policy and advocacy

Jazz Trio Performs on Hill

January 24, 2006—The Congressional Arts Caucus, in conjunction with Americans for the Arts, hosted a jazz performance by three high-school students from the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts (NOCCA). The jazz trio performed on Capitol Hill the day before their school principal accepted the National Award for Excellence in Arts Programs for Youth given jointly by Americans for the Arts and the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Their performance was highlighted as "Photo of the Week" in Roll Call. As Louisiana’s premier arts training center for high school students, NOCCA’s alumni include such successful artists as Harry Connick, Jr. and the Marsalis brothers (Branford, Delfeayo, Jason, and Wynton). The Center provides pre-professional instruction in all areas of the arts tuition-free to Louisiana students who successfully audition. Like many other schools in New Orleans, NOCCA suffered damage as a result of Katrina, but reopened for class in January 2006.