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Trombone Shorty



Last updated Monday, April 19, 2021

Author: Troy Andrews
Illustrator: Bryan Collier
Date of Publication: 2015
ISBN: 1419714651
Grade Level: 2nd    (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Mar. 2021

Synopsis: "Who’s that playing out there?" Bo Diddley asked the New Orleans crowd. It was a small child who'd been nicknamed "Trombone Shorty" because his trombone was twice as large as he was. Trombone Shorty was lifted in the air and carried through the audience until he reached the stage with Bo Diddley. He has been onstage ever since. Hailing from the Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans, where music always floated in the air, Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews didn't always have the money to buy an instrument, but he did have the dream to play music. This is the story of how he made his dream take flight. Today, Troy Andrews is a Grammy-nominated musician who tours the world with his band, "Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue". He continues to inspire hope for the next generation in New Orleans and for music lovers everywhere.

Discussion topics for before reading:
•  What do you think Trombone Shorty means?
•  Do you play an instrument?
•  What instrument you would like to play?

Vocabulary

•  Mardi Gras – a carnival held in some countries on Shrove Tuesday (the day before Ash Wednesday) most famously in New Orleans.
•  Brass – a yellow metal consisting of melting cooper and zinc together.
•  Gumbo – a popular soup in Louisiana that is made of chicken, meat, and shellfish with vegetables, especially okra.
•  Bo Diddley – an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter who played a major role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll.

Discussion topics for during/after reading:
•  What materials do you think you need to make your own instrument?
•  Do you have nicknames? What is it?
•  What do you think it’s like to be a part of a band? Would you like to be part of a band??

Craft ideas:
•  We can draw a trombone.
•  We can make our own trombone out of a paper plate.

Special activities:
•  The Lucky Band created a special video for Reading to Kids to share at our March 13, 2021 reading clubs! Volunteers for those clubs will receive the link to that YouTube video in their email reminder on Friday, March 12, 2021, along with directions on how to share a YouTube video on Zoom.
•  Jimmy Fallon, Sesame Street & The Roots Sing "Sesame Street" Theme (w/ Classroom Instruments): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHogg7pJI_M
•  Ringo Starr, Jimmy Fallon & The Roots Sing "Yellow Submarine" (Classroom Instruments): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIg3kxeOZMA
•  We can listen to people playing the trombone on YouTube - here's Trombone Shorty himself at age 13! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9YUi3UhEPQ (feel free to skip ahead to when he is soloing)
•  We can listen to some of Bo Diddley’s music.

*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions. You can use them, but you don't have to use them. You can expand upon them, or add your own twist. Remember, though, that the focus of your time should not be on the development and execution of a craft; the focus should be on the read-aloud and the enjoyment of the book!