When Hurricane Katrina struck the American coast line, it caused untold destruction and suffering to many residents of New Orleans. Among the victims of this natural disaster was Dr Mike White a renowned jazz clarinetist. He had a home in Gentilly which was destroyed by flooding alongside his museum. He had collected jazz memorabilia over his life as a musician.
He was devastated by the loss of his home and the collections he had gathered with so much passion. To recover from the blow, he took a retreat that helped him write a new composition which he labeled Blue Crescent. The composition was instrumental in winning him a national award in 2008.
There are various songs in the album. One of them is entitled Katrina and it captures the troubles he and other New Orleans residents went through in the storm. His decision to narrate the experience musically is an encouragement to many people wallowing in difficult situations in life. Many people go through difficult situations and their success over them is a motivation to others.
To all people who love jazz music, the collection by Dr White was a haven. The song Katrina is a painful reminder of the loss they suffered. In the museum was a collection of books on jazz in excess of 4,000 copies. There were many recordings by jazz musicians, vintage musical apparatus and many other collections that would make any jazz enthusiasts salivate.
His home was so severely damaged that it was extremely difficult to relocate the items into their original positions. Some people shared his pain and volunteered donations to help him build another archive. This gesture was very encouraging but was not sufficient to reclaim the lost glory of the archive, since some of the items are not commonly found.
After trying to rebuild his home for two years, he sought residency for a month at A Studio in the Woods. This is a retreat for artists on West Bank where he had gone in 2003. When taking the residency in December 2007, he had no compositional ideas. He says he got inspiration from the tranquil environment, distance from his every day activities and connection with nature. This cleared his mind and he came up with the new album.
The blow dealt by the hand of the hurricane was so severe that he could not imagine himself rising up again. The time he spent in the studio offered the opportunity to be away from the stress that entangled his mind. Before the retreat, it was not easy for him to play creatively on his instruments.
During the retreat, Dr Mike White meditated and unleashed a steady flow of composition. He was able to shut all the disruptions in his ordinary life and retreat into his inner self. His stay in the studio yielded more songs than he could fit in a single album. He had the time to practice on various instruments and listen to different kinds of music from all over the world.
He was devastated by the loss of his home and the collections he had gathered with so much passion. To recover from the blow, he took a retreat that helped him write a new composition which he labeled Blue Crescent. The composition was instrumental in winning him a national award in 2008.
There are various songs in the album. One of them is entitled Katrina and it captures the troubles he and other New Orleans residents went through in the storm. His decision to narrate the experience musically is an encouragement to many people wallowing in difficult situations in life. Many people go through difficult situations and their success over them is a motivation to others.
To all people who love jazz music, the collection by Dr White was a haven. The song Katrina is a painful reminder of the loss they suffered. In the museum was a collection of books on jazz in excess of 4,000 copies. There were many recordings by jazz musicians, vintage musical apparatus and many other collections that would make any jazz enthusiasts salivate.
His home was so severely damaged that it was extremely difficult to relocate the items into their original positions. Some people shared his pain and volunteered donations to help him build another archive. This gesture was very encouraging but was not sufficient to reclaim the lost glory of the archive, since some of the items are not commonly found.
After trying to rebuild his home for two years, he sought residency for a month at A Studio in the Woods. This is a retreat for artists on West Bank where he had gone in 2003. When taking the residency in December 2007, he had no compositional ideas. He says he got inspiration from the tranquil environment, distance from his every day activities and connection with nature. This cleared his mind and he came up with the new album.
The blow dealt by the hand of the hurricane was so severe that he could not imagine himself rising up again. The time he spent in the studio offered the opportunity to be away from the stress that entangled his mind. Before the retreat, it was not easy for him to play creatively on his instruments.
During the retreat, Dr Mike White meditated and unleashed a steady flow of composition. He was able to shut all the disruptions in his ordinary life and retreat into his inner self. His stay in the studio yielded more songs than he could fit in a single album. He had the time to practice on various instruments and listen to different kinds of music from all over the world.