"Music = people."

That is the beautiful message from Tim Sullivan, founder of the New Orleans Foundation for Experiential Arts Renewal (NO FEAR), on this week's Confetti Park Music Memory!

Tim shares how hearing traditional Irish music instantly brings back wonderful memories of his dad. He reminds families that art isn't just a presentation—it's an activity we actively do to connect with the people we love.

Says Tim, "My parents brought us up very Irish. So even though we're we're Irish-American, they brought us up 1,000% Irish, I feel like.If I am in a small pub, or there is Irish music playing, there's no way I'm not thinking of my father in that context. And I would imagine as he grows older, that will become even more emotional and even more powerful for me. And in a good way. Not a sad way. Not even melancholy. Like in a really, really good way. Because that's what all art does. Art is positive. All of it."

Whether your little ones are singing, dancing, or painting, the act of creating is a positive force! Making art is the perfect way to share feelings and celebrate the human experience. Notice it, appreciate it, honor it in the time we have together.

Tim Sullivan isn't just the visionary behind NO FEAR here in New Orleans—he's also a powerhouse saxophonist and a deeply passionate music educator! Praised by funk legend Fred Wesley as "one of the baddest sax players in the world", Tim brings that same vibrant, world-class energy straight into the classroom. He has extensive experience nurturing young artists, having taught for the WeBop! early childhood music program at Jazz at Lincoln Center and serving as a tutor for the Middle School Jazz Academy. Whether he's blowing the roof off a venue or helping little ones discover their very first rhythms, Tim is dedicated to using the magic of music to uplift kids, connect families, and build community.

Tim shares why he believes that all art is positive and how making art is really just a way to connect with the people we love. Thank you for sharing with Confetti Park, Tim!

Confetti Park is supported by the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation and Music Rising at Tulane University.