Last updated: November 1, 2023
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Jade Perdue's Remarkable Odyssey: Music, History, and a Glimpse into a Harmonious Future at the National Park Service
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Meet Jade Perdue, an Interpretive Park Ranger at New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park!
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A Maestro of Musical Diversity
Jade's musical odyssey is nothing short of awe-inspiring. As a virtuoso in classical, jazz, gospel, and R&B music, Jade’s performances have graced prestigious stages, including the New Orleans Jazz Heritage Festival, the French Quarter Festival, and the Creole Tomato Festival. She grew up in New Orleans, a city steeped in musical history, where she cultivated an eclectic musical palette. Her musical journey began in the heart of her community at Watson Memorial Teaching Ministries. Later, she honed her skills within the Edna Karr High School marching band. In high school, she participated in a music program called Musicollaborative, and a training camp led by the founders of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival originated in 1970 and was inspired by Mahalia Jackson and the Eureka Brass Band to celebrate the culture of Louisiana. Musicollaborative is an organization that centers small-group classes that provide holistic music education experiences for young music lovers in a supportive fun and nurturing environment. These experiences are collaborative in nature, tailored to meet individual needs, and informed by the musical traditions of New Orleans and South Louisiana. In addition to weekly classes, they offer private lessons by appointment, school’s-out camps and special events. She immersed herself in the various cultures that came together to produce this music. It was there that the seeds of her musical journey were planted, which blossomed into a passionate pursuit of sonic expression.
Jade's talents extend far beyond her mastery of several musical genres. Her commitment to preserving cultural heritage shines through her involvement with Musicollaborative and the New Orleans Jazz Heritage School of Music. Her journey culminated in 2021 when she earned her bachelor’s degree in music liberal arts from Xavier University of Louisiana, which was a testament to her dedication to her artistry and cultural roots.
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The National Park Service Connection
Jade's path led her to a unique intersection of music and history within the National Park Service. She serves as an Interpretive Park Ranger at the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park , where she seamlessly merges her musical talents with her passion for history. As leader of the Arrowhead Jazz Band, Jade delivers breathtaking renditions of New Orleans traditional jazz, blues, funk, soul, and R&B songs, and often shares the stage with world-renowned musicians such as Herlin Riley and Amina Scott. The Arrowhead Jazz Band is an ever-flowing musical institution that features Park Rangers performing alongside local New Orleans musicians. From pronounced vocal abilities, sax, piano, bass, to drums, the use of musical instrumentation is endless when it comes to the Arrowhead Jazz Band. Her role as leader also entailed creating the setlists, organizing the musicians, and writing the musical compositions for the musicians to read.
As a part of the group, Musicollaborative, Jade’s band was registered for the French Quarter Festival under the kid’s stage. New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park sponsors the kid’s stage. She completed an internship through the Greening Youth Foundation, one of the National Park Service’s partner organizations, during her sophomore year of college. After she graduated, she was hired by the National Park Service as an Interpretive Park Ranger for jazz.
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Composing a Sonic Narrative
One of Jade's most remarkable talents is her ability to use music as a narrative tool. She composes original pieces that capture the essence of the park she serves at. Each note she plays or sings transports listeners deep into the heart of a park's history, making it a living, breathing space that resonates with visitors. She is able to ground herself to further develop her talents through journaling, reading, and connecting with her family over the phone.
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Advocating for Diversity and Inclusivity
As a Black woman in the National Park Service, Jade is an advocate for diversity and inclusion. She skillfully balances her roles as a Park Ranger, musician, and scholar, while she pursues a master's degree in jazz studies at the University of New Orleans. Her determination to grow and evolve is evident. Jade has discovered her own influence through her Tuesday shows at the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park. She realizes that a single composition in combination with her voice has the power to touch the lives of many people. She believes that her identity influences her approach towards advocating for diversity and inclusion in the National Park Service. Not only is she the first African American woman tour guide at New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park who is working in interpretation, she is also the first and only African American woman serving as a Jazz Interpretative Park Ranger at her site. This role entails combining knowledge of jazz music and the role of a park ranger to provide educational and engaging experiences for park visitors such as guided tours, event organizing, and live jazz music demonstrations. She believes that her position gives her purpose to usher change in the National Park Service with efforts towards representation. Jade hopes to create a bridge for underrepresented communities to be a part of the National Park Service programs. She has done so by curating an entire Women’s History Month program that featured an all-female band. Additionally, during Black History Month, Jade made it her initiative to ensure that black musicians were featured at New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park concerts throughout the month of February.
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Commitment towards Education
From September 15th to October 15th, for Hispanic Heritage Month, Jade makes it her priority to capture various musicians from Cuba, Dominica Republic, Honduras, to Uruguay in the programs provided by the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park. Additionally, Jade devotes her time to helping to teach New Orleans style rhythms to Latinx Kids. During one of New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park’s artists in residence Darianna Videaux Capitel summer camp titled Viva La Musica, Jade inspired many young Latinx children to embrace music and the much rich culture behind New Orleans musical art. Jade has also created a space for university students from University of New Orleans to showcase their talents with rangers during performances and concerts held at New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park.
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Creating a Musical Future
Beyond her hometown and traditional musical genres, Jade aspires to create a new genre of music, one that carries her fans into a future where everyone can coexist and connect through the universal love of music. In this future, music transcends boundaries, unites people of all backgrounds, and fosters harmony and understanding. She hopes to create a new genre of music that allows individuals to feel free and gives them the strength to embrace who they are.
Passion as a Force for Positive Change
Jade’s journey is an invitation for all of us to explore the crossroads of music, history, and cultural heritage. Whether it is her spellbinding performances, her commitment to preserving cultural heritage, or her efforts to increase inclusivity, Jade's story reminds us that our passions can indeed be a force for positive change. In the words of Jade, “be confident in who you are and trust that who you are is enough – greatness."
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