For the fourth consecutive year, members of ARTreach, one of Juilliard’s student-run service organizations, spent the first week of spring break in New Orleans giving performances, teaching children displaced by Hurricane Katrina, and working with Habitat for Humanity in the still incomplete effort to rebuild the Crescent City. This year, 31 students representing all divisions and degree programs participated. The limits of our abilities were tested as the demands of our activities required us all to be dancers, singers, actors, teachers, parents, and construction workers. Here’s a brief log detailing our activities:

Day One: Our first day disappeared as weather caused a 16-hour delay in our departure. We temporarily transformed Terminal 5 at J.F.K. into a dormitory/impromptu rehearsal space.

Day Two: Without much rest or preparation, we gave our first performance at First Street United Methodist Church. Almost every piece involved collaborations among disciplines. Subsequently, we had a few hours to explore the French Quarter. I was struck by the extraordinary talents of the buskers, many of whom looked either too old or too young to hold their instruments. Jazz must be in the water down there. In stark contrast, our next stop was the levee that burst during Katrina, inundating the Lower Ninth Ward. Five years after the storm, the scene is still devastation. Cracked foundations strewn with seashells are the anonymous monuments to lost and ruined lives.  

Day Three: We gave workshops at the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts, a publicly-funded high school serving students in drama, dance, music (classical and jazz), musical theater, film, and visual arts; it is Louisiana’s only conservatory. The students were exceptionally talented. N.O.C.C.A. is built on the site of the incident that led to the Supreme Court decision enshrining “separate but equal” legislation. The school is now, in terms of race, religion, and socioeconomic background, the most diverse educational institution in the state.  

Day Four: From 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. we were on our build site for Habitat for Humanity. When we arrived, there was a foundation with protruding studs. When we left, the frame was covered in plywood and weatherproofing material. Never let it be said that artists can’t wield a hammer. We had the opportunity to meet and work alongside the future homeowner, whose joy in helping build her own house was palpable. From 4 to 6 p.m., we met a group of students at the Y.M.C.A. Most of them lost their homes in Katrina and come from troubled neighborhoods. Their schools generally lack arts education, and many are looking for any sort of outlet for self-expression. We broke into teaching teams of four or five and divided the 100 students by age—they ranged from fourth grade through high school. They are remarkably gifted and enthusiastic.

Day Five: We finished weatherproofing and began installing windows on the house. At the Y, my group of students (grades eight and up) took charge by leading a forum for sharing their poetry and discussing race relations. I was astonished by their talent and thoughtful maturity.  

Day Six: We finished installing windows and began siding the house. The Habitat crew informed us that we put them well ahead of schedule. During lunch, we used the newly constructed porch as a stage and performed for the crew and the neighbors. Coming from a business in which progress can be so subjective, I could not help but feel satisfaction standing next to a wall I helped build.  

Day Seven: The students from the Y gave a performance to display some of what they learned in our workshops. The older students danced, sang, and shared their poetry. After the show, we were surprised by the announcement that the City Council of New Orleans passed a motion recognizing Juilliard for its contributions. This public welcoming into one of the nation’s most traditionally segregated communities was a heartwarming testament to the power of creativity to break down the arbitrary barriers that society tends to construct. It was also a reminder that the work in New Orleans has only begun, and that the promises we have made can only be fulfilled through many more years of commitment to this unique project.

—Evan Fein (M.M. '09), Composition D.M.A. Student