“There won’t be any meaningful new music in New Orleans if we don’t encourage new musicians coming up. I love playing dive bars, and perhaps that’s where I feel most comfortable as a musician, but there is more to a musical life than dive bars. An open mic at the Library gives young people a chance to see live music in a safe environment, and hopefully we’ll get some young folks out there to play some songs, maybe for the first time in front of an audience ever,” Windham said.

Windham said he was honored when the Library approached him to host the open mic, which is open to all ages and abilities.

“I also think that there are a lot of adults that can’t or don’t want to go to a late night dive bar show, for various reasons – this is one reason that I like to play farmers’ markets – so this is a free live music opportunity that is open to everyone and reduces barriers to participation,” he said.

As a high school English teacher, Windham said the Library plays an important role in his everyday life.

“Public libraries keep my reading habits affordable. My wife and I take our kids to different libraries around town in order to keep it interesting,” he said. “Latter Library on St. Charles is the fanciest library I’ve ever been in. Earlier this year I participated in a songwriter workshop over there, and it made me feel like a 19th century aristocrat.”

Crescent City Sounds debuted in 2022 as the only streaming platform to feature exclusively New Orleans-based artists. The Library built the service as a way to help musicians build a following, gain access to the local music scene, and establish a lasting record of what New Orleans music is today. For Windham, the platform also sends an important message to working artists.

“In New Orleans, we love our music, but we don’t always show that love to our musicians. Our whole economy is based on tourism, which largely revolves around the music scene, but it’s hard to make a living as a musician in New Orleans, much less to do it sustainably with adequate health care, etc. Having the Library pay local musicians to be included in a curated collection of local music is a step in the right direction,” he said.

In addition to the upcoming open mic at the Library, Windham is looking forward to moderating a panel about the intersection of folk and punk at the Folk Alliance International Conference in Chicago next January.

“I also have a new album coming out in 2027, which will be pressed at New Orleans Record Press, with handcrafted labels in collaboration with local art gallery NOLA ‘Nacular,” he said. “Check me out on the socials and stay tuned for news!”

The Library is currently in the jurying process of the 2026 submission rounds. New music will be added to the platform in December. Visit crescentcitysounds.org for more information and to stream local music for free now.