“Then I met Ashlye [Keaton], and I realized the Ella Project also was helping musicians. This is invaluable resource to me and all musicians,” he said. “They answer all my legal questions, and it’s incredible that this is free.”

Player has used the Ella Project’s assistance for any number of legal issues, including copyrights, trademarks, contracts, operating agreements, partnership agreements, and establishing his LLC. “No matter what my project, I can count on them for excellent legal advice,” Player added. 

He also gave a shout out to the Ella Project’s Crescendo Program. Attorney Bri Whetstone and musician and music entrepreneur Lou Hill lead the sessions, which are free of charge. It is a series of seven workshops on topics such as copyrights, music licensing, collecting royalties, touring, festival gigs, album releases, and keeping up with the technologies changing the music economy. 

This past Mardi Gras Day was especially memorable for photographer Joshua Lee Nidenberg, known professionally as Joshua Lee. It was the day he took his millionth photograph, as he says “for no apparent reason.”

Lee is a prolific photographer who specializes in the things he loves: images of New Orleans and Louisiana. His more than 20 collections of work include Carnival, Jazz Fest, architecture, food, and so much more. His website calls the images “focused on the Louisiana you remember.”

Once she was playing with top bands in Japan, she decided to move to the United States for more opportunities. She first went to New York City, where she has friends. After listening to a lot of live jazz, she decided to visit New Orleans in 1998.

“It was totally different!” she exclaimed. “I liked the groove, and realized this is the place where I wanted to be.”

Although she didn’t know anyone in New Orleans, she had rented a room from a woman who introduced her to piano player Mari Watanabe.