<div>New Orleans music is not just sound…it is history, survival, joy, and community passed from generation to generation. The Preservation Brass band stands firmly in this tradition, carrying the heartbeat of our city to audiences around the world.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>We as friends and fans of the band are honored to share that Preservation Brass and their album, <a href="https://www.nola.com/gambit/music/new-orleans-preservation-brass-releases-first-album-for-fatman/article_bfd0eae6-df22-11ef-be65-5b8b791c221a.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong><em>For Fat Man</em></strong></a>, have been nominated for a 2026 Grammy Award in the category of <a href="https://www.grammy.com/artists/preservation-brass/61565" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Best Regional Roots Music Album</strong></a>, a recognition that not only celebrates this group of musicians but also pays tribute to the late, great, always with us, percussionist <a href="https://thelensnola.org/2024/02/24/fatman-sets-the-pace/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Kerry “Fat Man” Hunter</strong></a>, who was a pillar of the community as a member of Preservation Brass and many local bands, and is featured prominently on this album.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Attending the Grammy Awards is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but the costs associated with airfare, lodging, tickets to the ceremony, and other travel incidentals are significant. As working musicians and culture bearers, these expenses are not easily absorbed without community support.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>This is where we hope YOU come in.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>While not all of the members of Preservation Brass will be attending the Grammys ceremony in Los Angeles on February 1st, we want to make sure that those who are available can get there without bearing the financial burden themselves. This includes <strong>Julius McKee</strong>, as well as <strong>Romanda Hunter</strong>, Kerry Hunter's widow, who will be attending the ceremony in his place.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>WHY THIS MATTERS</strong>
</div>
<div>These musicians represent:
</div>
<ul>
<li>The living tradition of New Orleans brass band music – heritage in <em>action</em>
</li>
<li>A community-rooted approach to music-making
</li>
<li>The cultural legacy of Black American Music that has shaped the world
</li>
<li>JOY! Pure, unadulterated joyful noise!
</li>
</ul>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>This Grammy nomination is not just about one night or one award. It's not even about winning. It is about <strong>visibility, respect,</strong> <strong>and recognition</strong> for a culture that has given so much and often received so little in return. It is about these musicians getting to witness <em>in person</em> their life's work being honored at the most prestigious event in the music world.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>HOW YOUR SUPPORT HELPS</strong>
</div>
<div>Funds raised will go directly toward:
</div>
<ul>
<li>Purchase of the band members' spouses' tickets to the Grammys, including tickets for the widow of Kerry "Fat Man" Hunter, who will be posthumously representing him at the ceremony
</li>
<li>Airfare for band members, their spouses, and Kerry Hunter's widow and her companion (4 people total)
</li>
<li>Hotel accommodations
</li>
<li>Transportation, meals, formal attire
</li>
<li>Income from missed work
</li>
</ul>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Every contribution, big or small, helps ensure that these members of Preservation Brass can show up fully, proudly, and, most importantly, <em>together, </em>with their families by their sides,<em> </em>to represent their city and their artistry on one of music’s biggest nights.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>This is a <em>COMMUNITY EFFORT</em></strong>
</div>
<div>New Orleans music has always been sustained by the community. From second lines to Sunday mass, from neighborhood parades to global stages, this music survives because people believe in it and it moves them.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>If this band, this city, or this music has ever moved you, inspired you, or brought you joy, we invite you to be part of this moment.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Thank you for supporting this fundraiser and for helping us carry New Orleans music where it belongs…into the spotlight, with dignity, unity, and love.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>With gratitude,
</div>
<div><em>Nat Gove, Norman Spence, Rebecca Duckert, Isabelle Guzman, Pamela Blackmon, Kahlon Davis, Mary Cormaci, Camille Barnett, Brittany Faller, Felli Maynard, Adachi Pimentel, Kristina Yacks, and Lyla George</em>
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>** THIS FUNDRAISER IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH PRESERVATION HALL OR PRESERVATION HALL FOUNDATION **</strong>
</div>

Joshua Starkman

Brandon Witt-Schoen

Natalie Boyd

Kimberly Lauer

Ian Gray

Heidi Schexnayder

JJ Smith

Howard Lambert

Bridget Joseph

CHARLES LEVY

Tatiana Clay

Gia Monteleone

Anna Singleton

Anonymous

jacob lewis

Cilista Eberle

Brittany Faller

Shauna Leone

Get Members of Preservation Brass to the Grammys!

Get Members of Preservation Brass to the Grammys!

Still $5,545 to go. Help us build momentum.