(August 12, 2011) — Construction has completed on the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music (EMCM) located in the center of the Musicians’ Village in the Upper Ninth Ward of New Orleans. The EMCM is the centerpiece of the Village and is dedicated to the education and development of the next generation of New Orleans music enthusiasts and the preservation of New Orleans unique musical heritage. 

Since the Village’s inception following Hurricane Katrina, the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music was slated to be an integral part of the Village. “Our dream was to create a place where local New Orleans musicians could pass on the tradition to a whole new generation, like I had when I was growing up,” stated Harry Connick Jr., co-founder of Musicians’ Village. 

The Center is named for the patriarch of the Marsalis clan, Ellis Marsalis, a modern jazz pioneer and native New Orleanian. The Center will have as its focus the celebration of the music and musicians of New Orleans. “Music is as much a part of the fabric of life in New Orleans as the cuisine, and with this Center we celebrate this most vital part of our culture,” said Branford Marsalis, the award-winning saxophonist, native New Orleanian, and co-founder of Musicians’ Village.

Designed by local architect firm, Mathes Brierre Architects, the 17,800 square foot EMCM is comprised of three sections. The main section includes a state-of-the-art performance hall to be used for concerts as well as teaching.  It also includes a production manager’s office, instrument storage rooms and two green rooms.  The second area holds three offices and one general office area.  And the third section is comprised of a community room with internet access and computers, a teacher’s lounge, a dance room and a conference room. All aspects of construction were handled by general contractor Broadmoor Building by Design.

“As the final piece of the Village, we are proud to see the completion of this unique building,” stated Jim Pate, executive director, New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity. “The Village is a community that thousands can be proud of due to the volume of the volunteer hours spent building it from the ground up.”

New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity’s Musicians’ Village, conceived by Harry Connick, Jr. and Branford Marsalis, consists of 72 single-family homes, 5 Master Musicians elder-friendly duplexes, a toddler-friendly pocket park and the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music.  All the homes built in the Village were constructed by New Orleans Habitat staff and volunteers.  The Village stands on the former site of Kohn Jr. High School which was torn down in the 1990s.  New Orleans Habitat for Humanity’s Musicians’ Village received the 2010 Honor Award from The National Building Museum for tops in civic innovation. 

About New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity

New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity (NOAHH), an independent affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.  NOAHH builds new houses in partnerships with sponsors, volunteers, communities, and homeowner families to eliminate poverty housing in the New Orleans area while serving as a catalyst to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action.  Since 1983, NOAHH has build over 538 homes for low-income families.  NOAHH plans to continue to build homes in Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard and Plaquemines Parishes.  For more information, go to www.habitat-nola.org.

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