Department of Culture, Recreation, & Tourism
Sound Places is an innovative new program that integrates musicians-in-residence into communities in Louisiana. The program is combines music, placemaking, and civic engagement in an unprecedented way to educate, entertain, and bring new vitality to public spaces. This creative placemaking program is intended to enhance the vibrancy of our cultural districts and maximize their potential as community destinations.
The project was developed by Chamber Music America (CMA), the Louisiana Division of the Arts (LDOA), and Project for Public Spaces (PPS), with support from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).
In 2017, the pilot year, Opelousas is hosting WindSync and wind quintet from Houston and Rivertown Kenner hosts The Westerlies, a brass quartet from Brooklyn. During their first visits the musicians met with people from each community to identify areas that could benefits from a musical boost.
In Opelousas, WindSync was back in May, for Spring Along Main Street, Sound Places on the Square, and performing for and teaching lower and middle school students. They hosted a family concert at the library where students joined the pros for a once in a lifetime performance.
When The Westerlies return to Kenner July 17-22, they will celebrate the history of Rivertown with the premiere of an original installation-based performance piece in the Kenner Planetarium and Space Museum. During the week they will host local students, work with local photographer to document the collection of oral histories, all to raise awareness and support for the Museums.