My parents pushed me toward trombone because they didn't need another trumpet player.
I'm very proud of 'Backatown,' and usually I don't like to listen to my records.
Actually, I started off playing by ear and being around a bunch of musicians playing in the streets in the different parades.
We're not really trying to do anything besides represent where we come from, and that's New Orleans.
I just don't like looking at the crowd and seeing them just staring and listening to the music. When I get them involved, whatever type of music I'm playing, they leave there feeling better.
When you start playing as young as me, and you've been in front of audiences your entire life, this is literally what I grew up doing.
As a musician, as a horn player, sometimes I even get bored listening to all instrumental music.
We come from New Orleans, so everything is emotional - for, once the music takes over, and we start blowing, we go into a different zone that takes over our whole body.
I listen to Nine Inch Nails, Green Day, U2, and it becomes part of me, comes out in my music. Wherever it goes, there will always be the fabric of New Orleans in it.
I was put on so many different musical stages growing up that I didn't think about what kind of music we played. I just thought music was music.
That always has been one of my dreams, to be able to appeal to a bunch of people.
My grandfather influenced my brother, and my brother was my biggest influence.
New Orleans is like a big musical gumbo. The sound I have is from being in the city my whole life.
'Supafunkrock' is a musical gumbo. We throw all those musical influences into the pot and put it out there.
I had a lot of older musicians looking out for me, teaching me, and showing me things when they saw how interested I was in music from a young age. They would take me to the side and just play some things in my ear, and I would try to play it back to them.
One thing I've learned in life is that natural talent only takes you so far, and I've always wanted to grow.
When I was a kid, my friends and I formed a band, Trombone Shorty's Brass Band. When I was six, I was a bandleader for my brother's band.
I just play music. That makes my whole day. I can practice and be happy.
I just wanted to keep growing and touring with my band.
There's pride on Bourbon Street for the musicians that work there. They take it very seriously. I've never worked there or played in band there, but it's a part of the city. They play for the tourists and represent a whole different side of the culture of our city.
