Hi there! Welcome to a fun story about music, dreams, and a special place called New Orleans. Today, we’re going to learn about a boy named Trombone Shorty and how he became a famous musician. Let’s dive into this musical adventure!
In a lively neighborhood called Tremé in New Orleans, music is everywhere! You can hear it in the streets, in homes, and during exciting parades. This is where Trombone Shorty grew up. His real name is Troy Andrews, but everyone calls him Trombone Shorty because he played a trombone that was almost as big as he was!
Every year, New Orleans celebrates Mardi Gras with colorful parades and lots of music. Trombone Shorty loved watching the brass bands with their trumpets, trombones, and tubas. The music made everyone happy and forget their worries for a while. Even though people in Tremé didn’t have a lot of money, they always had music to lift their spirits.
Trombone Shorty wanted to make music that was as special as the delicious gumbo his family cooked. Gumbo is a tasty dish made by mixing different ingredients, just like how he wanted to mix different music styles to create his own sound.
One day, Trombone Shorty found a broken trombone. It didn’t sound perfect, but he was excited to have a real instrument. He practiced every day, even when it was hard to hold because it was so big! He listened to his brother James play the trumpet and learned to play those songs too.
One day, Trombone Shorty’s mom took him to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. There, he saw a famous musician named Bo Diddley. Trombone Shorty started playing along with his trombone, and Bo Diddley noticed him! He invited Trombone Shorty to play on stage, and the crowd loved it!
After playing with Bo Diddley, Trombone Shorty knew he wanted his own band. He and his friends formed the 5 O’Clock Band, named after the time they finished their homework and went out to play music. They played all over New Orleans, and soon Trombone Shorty was playing with his brother’s band too.
Today, Trombone Shorty has his own band called Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue. He’s traveled the world, sharing his music, but he always comes back to New Orleans. He loves helping young musicians, just like his brother helped him. He still plays at the New Orleans jazz festival and leads parades, just like when he was a kid.
New Orleans is a special place with amazing music, delicious food, and friendly people. If you ever visit, you’ll hear the music that inspired Trombone Shorty and taste the yummy food that makes New Orleans unique.
Thanks for joining this musical journey with Trombone Shorty. Keep exploring, keep listening to music, and keep dreaming big!
Create Your Own Musical Instrument: Just like Trombone Shorty found a trombone and started playing, you can make your own musical instrument at home! Gather some empty containers, rubber bands, and other household items. Try creating a drum, a guitar, or even a shaker. Experiment with different sounds and rhythms. What kind of music can you make with your new instrument?
Explore New Orleans Music: Listen to some music from New Orleans, like jazz or brass band music. You can find songs online or ask an adult to help you. As you listen, think about how the music makes you feel. Can you hear the different instruments like the trombone, trumpet, or drums? Try drawing a picture of what you imagine when you hear the music.
Musical Parade at Home: Organize a mini parade with your family or friends. Use the instruments you created or any other musical toys you have. March around your home or backyard, playing your instruments and singing. Imagine you’re in a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans. How does it feel to be part of a musical celebration?
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Welcome to Storyline Online, brought to you by the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. I’m Angela Bassett, and today I’m reading “Trombone Shorty,” written by Troy Andrews and illustrated by Bryan Collier.
In New Orleans, we have our own way of living and talking. That’s how we greet friends. I want to share the story of how I got my nickname. Just like your favorite song, let’s start at the beginning. This is a story about music, and to understand how much it means to me, you need to know how important it is to my hometown, my greatest inspiration.
I grew up in a neighborhood in New Orleans called Tremé. At any time of day or night, you could hear music in the air. There was music in my house, too. My big brother, James, played the trumpet so loudly that you could hear him halfway across town! He led his own band, and my friends and I would pretend to be in the band as well.
There’s one time every year that’s more exciting than any other: Mardi Gras! Parades fill the streets, and beaded necklaces are thrown to the crowd. I love the brass bands with their trumpets, trombones, saxophones, and the tuba, which rested over the musicians’ heads like an elephant’s trunk! All day long, I could see brass bands parade by my house while my neighbors danced along. These parades made everyone forget their troubles for a little while.
People in Tremé may not have had a lot of money, but we always had music. I listened to all these sounds and mixed them together, just like how we make our food. We take one big pot and throw in various ingredients and stir it all together. When it’s done, it’s the most delicious taste you’ve ever tried. We call it gumbo, and that’s what I wanted my music to sound like—different styles combined to create my own musical gumbo!
But first, I needed an instrument. The great thing about music is that you don’t even need a real instrument to play. My friends and I decided to make our own. We might have sounded different from the real brass bands, but we felt like the greatest musicians of Tremé. Then one day, I found a broken trombone that looked too beaten up to make music anymore. It didn’t sound perfect, but finally, with a real instrument in my hand, I was ready to play.
The next time the parade went by my house, I grabbed that trombone and headed out into the street. My brother James noticed me playing along and smiled proudly. “Trombone Shorty!” he called out because the instrument was twice my size. From that day on, everyone called me Trombone Shorty! I took that trombone everywhere I went and never stopped playing.
I was so small that sometimes I fell over because it was so heavy. But I always got back up and learned to hold it up high. I listened to my brother play songs over and over, and I taught myself those songs, too. I practiced day and night, sometimes even falling asleep with my trombone in my hands.
One day, my mom surprised me with tickets to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the best music festival in town. We went to see Bo Diddley, who my mom said was one of the most important musicians of all time. As I watched him onstage, I raised my trombone to my lips and started to play along. He stopped his band in the middle of the song and asked the crowd, “Who’s that playing out there?” Everyone started pointing, but Bo Diddley couldn’t see me because I was the smallest one in the place! So my mom held me up in the air and said, “That’s my son, Trombone Shorty!”
“Well, Trombone Shorty, come on up here!” Bo Diddley said. The crowd passed me overhead until I was standing on stage next to him! I walked right up to the microphone and held my trombone high, ready to play. “What do you want to play?” Bo Diddley asked. “Follow me,” I said.
After I played with Bo Diddley, I knew I was ready to have my own band. I got my friends together, and we called ourselves the 5 O’Clock Band, because that was the time we went out to play each day after finishing our homework. We played all around New Orleans. I practiced and practiced, and soon my brother James asked me to join his band. When people wondered who the kid in his band was, he’d proudly say, “That’s my little brother, Trombone Shorty!”
Now I have my own band, called Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, named after a street in Tremé. I’ve played all around the world, but I always come back to New Orleans. When I’m home, I keep my eyes on the younger musicians in town and help them out, just like my brother did for me. Today I play at the same New Orleans jazz festival where I once played with Bo Diddley. After the performance, I lead a parade of musicians around, just like I used to do in the streets of Tremé with my friends.
I still keep my trombone in my hands, and I will never let it go. I love this book because from a simple neighborhood that may not have a lot, you can have a big impact on the world. You can travel the world, and you can always come home and inspire your own neighborhood. New Orleans—there’s no place in the world quite like it. If you get a chance to go there, the music inspires you. And the food, oh, there aren’t enough hours in the day to try all the delicious cuisine they have to offer. The people, no matter their background, always have a “Where y’at?” for one another.
Thank you for watching Storyline Online. Make sure to check out all our stories. Keep watching and keep reading.
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This version maintains the essence of the original transcript while ensuring it is appropriate for all audiences.
