We are going Back to New Orleans!
help us get there by Becoming a family or business Sponsor! Have your name on all publicity as an advocate for the arts at Mission Bay Music.
OUR GOAL: $25,000
Raised: $6,000
SEND DONATIONS BY MAIL TO:
MISSION BAY MUSIC 2475 GRAND AVE. SAN DIEGO CA 92109
CHECKS PAYABLE TO: MISSION BAY BAND BOOSTERS
Fundraiser Concert MARCH 6tH, 2026
This Year’s Donors:
Ripples 4 Ever Fund ($10,000 matching donation!!!)
LSU Alumni of San Diego
Pacific Beach Kiwanis
Classics for Kids, Inc.
La Jolla Women’s Club
Previous donors:
New Orleans Jazz Club
LSU Alumni of San Diego
Pacific Beach Kiwanis
Classics for Kids, Inc.
Barnes Youth Tennis San Diego
Becky Newell
Anne Rosser
Emily K. Bost
Richard and Dail Hartnack
The Immaculata
Richard C Camp, Kim M. Camp
La Jolla Women’s Club
Nina Ronstadt
2022 TRIPS DONORS:
Gaynell Schenck
Pacific Beach Kiwanis
LSU Alumni of SD
LPL Financial
La Jolla Executive Round Table
Kitchel Family
Kono’s Coffee PB
Busboom Family
Roque Family
Jennifer Caircross
Don and Jill Crary
George Sturch
We are headed back to the birthplace of JAZZ in April 2026. This will be our 7th adventure to the Crescent City.
Our past voyages to New Orleans with the Mission Bay Preservationists have been beyond magical. We played live on local WWOZ Radio, performed at the Old US Mint with the legendary Wendell Brunious on trumpet, performed and work-shopped at Preservation Hall, sat in with Treme Brass Band, busked with the Second Hand Street Band and much more! We even recorded a live album while we were in town. Check it out HERE!
We need your help to make this year’s trip just as magical. Please consider making a donation to help us with our travel costs.
Mission Bay Preservationists Travel to Perform in New Orleans April 2026
SAN DIEGO, CA — January 21, 2026 — The Mission Bay Preservationists, an award-winning jazz ensemble from Mission Bay High School, will travel to the birthplace of jazz—New Orleans—in April 2026 to perform, study, and immerse themselves in the rich cultural history of America’s original art form.
To make this once-in-a-lifetime educational experience possible, the program is seeking to raise $25,000 to support travel for its top traditional youth jazz ensemble. Community and business support is essential to help cover the remaining costs and ensure students can fully participate in this transformative opportunity.
Mission Bay High School has a proud 40-year tradition of preserving and celebrating jazz, a genre deeply rooted in New Orleans. Music Director Jean-Paul Balmat, an alumnus of the program, is the second Mission Bay graduate to lead the ensemble at a professional level. In 2011, the Preservationists made their inaugural trip to New Orleans, collaborating with the legendary Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Since then, the group has built lasting partnerships with the Trombone Shorty Foundation, the New Orleans Jazz Museum, the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, and iconic local radio station WWOZ.
“These opportunities connect students with professional musicians who carry a deep history of performing America’s art form—jazz—providing invaluable instruction they will carry with them for the rest of their musical lives,” said Jean-Paul Balmat, Music Director at Mission Bay High School and an alumnus of the program. “This will be our seventh trip to New Orleans, and it’s inspiring to see our students build lasting connections with the city and the musicians who define its sound.”
The Preservationists have upheld a remarkable legacy of excellence, earning recognition as one of the nation’s premier traditional youth jazz bands. For the past decade, the Mission Bay Preservationists have proudly represented the City of San Diego through the San Diego–Yokohama Sister City relationship, traveling to Japan to perform and collaborate with students at our sister school, Kanazawa High School. Other notable performances include iconic venues such as Preservation Hall, WWOZ Radio, and the Old U.S. Mint Performance Hall in New Orleans, along with appearances at the Sacramento Music Festival, San Diego Jazz Festival, TEDx San Diego, House of Blues, and the Jazz Education Network Conference. The group has also been featured on local media outlets including KUSI News, Fox 5 News, and KSDS Jazz 88.3 FM. This internationally recognized program attracts highly dedicated students to Mission Bay High School—renowned for its rigorous International Baccalaureate academic standards—many of whom commute over an hour each day to participate.
Community members can support the trip by making a tax-deductible donation at www.missionbaymusic.com/new-orleans or by attending the Preservationists’ fundraiser concert on March 6, 2026, at the Soledad Club in Pacific Beach. The event runs from 6:30–9:00 p.m. Tickets are available for $40 General Admission or $600 for a VIP table (includes eight tickets) and may be purchased at missionbaymusic.com/events.
All funds raised will directly support student travel expenses, lodging, workshop fees, and local transportation. Contributions help sustain an extraordinary musical and educational experience while strengthening the cultural bond between San Diego and New Orleans.
