HOUSTON — You might not know his name, but you've probably heard his music.
Terence Blanchard has scored several films over the years, including "The Woman King," "One Night in Miami" and "Malcolm X."
Not too bad for a kid from New Orleans who started playing trumpet when he was 9.
His first love, however, was football.
"I wanted to play football. I wanted to be an athlete but my dad saw a documentary on concussions and he stopped me from playing. Then, I was playing at the Bayou Classic and saw Grambling's football team get off the bus and those dudes were so big ... I immediately pulled out my horn and started practicing, so that was it for me," Blanchard said.
Plan B turned out to be better than Plan A.
This week, the seven-time Grammy winner will perform the music of an opera he composed.
"Fire Shut Up in My Bones" is a coming-of-age story based on a memoir by New York Times columnist Charles Blow who grew up in a troubled and abusive home.
"I remember the night we premiered it in St. Louis, and he (Blow) came over to me and I asked is everything OK? He said, 'Oh, yeah, this is great, it made me realize I am not that person anymore.' It made me proud that we did the story," Blanchard said.
In recent years, Blanchard has leaned into his music with a message due to headlines dominated by racial tension and political discord.
"We just want to shine a light on some of these issues and help change hearts and minds to see if we can make our community better," Blanchard said.
He said he feels blessed to have been able to work with so many talented people.
"You know, it's like being on the court with Michael Jordan and you are on a fast break and you are the last dude before the ball goes in the basket. You can't screw that shot up," he said.