Kurt Vonnegut famously once said, “Music is, to me, proof of the existence of God. It is so extraordinarily full of magic, and in tough times of my life I can listen to music and it makes such a difference.” Whatever you believe, it would be difficult to estimate how much we are all influenced by music. Music has always been a major part of my life, having grown up a vocalist and part time instrumentalist, and it plays a huge role in my family life. So, of course, we have spent much of our time in New Orleans seeking live music, which is an easy thing to do. Just follow the sound and let it speak for itself.

We hit Frenchmen St. most of the time. The Maison and Bamboula’s are great places to sit, drink, eat and listen, because they are kid-friendly, but there are other venues, like coffee shops or places you can take kiddos during lunch time. However, Luna heard her fair share of all kinds of music as we window-shopped the bars and meandered the streets, especially the quiet ones where the acoustics are best.

The busy, super touristy section of the French Quarter by Jackson Square is a place we generally liked to avoid. However, you still can find amazing music there.

Also included is the occasional dance lesson.

We spent one very long weekend in New Orleans, and we made music part of every day. It is so good to back in New Orleans. It truly becomes part of your soul.