“Tones and Traditions” Traces the Roots of Louisiana Music – Live

Talk of the Town - July 2026

Doug Page and Joshua Starkman explore the evolution of modern Louisiana music in their live music series at the Bay St. Louis Little Theatre – and you’re all invited.

- by Melanie Cole

Music isn't born in a vacuum. Every bass line on the radio today, every rhythm, and every groove traces its DNA back through generations of musicians who poured their souls into their craft long before commercial algorithms took over.
 

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Many of today’s listeners think of “their” music as entirely new, but the reality is much more complex. It’s an ongoing conversation across time. This deep connection is exactly what Doug Page and Joshua Starkman want to explore in their live music series at the Bay St. Louis Little Theatre, Tones and Traditions Live Musical Podcast. The artists and stories they presented in the first two episodes are primers on how musical roots are passed down and intertwined over generations, layer upon layer.
 

 
The idea for the series came from a love for musical storytelling. Doug Page, the creative force behind Good Earth Records, spent five years hosting a weekly radio show at WTUL, a progressive/alternative FM radio outlet in New Orleans. Every Thursday, the airwaves became a space where musicians shared their stories and played live sets. “On my show, I was able to interview countless musicians, listen to their stories, and hear them perform live on the air,” Page reflects. “This live and in-person series at the Little Theatre is a direct connection to my days on the radio.” He wanted to produce an event that was, in his words, “part concert, part education.”
 

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Page then approached Preservation Hall Jazz Band guitarist and social media personality Joshua Starkman with the concept. Known around New Orleans for his deeply rooted musical connections and a history of playing with and interviewing local musicians, Starkman says that teaming up was an obvious segue. “Doug approached me about coming to Bay St. Louis and hosting the musicians that he brings in, and it was just a natural fit,” Starkman says.
 

 
Starkman’s own musical passions are rooted in a deep respect for the older generation of artists who paved the way. Moving to New Orleans in 2010, he played wherever he could while seeking out legendary jazz players to learn from directly. “I come from a playing background,” Starkman explains, “and when I started doing social media, I leaned into my own natural interests. One of them is interviewing musicians, talking with them, doing the research, knowing what to ask them.” This dual perspective as an active musician with a deep curiosity about the stories behind the songs results in easygoing, authentic interactions with his musician guests.
 

 
The debut episode of Tones and Traditions established the benchmark for the series. Starkman, along with fellow Preservation Hall musicians Branden Lewis and Craig Klein, teamed up with pianist John 'Papa' Gros to take the audience on a journey through traditional New Orleans jazz, funk, and R&B. The night unfolded as a live tapestry of regional musical history, weaving those early traditions into the unique New Orleans sounds.
 

 
The second episode, Cajun-Creole, widened the scope of Louisiana musical traditions by featuring two artists who both have been members of Grammy Award-winning bands. Cajun fiddle player Louis Michot of the Lost Bayou Ramblers and acclaimed banjoist and cellist Leyla McCalla, who played with The Carolina Chocolate Drops, explored the deep Louisiana French/Cajun connections and traditional Haitian Creole histories of our regional musical styles. They shared the stories of the migration of those rhythms into what are now classic genres of regional music, from Zydeco to the Haitian Vodou drumming syncopations that New Orleans Jazz is known for.
 

 
For Starkman, who grew up in Miami around Latino and Haitian cultures, this intersection highlights a fundamental truth: Music is a reflection of our shared humanity, not just art or commerce. “I think being raised around that developed my mindset for music as connectivity,” Starkman notes.
 

 
In a world dominated by commercial shortcuts and social media loops, Starkman believes that engaging with ancestral musical roots is more critical than ever. He views music as an ancient form of storytelling that cuts through modern noise. “If we understand the people behind the music, then maybe we won't be so freaked out by each other. Humans are musical beings. We always have been,” Starkman says.
 

 
Looking ahead, Page and Starkman plan to drive the Tones and Traditions mission forward by delivering at least four events each year. Ideas for future episodes include featuring the Kumasi Afrobeat Orchestra, the Cuban Jazz band OTRA, and members of the United Houma Nation Tribe sharing their Native American traditions.
 

 
Ultimately, the series celebrates cultural evolution, revealing the deep musical and human threads that connect us all, “especially in this region of Mississippi and Louisiana - the birthplace of America's Music!” Page adds.
 
Stay tuned for the next episodes in this series on our “Upcoming Events” page and our community calendar.

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