In New Orleans, belonging to a high school band is a mark of adolescent prestige, not loserdom. When Hurricane Katrina struck, closing schools and scattering the populace, those bands — which have long nurtured the city’s musical talent — suffered, and many of them disappeared. “But some of the top high school bands are back: a rare, heartening sign not only for the [Mardi Gras] parades but also for the long-term vitality of New Orleans culture.”