Air Traffic Control has been co-hosting artist activism retreats in New Orleans for the last four years. To mark the 5 year anniversary of the storm and floods we thought it appropriate to produce a benefit album. We started by asking the 60 alumni artists who participated in the retreats if they'd be interested in donating a track for a benefit album - we had no idea over half of them would send us music.

We are grateful they did.

Some of the songs that appear on this album are specifically about the city, or the disaster. Others pay a more oblique tribute, and still others are songs that the artist played at the concert we close each retreat with.

Dear New Orleans is a letter of gratitude and promise to the city and her people --- to never forget what happened and to continue to rebuild.

For more on Air Traffic Control visit / www.atctower.net /.

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Dear New Orleans Beneficiary Organizations

Proceeds from the sale of this album will be granted to New Orleans based nonprofits working to support and sustain the region's unique musical and cultural traditions, and to protect and restore vital environmental and community resources for future generations, such as:

Sweet Home New Orleans / www.sweethomeneworleans.org / is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the individuals and organizations that will perpetuate New Orleans' unique musical and cultural traditions. We began our work immediately after the levees broke in 2005, and we have provided over $2.5 million in financial assistance to more than 2,500 members of the city's music community.

"ATC has made tremendous contributions to the success of Sweet Home New Orleans," said Sweet Home New Orleans Executive Director, Jordan Hirsch. "By engaging artists from around the country in our efforts to support the tradition bearers of New Orleans, ATC forged a link between the music community affected by the flood of 2005 and a global network of musicians and fans. Sweet Home New Orleans is thrilled by this compilation not only because it will further our progress towards a sustainable music community in the city, but because it represents the ongoing commitment of artists from all corners to give back to those who have inspired them."

Sweet Home helps New Orleans musicians, Mardi Gras Indians, and Social Aid & Pleasure Club members get on their feet, get to work, and revitalize their communities and the cultural economy of New Orleans.

Gulf Restoration Network / www.gulfrestorationnetwork.org / is a 16 year-old environmental group committed to uniting and empowering people to protect and restore the natural resources of the Gulf of Mexico. Since the storms of 2005, they have worked for a national commitment to the restoration of the coastal wetlands of Louisiana, the region's natural storm protection, which are disappearing at the rate of an acre an hour. The BP drilling disaster has greatly increased threats to this ecosystem, and GRN has provided independent monitoring and advocacy since the first days of the disaster.

"It means so much that these musicians and Air Traffic Control are willing to stand up for our future, and work with us to create a national commitment to the restoration of the Gulf," says Gulf Restoration Network Campaign Director Aaron Viles. "New Orleans and the Northern Gulf have had a rough time the past five years. The coastal wetlands crisis that Katrina, Rita, Gustav and Ike exposed to the world is now being accelerated by BP's crude oil, threatening the recovery and sustainability of our region."

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The New Orleans Artist Activism Retreats were conceived, produced and hosted with with our partners:

Future of Music Coalition (FMC) / www.futureofmusic.org / is a national nonprofit organization that works to ensure a diverse musical culture where artists flourish, are compensated fairly for their work, and where fans can find the music they want. FMC amplifies the voices of musicians in the issues that affect their livelihood through education, research and advocacy. FMC's work is rooted in the real-world experiences and ambitions of working musicians, whose perspectives are often overlooked in policy debates. Currently celebrating 10 years of fighting for musicians, FMC continues to provide an important forum for discussion about issues at the intersection of music, technology, policy and law.