Friends of New Orleans music and culture! I’m writing this from Mid-City, as the Trombone Shorty Foundation prepares to take our show on the road and embark on our inaugural music education trip…tomorrow! Look out New York City, we are coming at you and bringing the soulful sounds of New Orleans with us!

Twelve Shorty Academy students, all of whom attend local high schools, plus five chaperones (myself included) will fly out of Louis Armstrong International Airport early tomorrow morning for four full days in the Big Apple, with a jam-packed itinerary that promises to be a life-changing experience for all of us! Scheduled activities include a master class with John Scofield at the Blue Note, hanging at Lincoln Center with New Orleans’ own Herlin Riley and Cuban percussionist Pedrito Martinez,  attending the “School of Rock” musical on Broadway, and a performance on Sunday morning, April 8, at the Brooklyn Bowl as a part of the Rock and Roll Playhouse’s family series. Tickets for that show are available here.

Many thanks to our presenting sponsor, the Gia Maione Prima Foundation, as well as Ray and Barbara Dalio, and our friends at Amp The Cause for their generous support in making this happen!

I’ll be keeping everyone updated on our progress through a series of daily blogs at offbeat.com, so stay tuned!