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NEW ORLEANS-  Calling all musicians!  The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation is accepting applications for the seventh annual CLASS GOT BRASS competition – a contest for Louisiana high school and middle school brass bands.

At stake are more than $30,000 worth of instruments.

The first place prize is a gift certificate worth $10,000 in instruments, instrument repair and other supplies for the winning school’s band programs. Second place is $7,000; third place is $5,000. For the fifth year, there is also a category for “beginner” brass bands, with prizes of $5,000, $4,000 and $3,000 for the top groups. There are additional prizes for schools that don’t place in the top three in either category.

Class Got Brass – the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation’s seventh annual contest to support music education in the schools while promoting the brass band tradition – is back.

It’s a contest for Louisiana middle and high schools to create traditional New Orleans-style brass bands (as opposed to marching bands).

The deadline to enter is 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16. Click here for the online application form. For the complete contest guidelines, see here.

The Class Got Brass contest will be on Sunday, March 4, in conjunction with our Congo Square New World Rhythms Festival.