Jubilation - New Orleans Style

New Orleans is known culturally for its jazz and in particular for its distinctive jazz funerals. Historically, the jazz funeral could sometimes  include a parade.  A brass band would play somber dirges and hymns as family and friends marched to the cemetery. The tone would remain somber until the coffin had been placed in the ground. The brass band would play a couple more hymns, though these were played with a swing beat, to alert mourners that the mood was about to change, then would launch into wilder music with tambourines and drums. Songs such as "When the Saints Go Marching In" would be played. The music and dancing were both a cathartic release for mourners and a celebration of a life well lived. In this state of jubilation, the group would then march back to the location of their reception. Those who follow the band and family members to enjoy the music are called "the second line", and any parasol twirling that occurs in that ensemble is called a "second lining" that compliments the family's handkerchief waving and umbrella twirling. 
I drew this on white fabric with a pencil, then stitched over my lines with black thread. I colored it with Inktense colored pencils and made it permanent by using a textile medium. I wanted to give this piece dimension, so I cut it out and fused it onto black felt, then stitched it onto my quilted background.