Magis Moment: May 2023

A Message from the Vice President of University Advancement 

Since last month’s Pack Press, New Orleans and the world lost an all-time musical great when Kidd Jordan passed away on April 7. Loyola celebrated Mr. Jordan’s accomplishments and legacy as a musician, music educator, and father at our 2017 Commencement by awarding him an honorary doctorate.

Kidd Jordan was a bold and accomplished musician in his own right.  However, he left us not only with his music but also with his influence on the creative work and musical careers of thousands of others, through his own teaching and the work of his children.  Mr. Jordan spent decades teaching at Southern University at New Orleans, NOCCA, and other institutions. My family and I benefited directly from the Kidd Jordan legacy when my youngest child, Eve, studied jazz with Kent Jordan at Lusher (now Willow) High School in New Orleans.

Mr. Jordan was a practitioner and teacher of the power of improvisation, a brave calling that relies on a foundation of thousands of hours of rehearsal of the basics in music. As the writer Steven Pressfield regularly reminds us, the deepest and most meaningful creativity comes as a result of disciplined practice. (The rest of us have a lot to learn from artists.)

Charlie Parker was an important influence on Kidd Jordan, and this style of jazz is not what most people think of first when they think about New Orleans. I’m reminded of the astonishing breadth of musical styles you hear these days at Loyola in our College of Music and Media. From opera to hip hop to classical to every kind of jazz (and mashups of multiple musical styles), our music faculty and students are essential to the vibrant cultural life of our region. Our new Connie and Elaine Jones Band Hall honors the legacy of a traditional New Orleans jazz great, but you can hear all sorts of music being played there on any given day at Loyola.

As we approach Commencement 2023 on May 12 and 13, I’m excited that Loyola will honor another New Orleans great, Jon Batiste. Given the musical cross-fertilization that’s a way of life in New Orleans, I have little doubt that Mr. Batiste can trace some of his greatness to Kidd Jordan. As Loyola alumni and friends, we can all be proud to be part of the same Loyola family as these great men. We can be equally proud of the more than 1,000 graduates who will join our alumni family this month.

AMDG, 

Chris Wiseman '88