64. Trombone Shorty, by Troy Andrews

 

64. Trombone Shorty, by Troy Andrews


Andrews, T. (2015). Trombone Shorty. NY: Abrams. 

Hailing from the Tremé neighborhood in New Orleans, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews got his nickname from his trombone; it was bigger than he was.  He has been surrounded by music all of his life.  His older brother and grandfather played in bands.  He wanted to play too, so he and his friends played whatever they could find, bottles, boxes-anything that would make sound. One day he found a broken trombone.  He fixed it and was never without it again.  He was a musical prodigy. He led his own band by age six. He played in all the parades.  He even got to play on stage with Bo Diddley at the Jazz Festival.  Today he headlines the legendary New Orleans Jazz Fest.  This book is a celebration of the rich cultural history of New Orleans and the power of music.

This would be a good book to use in the classroom during Black History Month.  It would also be good for a music class or lesson. It has a strong theme of working hard to achieve your dreams.  I found two good lesson plans for the book.  The first is from the Chicago Public Library.  It is centered more on the music, with activities like making home made instruments.  The second is a teacher’s guide from Storyline online.  It focuses on ELAR and point of view.  It has writing activities.  There are also cross curriculum ideas.

https://d4804za1f1gw.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/06/28080614/NSLA-Trombone-Shorty-Activity-Ideas.pdf

https://www.storylineonline.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TromboneShorty_TeacherActivityGuide.pdf

 

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