NEW ORLEANS — (Jan. 14, 2014) — The Trombone Shorty Foundation in partnership with Tulane University announces the appointment of New Orleans native and two-time Grammy Award winning producer and sound engineer Chris Finney as lead instructor of the Fredman Music Business Institute at the Trombone Shorty Academy. The Fredman Music Business Institute holds auditions this week for its inaugural class at Tulane University’s Dixon Hall.
A two-time Grammy winner, Finney has collaborated with big name artists such as Marcia Ball, Harry Connick Jr., Sonny Landreth, Zigaboo Modeliste and Randy Newman. He won his first Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album for his participation on Dr. John’s “City That Care Forgot” in 2008 and engineered Marcus Miller’s Renaissance, which reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Jazz Albums chart earlier this year.
“Chris has done it all and worked with everyone here in the city,” says Trombone Shorty Foundation Executive Director Bill Taylor. “And on top of being very skilled at what he does, he’s also a first class teacher who knows how to impart information to younger students. We are thrilled to have him.”
Auditions are open to any local high school student interested in learning about the business side of the music industry.
Made possible by a generous donation from Andrew and Kerin Fredman, the institute is the next offering from the Trombone Shorty Foundation, which launched the Trombone Shorty Academy at Tulane University last year. While the academy teaches music performance skills under the guidance of New Orleans music legend Donald Harrison Jr., the institute focuses on the often-overlooked development of business acumen.
“When I was growing up, I had some of the best musicians in the world looking after me,” says foundation founder Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews. “But many times I had to learn about the business side of making music the hard way, which was often by trial and error. This program will hopefully allow the next generation to be better prepared and ready for any opportunity that comes their way.”
Classes will meet once a week after school throughout the spring semester and will teach students about live and studio recording, event promotion and production, as well as legal, touring, and marketing skills that will offer a well-rounded education on all aspects of the music business. Guest instructors will be scheduled to support specific lessons, including Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews.
Every student selected to participate will receive an iPad loaded with the most relevant, up-to-date software, and at the end of the semester students will play a hands-on role in producing the foundation’s annual fundraiser Shorty Fest, held Thurs., May 1 during the second weekend of the Jazz & Heritage Festival. The concert will feature a headlining performance by Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, students from the Trombone Shorty Academy and other special musical guests to be announced.
No specific skills or training are required for admission into the music business institute. “What we are looking for is a positive attitude and an earnest desire to learn,” Taylor says.
Information is available at Tromboneshortyfoundation.org or by e-mailing info@tromboneshortyfoundation.org.
www.tromboneshortyfoundation.org
