New Orleans is famous for its music and is the birthplace of many famous musicians. The plan for a 120,000-square-foot interactive music museum is the perfect idea. The plan is to call it the Louisiana Music and Heritage Experience Museum. The museum will feature exhibitions, public programs, performances, educational workshop tours and seminars.
“It’ll be a worldwide institution on par with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Country Music Hall of Fame (and Museum),” explains developer and board Chair Chris Beary.
The proposed project is led by Bob Santelli, the former executive director of the GRAMMY Museum in California. He was also known as one of the original creators of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. The project is backed by both state and city-level politicians, economic leaders, philanthropists, industry professionals and musicians and studies reveal that it is economically viable.
“After listening to all the interviews of the musicians , we thought it was just crazy that we don’t have a place in New Orleans to house the bigger Louisiana music scene. People come from all over the world to get a part of it. We ought to have it cultivated and curated in a way that can educate and inspire our community, and communities all around the world,” says Beary.
The museum will be located across from the Ernest Morial New Orleans Convention Center and has excited many local musicians who support the project. Lead guitarist of The Meters, Leo Nocentelli, is a supporter and also one of the founding members.
“It should have been done a long, long, long time (ago). For people from out of town, it’ll expose them to a lot of stuff they wouldn’t normally know. I think it’s a great move,” says Nocentelli.
If all goes as planned, they hope to have a party for its introduction in October 2023 at the Nola Funk Fest. “Music is synonymous with New Orleans. For the state of Louisiana to have an opportunity to build a world-class museum representing one of its most important cultural assets is a no-brainer,” replies Tara Hernandez, found and president of JCH Properties+.
