NEW ORLEANS — Tyler Stevenson, 17, stood in the spotlight for his solo on the same stage graced by James Brown and Buddy Guy decades ago at New Orleans’ historic nightclub Tipitina’s. This past spring was his final performance as a student of the Trombone Shorty Academy. After deepening his skills his senior year of high school, this center stage moment standing next to Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews came with a wave of emotions. But Tyler did what he was trained to do: channel that energy into the trombone. And Andrews noticed.
“The way he was into my solo … like that really just happened,” Tyler said, still in disbelief at the school year that included performing at New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival that same weekend and performing for former Vice President Kamala Harris in January.
Tyler is one of many students who have found guidance, inspiration, and reverence for jazz through the program formed by Trombone Shorty Foundation. They took their final bow of the season during Shorty Fest, the annual concert that Andrews’ foundation has hosted since 2013.
The Grammy winner built the program to close a widening gap between young New Orleanians and the jazz legacy that shaped them and the world. Displaced Black communities after Hurricane Katrina meant there were fewer opportunities dedicated to enriching younger generations in the way Andrews was mentored starting at age 4. Between playing with Cyril Neville and Wynton Marsalis and taking influence from pioneers Buddy Bolden and Louis Armstrong, Andrews created a 35-year career that includes six studio albums, high-profile features, and global recognition.
“One of the reasons I started the foundation is that so many of our city’s legendary musicians took the time to mentor me when I was young,” Andrews told Capital B. “So I feel a sense of responsibility to do that with this next generation.”
After his performance in April at Shorty Fest, Tyler reflected on his evolution.
“Can I really call myself a great, or can I call myself a leader if I’m not helping the people around me?” the New Orleans native asked.
The recent graduate wasn’t exactly a novice when he joined. He could play several instruments and had his own band. But when alumnus Dante Victor suggested that he should join the program, Tyler obliged. His instructors noticed his perfect pitch and ability to take control while still following his own instincts. His role as band lead was instinctual. He could course correct whenever his bandmates hit a sour note or weren’t projecting their voices while singing Fats Domino’s “I’m Walking” during rehearsal.
This is the ethos of the free after-school program created by Andrews in 2012. In an effort to pass down New Orleans musical traditions, students ages 13-18 get to practice and perform in an ensemble while learning music history and theory.
How jazz education is filling a void in the city
Ashley Shabankareh, the foundation’s director of operations and programs, said the city’s fully charter school system also makes creating a pipeline for teens who want to pursue a career in music challenging. Students increasingly told Shabankareh that they weren’t getting adequate opportunities to grow. She said listening to students is just as important as teaching them.
“Taking them from that setting to then being so confident that they lead on the stage on their own, they’re coming up with arrangements, they’re making choices, they’ve become friends … these are things that happen when being able to get fostered over time.”
For Tamika Calvin, the program has been about securing a bright future for her 13-year-old son, Joshua Calvin, in the midst of a public safety crisis in the New Orleans East neighborhood.
“It gives them something to do, so that they’re not in trouble, because it’s so easy to get hurt around here,” Calvin said. “We have buried so many family members from gun violence. We’ve watched so many of our family members and children in our family get records and start going to jail, that it was the only option.”
Joshua, one of the academy’s newer members, performed with Tyler at Jazz Fest and Shorty Fest. Though small in stature, he carried big charisma as he commanded the stage. He said playing with the band makes him feel “overly joyful.”
“I don’t worry about the people that’s in front of me,” he continued. “I let my friends that’s on stage give me energy, and I also see my mom in the back watching me, and she looks happy to see me on stage, so that also keeps me pushing.”
Joshua is excited to travel to either Cuba or Jamaica next year for the academy’s cultural exchange trip. His dream is to play globally.
Keeping the music alive and paying it forward
What Trombone Academy alumnus Victor empowered in Tyler, Tyler has empowered in Joshua, charging him to be a leader in their ensemble and uplift others. For Andrews, seeing his students pay it forward means what he’s doing is working.
“Once they connect to their place in keeping the music alive, it really inspires them to keep going, keep learning and keep playing,” he said. “It’s truly special, what we have in New Orleans, so making sure that doesn’t go away is very important. Also, if we are able to change the course of the lives of the young people we work with, and in some cases maybe even save some lives, then I can’t imagine anything better.”
Though Tyler is headed to Texas Southern University to study music and play in the band this fall, a dream he’s had since middle school, he’s looking forward to coming back to support the program as an alumnus.
He’s also hopeful about possibly playing with Andrews again one day: “He told me, ‘Do music producing comprehension, learn all there is about trombone and jazz performance, and once you graduate, come holler at me.’”