Eight Berklee staff members traveled to New Orleans for the week of June 11 to construct homes in the Musicians' Village, a Habitat for Humanity development with 300 new dwellings in the city's Upper Ninth Ward for musicians and other residents who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina. A blog documenting the experiences of the eight staff members on their volunteer mission is at berkleeonthebayou.wordpress.com.

America's first college of jazz began reaching out to the birthplace of jazz within a month of the disaster, bringing to campus for teaching and performing residencies such Big Easy musicians as Donald Harrison, Ellis Marsalis, George Porter, Jr., and Marva Wright.

(From left) Berklee College of Music staff members Catherine Boger, Roya Nassery (both of Roxbury), and Rob Hochschild (from Jamaica Plain)   (From left) Berklee College of Music staff members Jenna Logue, Matthew Iorlano, and Kris Quinones Photo by Roya Nassery