Jade Santrell is a vocalist, pianist, songwriter, teaching artist , and creative who credits her hometown New Orleans for shaping her artistic palette. Her background is rooted in jazz, gospel, r&b, and classical. She has performed with world-renowned musicians like Herlin Riley, Nicholas Payton, Amina Scott, and Jason Marsalis. Her musical journey has led her to perform in New York, Philadelphia, London, Missouri, Havana, and beyond. She brings joy, peace, and excitement to each performance leaving the audience with an unparalleled experience.
Watson Memorial Teaching Ministries was the first place Jade Perdue began to sing in front of an audience. Her home church formed and molded her into the performer that she is today. Yet, she started learning how to become a musician when she joined the Edna Karr High School marching band. She performed with Edna Karr's marching band in the 2016 New Year's Day Parade in London, UK. Jade’s parents continued to support her musical journey by encouraging her to join Musicollaborative and New Orleans Jazz Heritage School of Music in 2016. She acknowledges those organizations for providing a strong foundation in understanding New Orleans music, history and culture.
Then, Jade decided to further her musical knowledge and career by attending Xavier University of Louisiana. She performed with the Xavier University Concert Choir for St. Katharine Drexel’s Coronation fall of 2018. In 2019, she traveled to New York City, NY to compose original music for a performance based project titled “Organology” under the direction of Ross Louis, Phd. Following that she premiered in Roger Dickerson's musical Preacher Man Preacher Man in 2020. In 2021, she graduated from the illustrious Xavier University of Louisiana earning a bachelor's degree in music liberal arts with a minor in entrepreneurship. Fall of 2023 she earned a master's degree from University of New Orleans with a concentration in vocal performance and jazz studies.
All of the training, studying, and experience led her to work at the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park (NOJNHP) as an interpretive park ranger. Her responsibilities are no like no other park ranger in the U.S. Jade Santrell performs New Orleans traditional jazz, blues, funk, soul, and r&b with the Arrowhead Jazz Band. As the leader of Arrowhead Jazz Band it is also her duty to provide a unique experience for the audience providing them with thematic programs centered around New Orleans culture. Additionally, she writes original music for special programs that the NOJNHP sponsors and hosts. While being a skilled musician is required of her, she also focuses on historical research and preservation. The multifaceted artist strives to incorporate history, storytelling, and creativity in all of her endeavors. Jade Santrell has a passion for enlightening and uplifting people from various backgrounds via Black American Music.