Specific areas of the US are associated with specific industries. In those places, people who work in those industries can make a lot of money.

For example, Silicon Valley is known for tech. Software development is so lucrative for so many people there its driven the cost-of-living sky high. In Los Angeles, the TV and movie industry creates enormous wealth for actors, directors, and a large number of allied careers.

New Orleans is famous for its music. But, with literally one or two exceptions, you’ll have a hard time meeting a musician or anyone else in the local music business who’s getting wealthy. 

Why is that? 

Reid Wick, Senior Membership & Project Manager at The Recording Academy – the people who own the Grammy’s – says its because when we were at the pinnacle of nationwide musical importance in the 1950’s, nobody had the foresight to develop a music business infrastructure. And we’re still paying the price for that today.

How do we fix it? Reid has ideas. 

It’s not like Reid or other people in the music business are sitting on their hands, doing nothing to change the status of musicians in New Orleans. Take, for example MACCNO, Music and Culture Coalition of New Orleans.

MACCNO was formed in 2012, spearheaded by musician Kermit Ruffins’ angry response to the city’s proposed crackdown on live music permits. The organization has been a highly visible and vocal advocate for musicians’ and other artists’ ever since. The Executive Director of MACCNO is Ethan Ellestad.

We know only too well that consensus alone doesn’t bring about change. We all agree, for example, that there should be equal pay for equal work. But women are still paid less than men. 

Similarly, you won’t find a single person in New Orleans who disagrees with the notion that musicians should be paid at a level commensurate with their importance as some of our most valued citizens. And yet, year after year, decade after decade, we’re still having this same conversation about musicians’ struggles to make a decent living here.

At some point this has to change. And when it does, it’s going to be because of the tireless efforts of people like Reid Wick and Ethan Ellestad.

Out to Lunch is recorded live over lunch at NOLA Pizza in the NOLA Brewing Taproom. You can  find photos from this show by Jill Lafleur at itsneworleans.com

Specific areas of the US are associated with specific industries. In those places, people who work in those industries can make a lot of money.
For example, Silicon Valley is known for tech. Software development is so lucrative for so many people there its driven the cost-of-living sky high. In Los Angeles, the TV and movie industry creates enormous wealth for actors, directors, and a large number of allied careers.
New Orleans is famous for its music. But, with literally one or two exceptions, you’ll have a hard time meeting a musician or anyone else in the local music business who’s getting wealthy. 
Why is that? 
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/reidwick/?hl=en">Reid Wick</a>, Senior Membership &amp; Project Manager at <a href="https://www.recordingacademy.com/">The Recording Academy</a> – the people who own the Grammy’s – says its because when we were at the pinnacle of nationwide musical importance in the 1950’s, nobody had the foresight to develop a music business infrastructure. And we’re still paying the price for that today.
How do we fix it? Reid has ideas. 
It’s not like Reid or other people in the music business are sitting on their hands, doing nothing to change the status of musicians in New Orleans. Take, for example <a href="https://maccno.com/">MACCNO, Music and Culture Coalition of New Orleans</a>.
MACCNO was formed in 2012, spearheaded by musician Kermit Ruffins’ angry response to the city’s proposed crackdown on live music permits. The organization has been a highly visible and vocal advocate for musicians’ and other artists’ ever since. The Executive Director of MACCNO is <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethan-ellestad-3705ba60/">Ethan Ellestad</a>.
We know only too well that consensus alone doesn’t bring about change. We all agree, for example, that there should be equal pay for equal work. But women are still paid less than men. 
Similarly, you won’t find a single person in New Orleans who disagrees with the notion that musicians should be paid at a level commensurate with their importance as some of our most valued citizens. And yet, year after year, decade after decade, we’re still having this same conversation about musicians’ struggles to make a decent living here.
At some point this has to change. And when it does, it’s going to be because of the tireless efforts of people like Reid Wick and Ethan Ellestad.
Out to Lunch is recorded live over lunch at <a href="https://nolapizzaco.com/">NOLA Pizza </a>in the <a href="https://www.nolabrewing.com/">NOLA Brewing Taproom</a>. You can  find photos from this show by<a href="https://www.lafleurphoto.com/"> Jill Lafleur</a> at itsneworleans.com

OUT TO LUNCH finds economist and Tulane finance professor Peter Ricchiuti conducting business New Orleans style: over lunch at Columns in Uptown New Olreans. In his 15th year in the host seat, Ricchiuti’s learned but uniquely NOLA informal perspective has established Out to Lunch as the voice of Crescent City business. You can also hear the show on WWNO 89.9FM.

OUT TO LUNCH finds economist and Tulane finance professor Peter Ricchiuti conducting business New Orleans style: over lunch at Columns in Uptown New Olreans. In his 15th year in the host seat, Ricchiuti&rsquo;s learned but uniquely NOLA informal perspective has established Out to Lunch as the voice of Crescent City business. You can also hear the show on WWNO 89.9FM.

Tulane finance professor Peter Ricchiuti conducting business New Orleans style: over lunch at Commander's Palace restaurant.

It's New Orleans: Out to Lunch

OUT TO LUNCH finds the country's most entertaining finance professor Peter Ricchiuti conducting business New Orleans style: over lunch. Each week Peter invites guests from the New Orleans business world to join him for a midday bite. CEO's, startups, managers, musicians, biomed needle-movers, tech success stories and entrepreneurs of all stripes put aside the elevator pitch and talking points and actually enjoy themselves. It's business, New Orleans style. 
You can also hear the show on WWNO 89.9FM.

OUT TO LUNCH finds the country's most entertaining finance professor <a href="https://freeman.tulane.edu/faculty-research/finance/peter-ricchiuti">Peter Ricchiuti </a>conducting business New Orleans style: over lunch. Each week Peter invites guests from the New Orleans business world to join him for a midday bite. CEO's, startups, managers, musicians, biomed needle-movers, tech success stories and entrepreneurs of all stripes put aside the elevator pitch and talking points and actually enjoy themselves. It's business, New Orleans style. You can also hear the show on <a href="https://www.wwno.org/show/out-to-lunch">WWNO 89.9FM</a>.