Music festivals are more than just dancing to a different beat or drum.

***FYI/DISCLAIMER: These blogs are for a business plan workshop by which are a reflection of discovery, research findings and conversations with industry and non-industry people about my idea to introduce a music festival that promotes the African American experience, culture, lifestyle and tradition on a global platform in the City of Boston (The Commonwealth of Massachusetts.*** Any and all opinions are a reflection of the blogger and her journey.***

More than what I  see

It is true... I love music... and I love music festivals.

However, I am not the typical attendee who goes through the experience of just seeing my favorite artist, eat some food and take a few out-of-character photos for my Facebook or Instagram. Rather, I attend music festivals for a variety of reasons that most festival-goers are not totally aware of.

I consider the total mind, body and soul experience from the time I receive my ticket in the mail to the time I arrive on the ground, check into my hotel and immerse myself in the culture. One experience I can recall was the 2012 Essence Music Festival in New Orleans, Louisiana. (http://www.essence.com/festival/). As a backstory to consider, Essence Magazine is a digital and print magazine that focuses on African American women with topics aimed at beauty, health, wealth building, fashion, and lifestyle.

Each year during the weekend of July 4th, Essence Magazine produces the Essence Music Festival in Louisiana. This festival is considered to be the "nation's largest annual gathering of African American musical talent [...] bringing more than 400,000 people. The festival is a three-day event, which has cultural celebrations and empowerment seminars with nights of musical performances." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essence_(magazine)#Essence_Music_Festival

With this in mind, my expectations of the value created by Essence Magazine and the marketing and promotion efforts put forth towards the Essence Music Festival were high with anticipation of being empowered as an African American woman, educated as a festival goer and inspired to make change when I return to my own community.

So what happened?
Well, let's say that my experience was truly holistic in a way that I will never forget! When I booked my 3-day weekend pass through Ticketmaster.com, I received a complimentary 12-month subscription to Essence Magazine. The following week, I received my tickets and strategically sat them on my bureau to remind of this golden journey I was about to embark on. Over the coming months, I received my Essence Magazine which featured front and centerfold page spreads about featured national recording artists, guest speakers, seminar topics and fringe events around the city.

But why was I so anxious? The festival took in place in New Orleans... the place where true civil pride and community engagement exists and thrives even through hard times. I admired the soul of the people of NOLA.  In 2002 (pre-Katrina), I had traveled there for a cultural and historical expedition surrounding the journey of Civil Rights activists. I had sample the fresh seafood, witnessed a festive funeral, planted a few trees in a community garden, and traveled down the Mississippi River. For those few days, I felt like a native of New Orleans... I was truly connected to a city unknown to me prior to my arrival.

To travel back to a place that I had adapted as my second home was truly an honor.

When July 4th, 2012 arrived, I filled my iPod with nothing but New Orleans music (jazz, blues and funk), hopped on my plane and traveled on down to NOLA. When we landed, I felt a little nauseated due to the stale smell of water in the air. Apparently, the ghosts of Hurricane Katrina had still lingered throughout the airport, in a way that reminded that the City of New Orleans is still re-building itself. Once, I stepped out of the airport, I was greeted by a local resident, who will we call "Tre'", that was providing hotel shuttle drop offs through a motor coach bus. When I hopped on, I strategically sat in the front seat, where we both asked questions and exchanged answers with one another. Tre' was a medium build, mid-40s, short black man, who had lived in NOLA all his life, even through natural disasters. He expressed his sincere love for the city because to him "there was no other place like New Orleans." For him, the resilience of the people, the legacy of the music and music legends and the lifestyle was unlike no other. The side, half smile on his face convinced me that I made the right choice to attend this festival.

In between jumping off the bus and arriving into the lobby of my hotel, I could smell the aromas of Cajun spice and Nag Champa incense, all while hearing the faint sounds of trumpets, drums and saxophones lingering in the wind. It was official... I had arrived home.