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Singer-songwriter gains business savvy in New Orleans

 Knowing how important it is to have good legal advice and representation, Williams says, "I've recommended the Ella Project to all my friends who have brokered deals and needed legal counsel, whether it’s management, sync or publishing.

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Freedom House in Treme Continues their historic work

Little did Candice “Divine” Henderson know when she put in a contract on 917 North Tonti Street that it would turn into the project it has become. A first-time homebuyer, Henderson had looked at 30-plus properties and made offers on three. As she had the inspection on the Tonti Street house, the realtor asked if she knew that it was a historic house with a significant place in the Civil Rights Movement. She didn’t.

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Serge Villanova knows music from all sides

In 2021, while still in the pandemic era, Villanova re-located to Harahan. He wanted to have a positive effect in his new place of residence, so he used music to do just that. “I had worked at Jazz Fest for years promoting other artists,” said Villanova, “and I thought, “why can’t we do something like Jazz Fest here in Harahan?”

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ROCKING THE SOUNDS OF NEW ORLEANS IN BUFFALO

Louisiana music and culture has found its way to the Western New York region, thanks to The Big Easy in Buffalo. The nonprofit organization, formed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, is the brainchild of Tod A. Kniazuk.

The Big Easy in Buffalo presents live performances with New Orleans musicians, and provides music education and professional development to musicians, students and the community.

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AXEL ”LOLA”    ROSA LEVELS THE PLAYING FIELD FOR LATINX PERFORMERS

More than a year ago, he met a workshop instructor at a networking event for the music industry who told him about the Ella Project. “I was just amazed that this service even existed, and that it was available to musicians!” Rosa said. “One of the most expensive things for a small business, or especially a solo musician, is legal services…”

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Cole Williams-Be ready so you don’t have to get ready.

In her 20+ year career, Cole Williams has frequently worked as a songwriter and studio musician. Early on she learned the importance of clear agreements before embarking on creative projects. Cole's belief that being ready, so you don’t have to get ready, ensured that she always prioritized handling split sheets and formalizing other agreements before initiating any studio work.

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ERIC JOHANSON – BORN TO BE A MUSICIAN

As this singer, songwriter and guitar master is promoting his new album, “The Deep and the Dirty,” he gives credit to the Ella Project – which he heard about through word-of-mouth – for always looking after his best interests in the process of contracts and other music industry business.

“It’s such a valuable thing,” he said of the Ella Project’s services. “In this industry, usually the person or company giving you the contract has a lot more resources, so being able to access sound legal advice makes all the difference.”

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Muralist Jamar Pierre takes on his biggest project yet

In the more than 30 years New Orleans artist Jamar Pierre has been creating murals, none has compared to the scope of the project he is working on now. His current undertaking, known formally as the “Tchoupitoulas Art Corridor,” reflects a lifetime of his work in visual arts, arts education and community service. Pierre is turning a mile-plus section of the Mississippi River floodwall into a sequential mural showcasing New Orleans history….

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Musician and Songwriter Al “Carnival Time” Johnson Keeps his Fete Going Strong

Over the years, The Ella Project’s intellectual property lawyer Ashlye Keaton has counseled Mr. Johnson regarding his rights as an artist to support himself as a working musician in New Orleans. We believe that artists should get paid for their work. Mr. Johnson also just registered a selection of songs from his 60+ year catalog with the nonprofit Mechanical Licensing Collective in order to collect royalties from streaming services.

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Shaka Zulu: Big Chief of the Golden Feather Hunter Nation, NEA Fellowship Awardee, and The Ella Project Client

Big Chief Shaka Zulu of the Golden Feather Hunter nation is a New Orleans Black Masking Indian Craftsman, stilt dancer, musician, entrepreneur, and most recently – a 2022 National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) National Heritage Fellow. Throughout his life, Zulu has successfully merged artist, culture bearer, and production roles, prioritizing African diasporic traditions. As an Ella Project client, he has participated in music industry workshops and received legal counsel to protect his intellectual property…

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Leroy Hill and Trumpet Black’s New Beginning

Leroy Hill and The Ella Project were initially connected by a mutual friend in the music industry. Leroy wanted to publish an album featuring his brother’s recordings from 2015, which was originally intended as the debut of Leroy’s label, Black Trumpet Productions. As the flagship artist of the label, Leroy’s brother - gifted young musician Travis Hill, aka “Trumpet Black”, had already achieved success with international tours and prestige when he died suddenly…

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Notes From Ella: Barriane Franks: Visual Artist and Emerging Scholar

In early childhood Barriane already knew that she was an artist, describing herself as self-taught prior to kindergarten. Relying on YouTube tutorials and art books gifted by her supportive parents, Barriane became acquainted with drawing. Primary education focused on academics, and she later explored painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, and media arts at NOCCA….

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