We are grateful that the fall often allows us time for reflection; both personal and professional. And while we still have performances in October, we’ve also had time to reflect on the busy year of touring and performances. As have the past 30, 2013 has also been an eventful year. November will bring even more welcome time at home for Terrance & the Zydeco Experience to spend with family, friends and on more special projects. One of those special projects for Terrance is a rare and wonderful opportunity to participate in a residency presented November 4-8, 2013 by our friends in Davenport @ Mississippi Valley Blues Society. Terrance’s daughter Marcella Rene Simien, a working performer herself, as well as soon to be a graduating BFA student in Memphis, is also going to be on hand to lend her talents to the school and public performances. This is going to be an amazing week for sharing Louisiana music and culture with student audiences at multiple elementary schools, a college, a boys & girls club and even an “active senior center”. We dig this. A lot. Wait, there’s more! There will also be 3 opportunities for the public to attend a lec/dem (lecture/demonstration) about the history of zydeco and how it intersects with blues music & blues music history. At several of these special events Terrance and Marcella will be seen performing along with some special guests from Iowa, including the River Music Experience, Davenport and The Muddy Waters in Bettendorf. Terrance will also be able to reach a public and student audience at Hawks Nest, Black Hawk College in Moline. These should be very memorable live music experiences. We are really looking forward to spending time with our friends from the MVBS and of course reaching more students with the important message that blues and roots (Louisiana zydeco!) are critical parts of American music history and how they have influenced popular music. People all over the world who know music and music history know this, and it’s our responsibility to stay on message whenever we can. We salute MVBS for doing just that!
