Yvonne Busch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yvonne Busch
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Busch in 1962
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| Born | October 18, 1929 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
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| Died | February 28, 2014 (aged 84) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Jazz musician and teacher |
Yvonne Busch (October 18, 1929 – February 28, 2014) was a talented jazz musician and a very important music teacher in New Orleans. She helped many young people learn about music and become great musicians themselves.
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Early Life and Music Journey
Yvonne Busch was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1929. She grew up in a lively neighborhood called Tremé, which was full of music. When she was just 11 years old, she decided to go to the Piney Woods Country Life School in Mississippi to study music.
She learned to play the trumpet and traveled with an all-girl band. This band was called the Swinging Rays of Rhythm. They played at dances and events for soldiers across the southern and midwestern United States.
Becoming a Teacher
In 1943, Yvonne came back to New Orleans. She continued her education at the Gilbert Academy. Her music teacher there, T. LeRoy Davis, inspired her. She learned to play many different instruments. Because of his influence, she decided she wanted to become a teacher.
She joined a special program at Southern University in Baton Rouge to become a teacher. She was the first girl to join the university's jazz band. She even became the assistant director of the band.
A Dedicated Music Educator
In 1951, Yvonne Busch became a public school teacher in New Orleans. She taught for 32 years! She taught at Booker T. Washington, Joseph S. Clark, and George Washington Carver high schools.
She also played with a few big bands, like the Dooky Chase Orchestra. But her main focus was teaching. As a teacher and band director, she often faced challenges. Sometimes there wasn't enough money or instruments for the students. She would often use her own instruments or borrow them from friends.
Yvonne encouraged her students to learn many different instruments. She also gave free private lessons. She organized summer practice sessions for the school bands. She directed large bands, including marching bands. Many of her students became famous musicians. Some of them include Smokey Johnson, James Crawford, Herlin Riley, John Boudreaux, James Black, and Nat Perrilliat.
Later Years and Legacy
In 2005, Yvonne Busch's home was flooded during Hurricane Katrina. She moved to the Dallas, Texas, area for a while. She returned to New Orleans in 2013. She passed away on February 28, 2014.
Yvonne Busch's life story was made into a documentary film in 2007. It was called Legend in the Classroom: The Life Story of Ms. Yvonne Busch. A former student of hers, Leonard Smith III, produced and directed the film. In 2012, the film was shown at the New Orleans Museum of Art. It was part of a film festival connected to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
