“Jazz Off the Wall: A Narrative Exploration of The National Jazz Museum in Harlem” (2025-2026)

I never intended to write about The National Jazz Museum in Harlem. In fact, I only went to the museum as research for an essay about the commodification of immigrant art explored through the lens of jazz’s history in New York. As an artist and the daughter of an immigrant, I often feel frustrated yet conflicted by America’s history of appropriating its minorities’ art as well as the highly politicized, highly contentious conversation surrounding it. When I approached the museum, I did so with an earnest, albeit somewhat self-righteous, determination to write an essay that exposed how systemic racism has shaped the New York jazz scene. I figured that the best first person sources would be found in the museum’s historical exhibits: the key to an entire history written in easily digestible black and white print. Not finding such blatant answers on the walls of the museum left me feeling confused and mildly frustrated. Thirty minutes and one interview later, my perspective completely changed.

Ryan Maloney, the NJIH’s Director of Education and Programming and my gracious interviewee, quickly redirected me away from my singular focus on the relationship between jazz and racism, offering me a more holistic view on how jazz functioned and continues to function within New York. This is not to say he dismissed the racism in jazz’s history, in fact he did quite the opposite. He drew attention to the interconnected influence that racist policies, the economics of jazz clubs, and even dance trends had on the music. Most notably, he created a distinction between acknowledging the ills within jazz’s history and honoring the lineage of the music. This distinction is one that the NJIH itself navigates in a unique manner. By the end of our interview, I came to realize my own narrow-mindedness. Focusing solely on one aspect of history limited my ability to learn the full, nuanced truth of the music’s evolution. If I wanted to truly learn, I needed to view the museum with the intention of understanding instead of judging. This shift in perspective and my subsequent observations of the museum form the narrative and rhetorical foundation of the essay. 

Growing up in Southern California, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport spent her childhood working as an actor in the film industry while simultaneously studying piano. As an NYU Film & Television student, the majority of her academic efforts are spent creating stories as a means to process her stubborn emotions. “Jazz Off the Wall” combines this passion for personal storytelling with her fascination for jazz history. The essay offers a first-person recount of Jolie’s visit to The National Jazz Museum in Harlem where she interviewed the museum’s Director of Education and Programming. Weaving narrative with interview and academic research, the essay crafts its rhetoric around how the visit redefined Jolie’s perception of museums, jazz, and history itself.