started cooking our "Grains, Greens and Grill" dinner theme night to feed the rest of our hungry team.

8:00pm - Dinner is served! The menu included kale chips, quinoa salad, sautéed squash, grilled shrimp (on the BBQ!) and pesto pasta. It was such a nice treat to be in the kitchen cooking homemade food again :).

9:30pm - We had our team meeting, reflected on the day's activities, and prepared for our next day of habitat building.

11:00pm - Lights out and bed time! We were all tired from our first day at the habitat site, but we are all looking forward to being back tomorrow and making more progress on the house!

Day 1 Video Recap

We have had an incredibly long, exhausting day of travel. Somehow, the team laughed our way through the entire day.

This is what our first day in New Orleans looked like.

-Riley

Day 1: Hello NOLA!

After an early start - 4 a.m. for our New York crew - everyone made it to New Orleans! Our first order of business involved fueling up on beignets and coffee at Morning Call. Then we took our sugared and caffeinated selves to the HandsOn New Orleans house where we were welcomed by fellow volunteers.

Today presented us with many opportunities to acknowledge the everyday luxuries in our own lives, like hot water, heat, and especially electricity. While attempting to heat our home we overwhelmed the circuit breaker and lost power. This "Day 1 Power Outage" during dinner inspired some creative cooking on the grill. Huge thanks to our team members who held up cell phone flashlights to keep an eye on our charcoal cooked meals! We really do have an incredibly generous team.

While driving through the city, we also witnessed the contrast between areas of the city that have rebounded beautifully, and neighborhoods that are still tremendously dilapidated. Observing this contrast up close makes us even more eager to serve New Orleans this week and eternally grateful to all those who have supported us in this endeavor.

Best get to bed now- we have a busy day building with Habitat for Humanity and teaching New Orleans students tomorrow!

-Victoria

We're on our way!

The 2014 team will be headed to New Orleans in the wee hours of Wednesday, March 5! We want to thank everyone who helped us by sharing blog posts, Facebook posts, bought baked goods at our bake sales, donated flowers, bought flowers at our flower sale, bought raffle tickets, donated raffle prizes, gave us places to sell raffle tickets, donated space for our benefit performance, made donations, fed us breakfast and supported us in so many ways! We couldn't have done it without you!

Please continue to follow our blog so you can see the good work your support has made happen! The team also invites you to follow us on Twitter, @NOLAProject 2014 and to like our Facebook page, The ARTreach New Orleans Service Project 2014.

Thank you and we hope to make you proud!

We did it!! See you in New Orleans!

The team has reached its Indiegogo donation goal!!! A huge thanks is due to everyone who contributed! For those who did make a contribution, you will receive an electronic shoutout on our Facebook page, as well as in an upcoming blog. We are so grateful to have such supportive friends and family! We couldn't have done it without you!

A huge thanks is also due to those who came to our benefit performance last Wednesday at Omonia Cafe in Astoria! The performance consisted of a collection of popular and original songs sung and played by our talented team members, including "You've Got a Friend in Me" (Toy Story), "I Can Go the Distance" (Hercules), "Royals", and several others.  I know I speak for all of the team members when I say we had a blast performing for everyone (and we enjoyed the delicious treats)! Thank you, Omonia Cafe and friends!

In other exciting news, winners of the raffle have been drawn! If your ticket was drawn, a team member will contact you with instructions on how to redeem your prize.

With that being said, the team has been hard at work finalizing last-minute donations and preparations for the trip. In today's final meeting, our teaching groups solidified lesson plans for our time at the Shalom Zone, and the team discussed logistics for our arrival in New Orleans. Only 10 more days until the fun begins!!

As second-year team member, I cannot describe how excited I am to return to New Orleans. It is a truly life changing experience, as all of our first-timers will soon discover.

Stay tuned for another update. We'll see you in New Orleans!!

-Jacob

Meet Allison

Meet Kalia

Ain't No Mountain High Enough

No better way to spend your Sunday morning than eagerly planning, organizing, laughing, singing and dancing with the Juilliard NOLA crew!  Kicking off the meeting with our tradition of playing icebreaker games, we had eggs with our "one word story." Not to mention crazily shaking our limbs just to make sure no one was still sleeping on the job!

The fundraising is well on its way with the raffle tickets, Indiegogo website, and benefit concert.  We will be selling raffle tickets Monday in the Juilliard Cafe and lobby from 12:30-2:30, Wednesday in the Juilliard lobby from 12:45-2:15, and Friday in the cafe from 12:30-2:30. Don't miss your opportunity to not only win BIG with these amazing prizes but also win big in the hearts of the New Orleans community.  As for Indiegogo, we are almost to our goal of $5,000 but we encourage to share, share, SHARE the page because we need to get that number as high as possible.

Our most recent fundraising endeavor will take place this Wednesday as NOLA team members light up the stage for our benefit concert.  It will take place at Omonia Cafe (which supplies the baked goods for the amazing Europan and other bakeries) which is located in Astoria. The cover fee will be a measly $5 and the proceeds will benefit yours truly.  Need a fun night out to make it through hump day and get through the week?  Come enjoy this wonderful performance loaded with singing, poetry, music and so much more!

Next on the agenda was the guest speaker and four year attendee of the NOLA trip, Mitch Lyon.  Mitch provided us with insightful wisdom on his experiences and what to expect.  We even split up into 4 musical groups which included Jasmine and the Boys, The Tator Tots, Tiffany and the Boppers, and. Through this team building exercise we got to experience first hand some of the difficulties such as uninterested kids, shy individuals, etc. that we could be faced with in New Orleans.

Last but not least, we divided into groups to work on our lesson plan templates for the trip.  How exciting it was to start brainstorming on what messages we wanted to send the children and the fun and educational activities we could use to engage them!  We are starting to organize our performance line up for the Trinity Church, NOCCA and Lusher and it is starting to shape up very nicely if I do say so myself.  We ended on a positive note with feelings of excitement, happiness, satisfaction and more while we danced and jammed out to our team song "Ain't No Mountain High Enough."


-Kellie

Flower Sale

Want to send some love to a friend, classmate or that special someone?

The Nola Team will be holding a Flower Sale on Valentine's Day.

We will be in the Juilliard Lobby from 11:30am to 1:30pm
And at the Yule Ball 10pm to 1am.

A flower for $3.00
and a $1.00 charge for dorm delivery that night.

A HUGE thank you to Starbright Floral Design for the donation of the flowers!

Meet Jasminn Johnson!

Hear what the incredibly talented Jasminn Johnson has to say about the trip to New Orleans.

A picture is worth a thousand words...

   

The team hard at work writing our mission statement.

 The NOLA team takes a quick break for Beyonce. A moment spent on Beyonce is never a moment wasted.

                  Angela.

                  Tiffany and Zach

                The musicians planning their performances.

                 The actors are always on their game.

                Austin is jumping with joy for the NOLA trip.

               Austin.

Like us on Facebook!

Now you can learn more about us with our FACEBOOK page!
Remember to check out our INDIEGOGO!

One Month 'till Madness!

With just over one month before the team departs, it was another early morning Sunday as we all made our way down to the lobby, coffee in hand, to discuss preparations for the trip. Before long, however, any lingering feelings of tiredness were dissolved by an energetic round of “Big Booty,” a fast-paced game that actually has nothing to do with butts of any size. By 9:45 the coffee cups were empty, Sabrina had beaten myself, Zack, in a competition of who could be the best vegetable (squash, to be specific), and it was time to get down to business.

After holding four bake sales over the past two weeks, the team ended with a profit of $750! And the fundraising has just begun. An update on the Indiegogo site showed that over $1500 had been raised online so far, with 21 days left to reach our goal. With Valentines Day in the near future, talk of carnations and candy gram sales gained everyone’s approval. With the help of a few designated coordinators, members of the Juilliard community and beyond will be able to buy flowers and cards for their special someone, while supporting our campaign to make a difference in New Orleans!

As exciting as this all was, our dear team advisor Sabrina let us in on a reality check: with time winding down, we were still nearly $14,000 short of our goal. In these final weeks before the trip, it will become increasingly important for everyone to raise as much money as possible. Without the proper funding, the beignets are on the line...

Another great development was made at our latest meeting: the mission statement was finalized! And it’s beautiful.

As daring young artists, the 2014 New Orleans Service Project team will nurture the New Orleans community by sharing ourselves and our art. Fueled by the collaborative spirit, we will encourage the growth of creativity, empowerment, and choice. We recognize and embrace the potential of this exchange to invigorate both the lives of those we encounter and our own.

Art Nurtures.

After the official t-shirt design had been approved, the wristband colors agreed on, and the program finalized for our performances down south, feelings of satisfaction and excitement washed over the team’s exhausted minds. With the trip quickly approaching, and no team meeting next week, everyone knew what needed to be done, and was determined to do it well.
-- Zach

Week #2: Bake Sales, Raffles, Benefit Concerts... Oh my!

And we're off! This team sure doesn't take any time to warm up... we're chugging along at full speed on our journey to the South in (...dare I say it...) just 33 days! I can smell the beignets already.

 While the rest of the dorm building was fast asleep on Sunday morning, NOLA team members were desperately downing their cups of coffee and gathering for our weekly meeting. Thankfully, after two rousing ice-breaker songs, we were all shaken awake. No better way to start a morning than by dancing and chanting "I'm alive, awake, alert, enthusiastic" as fast as possible, right? 

To start Week #2, some excellent news: the bake sales last weekend at the drama auditions were a HUGE success! We'll most definitely be continuing these this coming week as more hungry prospective thespians visit on Thursday and Friday. Mmmmm -- who doesn't love banana bread and chocolate chip cookies? Doing a good deed for the people of New Orleans while doing a good deed for your tastebuds... this bake sale is definitely a win-win situation. 

More excellent news: the INDIEGOGO donation site is up and running! An easy way for family and friends to contribute to the cause, we're ready to FUNDRAISE! The link is available on the right sidebar of this page. Help us, help New Orleans.

Also on the fundraising front, the raffle is shaping up to be quite the event -- we have some KILLER prizes. I mean, these prizes are need-a-wheelbarrow-to-hold-all-of-my-raffle-tickets good. Tickets will go on sale by the end of this week and will be sold by NOLA team members, as well as in the lobby of the school on select days. More info to come on exact sale details... But if you want a sneak peak of the prizes, just take a look at the list on the right side of this page... 

While we're still searching for a venue for our benefit concert, we surely have no lack of ideas or energy. I'd say that because of those two qualities, there's a good chance something will work out. Updates to follow shortly.

BREAKING NEWS: official team song has been chosen in a record-breaking UNANIMOUS vote... And the winner is... "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." Nothing gets a crowd going like a little ole-fashioned Motown. The t-shirt design is being finalized, and this year's slogan is "Art Nurtures." Fitting, I'd say. 

Finally, we concluded the meeting by working on our mission statement, and by forming tentative plans for our performances (what songs, dances, and scenes we might enact) in New Orleans. The possibilities are truly endless, and what's more fun than getting together and creating some art with your friends? 

BOOM. Meeting #2: SMASHING SUCCESS.  

It's going to be a wonderful, wild ride from now until NOLA. I can feel it already :) 

-- Angela

2014 Raffle Prizes

Here is a list of Raffle Prizes you could win this year by purchasing a raffle ticket from a NOLA Team Member. One ticket for $2.00 and three tickets for $5.00!

1. Two tickets to the Broadway Musical, "After Midnight" donated by the Nederlander Organization 
2. A Kate Spade bag ($150 value) 
3. One month unlimited membership to YogaWorks ($150 value) 
4. 30 Day Unlimited Metrocard ($112 value) 
5. $100 Athleta Gift Card
6. Headshot photo session with Dan Chmielinski ($100 value)
7. Film Lover Membership donated by the Lincoln Center Film Society ($75 value)
8. New Orleans Mystery Gift Bag ($75 value) & Two Grammy Nominated jazz CDs by DArcy James Argue's Secret Society
9. $50 Juilliard Store Gift Card
10. $50 Whole Foods Gift Card
11. s201 In-ear headphones ($120 value) 

Raffle drawings will be held on February 23, 2014!

Breaking Ice and Breaking Ground

Nothing says "Good Morning" like a game of Shabooyah. Last Sunday morning, before I took a sip of coffee, I was chanting and dancing with seventeen other enthusiastic early risers. Combined, our team most certainly has an interesting Ice Breaker repertoire, but for a newly formed group Shabooyah seemed like a perfect way to plunge into planning our trip. In a perfect world you recite your four rhyming lines in rhythm which serve as a brilliantly personal introduction. However, in a 9:30 A.M. coffee-less world, the rhyme scheme quickly fades and things get...interesting. (Any ideas on what rhymes with Jasminn?)

After our game we watched a quick documentary about the first NOLA team's trip from eight years ago. The area was so devastated that most of their work consisted of removing debris and gutting ruined homes. It has been almost ten years since Katrina hit, and some question if there is a current need for aid in New Orleans. We come together as a team, eight years later, to add to what previous teams have accomplished. A job is not finished until it's finished. And there is still a large amount of rebuilding to be done.

Newly inspired, we went through all the nuts and bolts of the trip. We signed various forms and received binders full of information. Everything was official, and there was no turning back.

Our first and most important task: FUNDRAISING. We discussed the revival of the past raffle and various bake sales. We planned the addition of an Indiegogo page so anyone can donate easily online and receive personalized prizes for donating.  The idea of a new Twitter and Facebook account for faster updates was tossed around and finally we started discussing the possibility of a benefit performance here in NYC!

We're still brainstorming on our team song, our verb for the year (ex. Art Inspires), and our team t-shirt design.

Our trip is in less than two months. (40 DAYS...to be, you know, precise.) We have a lot on our plate as students already, getting everything done in 40 days seems, pretty daunting. But I have faith in our team. Together we are breaking ground; starting where past teams have left off and ready to dig even deeper.

-Jasminn

'Twas the Eve Before our First Team Meeting...

For those who have never visited our blog before, welcome! Here you can expect weekly posts from various NOLA 2014 members, see posts from previous years, read general information about our project, learn about ways you can contribute to our fundraising efforts, and read updates we will post while we are on the trip!

Tomorrow is our first team meeting together, marking the beginning of our preparation to return to New Orleans from March 5-12, 2014! My name is Stephanie, and I attended the trip in March 2013. This year I am one of the three team leaders, and I know speak for everyone when I say we have a really amazing team put together. Although it has been confirmed for a few months now, tomorrow will be one of the first times we will all be working together, and I can't wait to begin to get to know these artists and share this amazing experience with them.

So without further ado, I am proud to be the first to present to you the 2014 Juilliard ARTreach New Orleans Service Project Team!

Robert Fleitz, piano

Team Leader

photo: Harrison Linsey

Kelsey Connolly, dance

Team Leader

photo: Matthew Karas

Stephanie Galipeau, viola

Team Leader

photo: Dr. David Klein

Angela Falk, dance

photo: Gina Arico Smith

Austin Lam, dance

Jacob Wellman, bassoon

Jasminn Johnson, drama

Jimmie "JJ" Jeter Jr., drama

John Kroft, drama

Kalia Vandever, jazz trombone

photo: Nina Lodico

Kellie Drobnick, dance

Paton Ashbrook, drama

photo: Aidan Schultz-Meyer

Riley O'Flynn, dance

Tiffany Townsend, voice

Victoria Pollack, drama

photo: Gregory Constanzo

Zach Hann, clarinet

Allison Mase, violin

Kara Chan, Dance

Sabrina Tanbara, Team Advisor

Rebecca Reuter, Team Advisor