Cultural Groups Team Up for New Orleans Mayoral Forum on Music Policy Monday September 11 For further information, contact Ashlye Keaton at ashlye@ellanola.org, 504-782-8271 or Gene Meneray at gene@ellanola.org, 504-330-5523. August 14, 2017: The Ella Project, OffBeat Media, and The Recording Academy (GRAMMY) announce a public forum on music policy Monday, September 11th, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the historic Carver Theatre at 2101 Orleans Ave in New Orleans. All major candidates will be in attendance. The forum will be moderated by author and former Times Picayune columnist Lolis Eric Elie. Panelists include Jan Ramsey, Publisher and Editor in Chief of OffBeat Media, Fred Johnson, Co-Founder of the Black Men of Labor, and Larry Blumenfeld, journalist and music critic. This forum is free and open to the public. As both the City and the music business have changed dramatically over the last eight years, New Orleans is primed to assert its commitment to its cherished culture and place music in the forefront of its overall quality of life, business and community development strategy. Candidates will address their policies for: - Nurturing an environment where our citizens are able to express their cultural traditions uninhibited. - Ensuring New Orleans’ tradition of public performance and neighborhood music flourishes in concert with continued neighborhood development. - Working with the music community to utilize music to address other major issues such as public safety, education, and housing. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About The Ella Project: A New Orleans based nonprofit dedicated to the City’s cultural community, Ella provides pro bono legal assistance, business development consulting, and cultural advocacy for Louisiana’s artists, musicians, and grassroots nonprofits. About OffBeat Media: OffBeat is the definitive guide to New Orleans and Louisiana’s music, arts, culture and cuisine. OffBeat Magazine is printed monthly and features news, reviews, interviews and profiles from the streets of the Crescent City and across the Bayou State. About The Recording Academy: As the world's leading society of music professionals, the Recording Academy is dedicated to celebrating, honoring, and sustaining music's past, present, and future. --END--