Music History Hall Foundation to Host Evening with New Orleans Musician Wendell Brunious
Laguna local and KX FM 104.7 radio host Patti Compton is on a musical mission to teach our nation’s cultural history through music.
“Music is like a primary source of material if you want to know what was going on at any particular period in time,” said Compton, who hosts Play Something Sweet, a music history show on KX FM 104.7 every Thursday from 3 to 5 p.m. “You can look at music and art and see what people were thinking about and talking about. This is where my passion lies, in music history appreciation.”
Compton’s passion for music history drove her creation of the Music History Hall Foundation, and as its executive director, she hopes to preserve and perpetuate the history of American music with a focus on education.
The nonprofit’s inaugural music education event will feature New Orleans musician and culture bearer, Wendell Brunious, the musical director for New Orleans’ legendary Preservation Hall.
“I’d gone to New Orleans every year for Jazz Fest for about 10 years or so, and I’ve met some musicians there. When I visit with friends from Laguna, the first place I take them is Preservation Hall, which preserves the music of New Orleans. I’m so excited to have Wendell and his family come to Laguna and share his incredible stories with the community.”
While visiting Laguna, Brunious will perform and talk with Top of the World Elementary students about the history of New Orleans jazz music and take center stage with a concert performance for the community on Tuesday, Oct. 3 from 6 to 9 p.m, at the Woman’s Club of Laguna Beach.
“He’s a master storyteller and so representative of the New Orleans jazz scene,” Compton said. “During the event, he’s going to talk about the history of New Orleans jazz and how it came about with its many different influences. He’s also going to play trumpet and sprinkle the performance with education and conversation. There will be a question-and-answer period at the end. It’s going to be a very special event.”
Compton’s goal is to bring authentic representatives from a variety of musical genres to Laguna Beach for performances and conversation every few months.
“There is an Old Time string band from West Virginia who is interested in coming out, and there are some authentic Blues musicians from the Mississippi Delta I’d also like to bring out,” Compton said. “There are other music preservation nonprofits I’m dying to work with to get more of these authentic culture bearers out to California and bring them to as many schools as possible.”
To learn more and purchase tickets to the Oct. 3 event, visit www.musichistoryhall.org.
