The recipient entity's physical address:
           1901 Bartholomew Street
New Orleans, LA 70117

The recipient entity's mailing address (if different):
           1901 Bartholomew Street
New Orleans, LA 70117

Type of Entity (for instance, a nonprofit corporation):  Non-Profit Corporation

If the entity is a corporation, list the names of the incorporators:
          Andrew R. Lee
201 St. Charles Avenue
Suite 5100 New Orleans, LA 70170

The last four digits of the entity's taxpayer ID number:  8706

What is the dollar amount of the request?  $50,000

What type of request is this?  Both

Is this entity in good standing with the Secretary of State?  Yes

Provide the name of each member of the recipient entity's governing board and officers:
           Board of Directors

Ann Marie Wilkins
President, Director
1901 Bartholomew St
New Orleans, LA 70117

Andrew Lee
Director, Secretary
201 St. Charles Ave., Ste. 5100
New Orleans, LA 701705100

Lewis Byrd
Director
1901 Bartholomew St
New Orleans, LA 70117

Gretchen Fauria Chase
Director
1901 Bartholomew St
New Orleans, LA 70117

Harry F. Connick, Jr.
Director
1901 Bartholomew St
New Orleans, LA 70117

Tracey Freeman
Director
1901 Bartholomew Street
New Orleans, LA 70117

Celine Lefebvre
Director
1901 Bartholomew St.
New Orleans, LA 70117

Ann Marr
Director
1901 Bartholomew Street
New Orleans, LA 70117

Branford Marsalis
Director
1901 Bartholomew St
New Orleans, LA 70117

Mark Mayer
Director
1901 Bartholomew Street
New Orleans, LA 70117

Mark Mayer
Director
1901 Bartholomew Street
New Orleans, LA 70117

Joi Rideout
Director
1901 Bartholomew Street
New Orleans, LA 70117

W. Garner Robinson
Director
1901 Bartholomew St.
New Orleans, LA 70117

Michael Siegel
Director
1901 Bartholomew St
New Orleans, LA 70117

Key Staff Leadership
Lisa Dabney
Executive Director
1901 Bartholomew Street
New Orleans, LA 70117

Daryl Dickerson, EdD
1901 Bartholomew Street
New Orleans, LA 70117

Michael Torregano, DMA
1901 Bartholomew Street
New Orleans, LA 70117

Provide a summary of the project or program:
           The Ellis Marsalis Center for Music (EMCM) is a cornerstone of cultural preservation and community empowerment in New Orleans, honoring the city’s rich musical heritage by investing in its future. Located in the heart of the historic Ninth Ward, the Center provides a safe, nurturing, and enriching environment where young people and adult musicians alike can develop their talents, grow artistically, and gain access to meaningful opportunities.

The Youth Music Education Program (YME) is one of the Center’s most impactful initiatives, providing young people with consistent access to high-quality arts instruction in a safe and supportive environment. Serving over 500 students annually, ages 8 to 18, primarily from the Ninth Ward, the Youth Music Education Program aims to tackle systemic barriers to arts education by offering free or low-cost instruction to underserved youth. Through after-school, Saturday, and summer classes, YME delivers foundational training in music, empowering students with the skills, discipline, and confidence they need to thrive both artistically and personally.

YME students receive instruction in piano, music theory, and a broad selection of instruments, including woodwinds, brass, percussion, strings, and voice, as well as dance. The program also offers private lessons for advanced students. Students are guided by a faculty of professional musicians, many of whom are active performers in the city, ensuring that each student receives mentorship from artists who represent the cultural traditions and creative excellence of New Orleans.

The program’s design is scaffolded to meet students where they are and grow with them as their skills develop. Younger students focus on music fundamentals, while more advanced participants engage in ensemble work, composition, and solo performance. Summer sessions provide a more immersive experience, often incorporating cross-disciplinary projects in music production, technology, and collaborative performance. This holistic approach ensures continuity and deep engagement throughout the year.

The Youth Music Education Program operates within a broader ecosystem of support provided by EMCM for the local music community. The same artists who teach in the program also work as performers, mentors, and collaborators—strengthening the local creative economy and creating a sustainable talent pipeline. Through this dual-impact model, EMCM ensures that youth benefit from exceptional role models while adult musicians gain opportunities for economic advancement.

The Center also offers access to affordable rehearsal and recording spaces, as well as professional development resources and performance opportunities, making EMCM one of the few places in the city where both aspiring and professional musicians can thrive under one roof.

Funding from this request will support the Youth Music Education Program, enabling the Center to continue providing free music instruction, private lessons, ensemble coaching, and performance opportunities for young people who might otherwise lack access to consistent arts education. It will also help cover instructor compensation, classroom supplies, student transportation support, and the maintenance of instruments and equipment. Funding investments in this program ensures that the cultural traditions of New Orleans are not only preserved but also reimagined and passed forward by the next generation.

EMCM is more than a music school—it is a cultural hub, a creative sanctuary, and a community anchor. With sustained support, the Youth Music Education Program will continue to shape confident, capable, and culturally connected young people ready to carry the legacy of New Orleans forward.

What is the budget relative to the project for which funding is requested?:
          Salaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . $882,158
          Professional Services. . . $0
          Contracts . . . . . . . . . . . $0
          Acquisitions . . . . . . . . . $0
          Major Repairs . . . . . . . $0
          Operating Services. . . . $306,873
          Other Charges. . . . . . . $0

Does your organization have any outstanding audit issues or findings?  No

If 'Yes' is your organization working with the appropriate governmental agencies to resolve those issues or findings?
          

What is the entity's public purpose, sought to be achieved through the use of state monies?
          The Ellis Marsalis Center for Music exists to uplift New Orleans youth and musicians by providing high-quality music education, mentorship, and community engagement opportunities rooted in the city’s cultural traditions. State funding will directly support the Center’s Youth Music Education Program, which serves more than 500 students annually, ages 8–18, the majority of whom attend local public schools and live in under-resourced neighborhoods. The program offers year-round instruction in piano, music theory, instrumental performance, voice, and dance through after-school, Saturday, and summer classes.

This funding will be used for direct program expenses, including instructor salaries, program supplies, and maintenance of classroom instruments and equipment. In addition to advancing student learning and personal development, the program engages local musicians as instructors and mentors, providing income, professional opportunities, and meaningful ways to share their expertise with the next generation. The use of state monies will promote educational access, artistic growth, community enrichment, and the preservation of Louisiana’s cultural legacy.

What are the goals and objectives for achieving such purpose?
          The goals of the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music’s Youth Music Education Program are to provide accessible, high-quality music instruction to underserved youth in New Orleans, support the development of artistic and personal skills, and contribute to the cultural and economic vitality of the community. To achieve this purpose, the Center has established the following objectives:

1) Deliver year-round music education to students ages 8–18: The program offers after-school, Saturday, and summer classes in piano, music theory, instrumental performance (including woodwinds, brass, percussion, and strings), voice, and dance. Instruction is designed to meet students at various skill levels, from beginners to advanced performers.

2) Incorporate music technology and production into arts education: Students explore the fundamentals of music production, including recording, beat-making, mixing, and audio editing using professional tools and software. The program also introduces podcast development, teaching students how to script, record, edit, and publish their own content. These offerings build creative and technical skills relevant to today’s music and media industries.

3) Promote student growth in musical skill, discipline, and confidence: Students gain technical proficiency, performance experience, and creative self-expression through consistent instruction, ensemble work, and public showcases. The program supports holistic development by encouraging teamwork, focus, and persistence.

4) Ensure access for students from under-resourced communities:
Program design prioritizes inclusivity by welcoming students from the Ninth Ward and surrounding neighborhoods that lack access to consistent arts education. Instruments, materials, and other supports help eliminate barriers to participation.

5) Engage local professional musicians as instructors and mentors: Working musicians and teaching artists serve as instructors, providing high-quality, culturally grounded education while fostering mentorship and community connection.

6) Maintain a safe, well-equipped, and professional learning environment: The Center provides dedicated rehearsal spaces, recording studios, music labs, and instruments to support a dynamic learning experience across both traditional and contemporary disciplines.

7) Preserve and pass on the cultural traditions of New Orleans:
The curriculum integrates the city’s musical heritage and performance practices, encouraging students to connect with and carry forward the cultural identity of their community.

Through this multifaceted program, the Center nurtures the next generation of artists, storytellers, and creative leaders while contributing to the long-term vitality of New Orleans’s music and cultural ecosystem.

What is the proposed length of time estimated by the entity to accomplish the purpose?
           12 months

If any elected or appointed state official or an immediate family member of such an official is an officer, director, trustee, or employee of the recipient entity who receives compensation or holds any ownership interest therein:
     (a) If an elected or appointed state official, the name and address of the official and the office held by such person:
                
    
     (b) If an immediate family member of an elected or appointed state official, the name and address of such person; the name, address, and office of the official to whom the person is related; and the nature of the relationship:
                

     (c) The percentage of the official's or immediate family member's ownership interest in the recipient entity, if any:
                

     (d) The position, if any, held by the official or immediate family member in the recipient entity:
                 

If the recipient entity has a contract with any elected or appointed state official or an immediate family member of such an official or with the state or any political subdivision of the state:
(a) If the contract is with an elected or appointed state official, provide the name and address of the official and the office held by such person: 
               

(b) If the contract is with an immediate family member of an elected or appointed state official:
          Provide the name and address of such person:
              

          Provide the name, address, and office of the official to whom the person is related:
               

          What is the nature of the relationship? 

(c) If the contract is with the state or a political subdivision of the state, provide the name and address of the state entity or political subdivision of the state:
                

(d) The nature of the contract, including a description of the goods or services provided or to be provided pursuant to the contract:
               


Contact Information
name:  Lisa Dabney 
                                       address:  Ellis Marsalis Center for Music
1901 Bartholomew Street
New Orleans, LA 70117
                                       phone:  5049403400
                                       fax:  5049403410
                                       e-mail:  ldabney@ellismarsaliscenter.org
                                       relationship to entity:  Executive Director