Music business students help organize Shorty Fest

Tulane sophomore Aurelien Barnes and his classmates in Intro to Music Business are learning about the music industry by helping to stage the third annual Shorty Fest, a benefit concert for the Trombone Shorty Foundation that is scheduled April 30 at Generations Hall, 310 Andrew Higgins Dr. in downtown New Orleans. (Photo by Cheryl Gerber)

Tulane University sophomore Aurelien Barnes and his Intro to Music Business classmates are getting a real-world education by helping stage the third annual Shorty Fest.

Bill Taylor, who teaches Intro to Music Business with music engineer Chris Finney, says students “learn about what goes on in the music world behind the scenes.”

Shorty Fest, a benefit concert for the Trombone Shorty Foundation, will take place April 30 at Generations Hall and feature three stages of live music headlined by Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue.

Helping prepare for Shorty Fest, Tulane students have been responsible for such tasks as working with bands on contracts and riders, and advertising the event on social media.

“They"ve really made an impact as we"ve pulled it all together,” says Taylor, executive director of the Trombone Shorty Foundation. “Students are all given real-world jobs at the concert.”

A highlight of the night will be a performance by students in the Trombone Shorty Academy, a partnership between the New Orleans Center for the Gulf South at Tulane and the Trombone Shorty Foundation that provides a music education experience for gifted New Orleans high school students.

Trombone Shorty Academy students will perform with their instructors Edward Lee and Erion Williams from The Soul Rebels and Mainline Brass Band. Their 25-minute set will warm up the crowd before Troy Andrews, better known as Trombone Shorty, takes the stage, says Taylor.

Through the Fredman Music Business Institute at Tulane, Trombone Shorty Academy students also will assist in marketing and event organization for Shorty Fest.

Barnes is one of the Tulane students in Taylor"s class who does service learning by mentoring the up-and-coming musicians.

“We want to make sure we"re doing everything we can to preserve New Orleans music and culture,” Barnes says. The son of Sunpie Barnes, a well-known New Orleans musician, Barnes will play at Shorty Fest as trumpeter for the New Breed Brass Band.

Shorty Fest tickets are available at tromboneshortyfoundation.org.

Mary Sparacello is a communications specialist in the Office of Development Communications.

“Students are all given real-world jobs at the concert. They've really made an impact as we've pulled it all together.”—Bill Taylor, executive director, Trombone Shorty Foundation