As the only member of The Batiste Family®  in Louisiana who has a degree in education, I am chosen to  look after the interest of the musical family.  My mother who passed away in 2007, left me with the responsibility of leadership:

Excerpts from “Memoirs of Paul A. Batiste"

Chapter four

Vietnam era veteran 

Band Leader

When I returned from the military in 1971, my Mom asked me to manage the Gladiators. 

Times were changing and rhythm sections were becoming popular. Music was ever evolving and now we would require a large Public Address System. We were one of the first to buy a JBL system with eighteen inch woofers with horns, tweeters and mid range speakers.  This was because we had my brother, Michael, who studies electronics. I delegated authority to members of the family. I looked at what each member did well and gave them an assignment.  David was good with the microphone, so I made him the spokes person.  Later, when Peter would join the band, I worked with him on the band account.

Everyone was good at something.  To improve our vocals, I hired vocalist. The female vocalist was a good addition to the band for the sound I was trying to develop. I wanted a group sound.  In the sixties and seventies self contained groups were not the norm. One of the first groups that sang and played the instrument at the same time was the Beatles.   The group from England took America by storm.

The excerpts from my book tell a story about how I became the leader of the Batiste family musical group.

Today, I take on a duel role as the leader of the band and I am the only member of the family in Louisiana who has a degree in education.  Because of this, I took on the role of leader.  I have never desired to be the leader of anything.  However, life has a calling and a mission all of it’s own.  Now, I have to continue leadership in the same vain as my mother and father. 

One is on an island when one is the leader.  No one is there for the answers.  One has to depend on one’s self.

There are always hard choices to be made.  Along with leading the family, my long career in education gives me the empathy to lead the children. 

Thus, I am the target.  I walk around with a target on my back.  For instance, to get the family, one has to go through me.  The idea is to eliminate the person making all major decisions and control the famous family.

That’s not going to happen.  I am going to be here for my family and the children as long as I’m given God’s blessings.  Someone has to be there for them.  All my life, I have been given the gifts of being educated and responsible.  Everything I have done up to now, has prepared me for this moment.

In spite of, I need your help more than ever.  Help me continue a long career of giving.  I have much more to give.  Only, it can only be done with help.  No man is an island.  Together, and only together, we can get it done.

To help contact me at:  paulbatiste@aol.com or 504-738-3040

Hi, this is Paul Batiste updating you on the latest from the Batiste Family.  Presently, I have licensed the Batiste Brand name to ReNew Charter Management.  Also, we have been at the school since it opened in 2010.

I am the administrator for The Batiste Family® and Band Director at Batiste Cultural Arts Academy®.  I am using my over 30 years of teaching experience in New Orleans—at more than 15 schools—in this endeavor to help ReNew and my family.  Also, I am using my experience to administer Professional Development to Jamal Batiste, Ryan Batiste, Michael Batiste, Kristopher Batiste, David Batiste, Sr., and Damon Batiste.  I am  teaching the famous first time Batiste Academy Marching Band.  Donors have given us over $55,000.00 worth of uniforms and $30,000.00 worth of band instruments.   Now, we are ready to march in our first Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans.  They are doing a tremendous job of inspiring over a thousand children in the ReNew Network.

I have always been at the forefront of Arts Education in New Orleans by engaging the Batiste Brand and family in Public Schools.  In the District, we performed at all secondary and elementary schools over the years.  I founded the Batiste Brothers Band® in 1976 and wrote, “(Gon‘ be Dat) New Orleans Music in 1984 for our citizens.  In the Times-Picayune article “Strike, UP The Band,” I, along with administrators, parents and staff, started a S.B. Wright’s band from scratch and marched in the first-ever Mardi Gras Parade immediately after the storm.

In less than two years, Batiste Academy and Sci-Tech have raised it’s standardized tests scores by at least 20 points.  With being only in our second year at Batiste Cultural Arts Academy® and Sci-Tech, we have lifted the spirits, morale and hopes of over a thousand students in the ReNew network.

I can be found on TV, Radio, Billboards, and the internet—advertising for the children of Batiste Academy.  In the first year of advertising that I would be teaching at Batiste, the school enrolled a record number of children.  The challenge is in being able to keep that number of children and bring that number to a new level.

Now, my students and I are in the newspaper again and on the President’s Committee for the Arts and the Humanities’ Website in the advertisement about Batiste Academy being one of only eight schools chosen to participate in an initiative to lift these low performing schools out of failing status nationwide.

This will go along way toward recruiting and keeping students at Batiste.  This initiative plugs in over a million dollars in staffing, band instruments, and Professional Development Resources.

The Initiative will help not only the students of the ReNew network, but it’s designed to help the entire nation.

Continue to help me help our citizens by using Louisiana’s most affective and famous tool, “THE ARTS.”