Young musicians from Mobile’s Jazz Studio will take to the streets Friday night, marching and playing in the Conde Cavaliers parade as part of an ongoing effort to keep one of the city’s most storied musical traditions alive.
The Jazz Studio is a music instruction program run under the guidance of the Excelsior Band, one of Mobile’s longest-running brass bands and a fixture of the city’s Mardi Gras season for generations. The program trains students in grades six through 12 who have at least a year of musical experience, giving them hands-on instruction rooted in the Excelsior Band’s own style and repertoire.
Friday’s performance will not be the students’ first turn in the spotlight. The Jazz Studio previously performed at the “Keep the Music Playing Inaugural Gala” in mid-November, an event that showcased the talents of the program’s young musicians to the broader community.
For the members of the Excelsior Band who lead the program, passing the music down to a new generation is about more than a single parade appearance. LaDarrel Bell of the Excelsior Band said the effort is about ensuring the band’s legacy continues long after its current members are gone. “We know that physically we won’t be here. Eventually one day everyone is going to pass away,” Bell said. “We want the music to live on and carry on, so we want to instill it into our young people and make sure they pick up the torch where we leave off and continue this legacy. And so the Excelsior Band doesn’t fade away and the music doesn’t fade away.”
The Conde Cavaliers parade steps off at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 30, along Mobile Route A, giving the Jazz Studio’s young performers another opportunity to march in front of the crowds that turn out for Mobile’s Mardi Gras season.