Ten years ago, Artist Corps New Orleans was formed as part of MusicianCorps, a movement to engage musicians in service to communities across the country.

As the city was still recovering from the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina, a 25-member local Task Force considered how musicians might help support music in public schools. In 2009, when fewer than 20% of K-6 schools had music programs, the answer was clear: together we would create a new model to engage artists in service by embedding accomplished musicians as full-time teachers in public elementary schools.

These Artist Corps New Orleans Fellows made a 2-year service commitment and received a living stipend, health insurance, and rigorous, ongoing pedagogic training and coaching. Placement schools agreed to hire the teachers after the fellowship, creating new teaching positions and sustaining school music programs, long-term.