Trombone Shorty made history at 4 years old. Now the musician represents the heart and soul of New Orleans.

As Mardi Gras celebrations are underway in New Orleans on Fat Tuesday, all eyes are on a performer who represents the heart, soul and success of the city: Troy Andrews, better known as Trombone Shorty.

His inspiring career kicked off before he could even read. He picked up the trombone as a toddler, growing up in a music-filled home among New Orleans music royalty.

Andrews made history at just 4 years old when he performed at Jazz Fest, then led his own brass band at the age of 6. He joined Lenny Kravitz on tour as a teen, which is when his career really took off. 

It didn’t come without obstacles. 

“When we were 11, we were playing in Jackson Square, and I remember the police coming under the Cabildo and they … said that we were playing too loud. And they hauled us off to— they took us downtown to jail,” Andrews said. 

“Then we did like this big protest and different things,” he continued. “Because of that moment, the kids and people who want to play on the street are still able to do that because of what we did.”

Since then, Andrews has performed on some of the other greatest stages in the world, collaborating with artists like Stevie Wonder, Usher and Dave Matthews Band, but never losing sight of the sounds of home.

“Without New Orleans I wouldn’t be here,” he said. “And I really mean that with my whole heart.”

Andrews said he’s “still reaching for something.”

“I’m always practicing,” he said. “I’m always trying to get better. And it doesn’t matter, we go out there and play in front of 5,000 people or wherever it may be, or 200 people. I always play as if these people don’t know who I am.”

That’s never the case during New Orleans’ Mardi Gras celebrations, where everyone knows Trombone Shorty. After all, it’s hard to miss his float, which features a sculpture of him playing his instrument. 

On the float, Andrews led his very own Mardi Gras parade last week called the Krewe of Freret, affectionately known by locals as “Shorty Gras.” 

Andrews said he never expected to see himself hold such a prized spot. When he watched parades in his childhood, most Mardi Gras krewes were White. 

“I never dreamt of myself being on a float, or having myself on the float,” Andrews said.

“Just me being there, it created a diversity,” he added.

Now, he keeps that spirit of diversity among his Mardi Gras group. 

“We bring in different people from different ethnic backgrounds … we’re just like, Mardi Gras is colorful,” Andrews said. “We’re just showing that this is what the city is about, a big gumbo. Let’s just all do it together.” 

Even after the Mardi Gras season ends, Andrews stays focused on the reach of his music. He operates the Trombone Shorty Foundation to support the next generation of musicians. 

“I realized after Katrina that the way that I grew up in a musical neighborhood will no longer exist,” Andrews said. “As we know it, it’s not gonna be there for a while. And so I wanted to be able to reach kids citywide that don’t have that experience that I had growing up in Treme and give them the opportunity to learn from some of the best New Orleans musicians.”

In January, Andrews led a group of kids from New Orleans on a five-day cultural exchange trip to Cuba, bringing together young musicians with different backgrounds through the power of music.

“The foundation is just about inspiring the next generation and letting them know that … through music, it could be your passport to do whatever you want to do,” he said.