Herlin Riley misses his home.
The New Orleans born-and-raised resident's house was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina and now, in the aftermath, his extended family is spread out across the country, all waiting to return home together.
Riley, along with two other New Orleans artists, Don Vappie and Peter Martin, paid homage to their home and the music they love in "A Tribute to New Orleans," a classical and jazz concert held by the MSU School of Music on Sunday at the Wharton Center.
"For the last month, my life has been turned upside down," said Riley, a New Orleans musician who took refuge with his sons in northern Louisiana. "All our possessions are gone. But our spirits and our enthusiasm, our life is not gone. It is not broken. We just have to keep our hopes up and our optimism. And that is what we are doing.
"It is not the land that makes the city, it is the people. My only hope is that people who live there, who are rooted there, will come back to the city. I definitely plan on coming back and rebuilding my house because it is home, and it has been home for a long time."
The concert showcased a piece of the atmosphere that is New Orleans, combining classical pieces with jazz performed by MSU faculty and nationally recognized guests, to represent the diverse and historical culture of the city which was home to the first American opera house and one of the first symphonies.
"It is about healing and celebrating New Orleans," said Rodney Whitaker, director of jazz studies, who helped organize the concert. "The concert will be like a celebration of New Orleans. It is not only the birthplace of jazz, it is a melting pot.
"It is a place that has fluid cultural boundaries, which made it a great environment for jazz."
Although the concert was free, any donations went toward the Higher Ground Hurricane Relief Fund and the American Red Cross to benefit musicians. Donations for the musicians will continue to be accepted at www.shop.msu.edu.
Martin, a pianist from New Orleans, experienced the effects of the hurricane when a levee a few blocks from his house broke and flooded the city. He has spent much of the last month traveling the country, performing in concerts similar to MSU's.
"Everybody's scattered to the wind," Martin said. "It is kind of a crazy time. So we can come together a couple times for concerts. It is great getting to see everybody again. You kind of realize the spirit of the city is not devastated like it may look physically. It is alive in the music, musicians and the people."
Wess "Warmdaddy" Anderson, an MSU visiting artist in residence for Jazz Studies from Baton Rouge, said he is housing several families at his Louisiana home. Performing alongside his New Orleans friends, he said the devastation to peoples' lives is hard to forget.
"You have nothing but the clothes on your back," Anderson said. "There are no words to put on that feeling. You are stripped of everything. I see it mostly on people's faces - they don't show it on the outside."
Riley said he was excited to be part of the concert because it helps him move past the tragedy in his life.
"Music is always good therapy," he said. "Sometimes when things are going bad for me in my life and I get to the bandstand, it is a place that is so happy and so joyous and exuberant. That kind of joy and exuberance is definitely here."
Toward the end of the concert, the group played a ballad called "Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans?" that struck a chord with the performers, reminding them of the loss and the culture.
Laura Collins can be reached at colli313@msu.edu.
