TERRANCE SIMIEN & THE ZYDECO EXPERIENCE RETURNS TO BETHEL WOODS EVENT GALLERY ON APRIL 23
Multi-faceted collaboration with Grammy Award winner and Bethel Woods
will also bring performers into local schools as part of week-long residency
BETHEL, NY (February 19, 2016) – Two-time Grammy award winner Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience returns to Bethel Woods Center for the Arts’ intimate,
indoor Event Gallery this spring. Tickets for the April 23 concert go
on-sale on Saturday, February 27 at 10:00 a.m. at www.BethelWoodsCenter.org, Ticketmaster or by phone at 1.800.745.3000 for $50.00 for general admission, standing room only.
Additionally, as part of Bethel Woods commitment to making the arts accessible, while inspiring and educating youth in the community, the organization’s E3: Engage. Experience. Explore program was developed to bring arts experiences into local schools.
The first program in 2016 will feature Simien, an 8th
generation Louisiana Creole, and his band. They will participate in a
multi-faceted week-long residency that will include performances and
workshops in local high schools and a free school-day performance for
students at Bethel Woods.
The E3 program provides opportunities for hundreds of local high school
students to engage directly with world-class performers in their
classroom, through performances and workshops focused on social
consciousness and cultural diversity. Two school partners from the
region will be selected to host two-day residencies the
week of April 18. These programs will include assembly performances and
up to three in-classroom workshops that align with Common Core
standards, yet still allow students to flexibly engage in music,
history, and story-telling through inquiry-based explorations. Working
around the schools’ schedules, the assembly will encourage students to
ask questions, interact and experience Creole culture and music via
stories of the Deep South and its impact on American History and
culture, with an even more depth opportunity to explore Zydeco heritage
in workshops for select classes.
Schools and educational communities not able to participate in a residency, may still participate in the free school-day performance at
Bethel Woods on Thursday, April 23 at 11:00 a.m. in the Event Gallery
at Bethel Woods. Admission is free, but registration is required.
Students, teachers and school liaisons looking to bring the E:3 Terrance
Simien & the Zydeco Experience to their school, or participate in
the school-day performance at Bethel Woods can apply and register at http://www.bethelwoodscenter.org/events/detail/e3-engage-experience-explore-3 or contact education@bethelwoodscenter.org.
Additionally, as part of the center’s WoodsTalk: Live series, a Creole cooking demonstration
with Simien will be offered for adults on Thursday, April 21 from
5:30-8:30 p.m. in the Conservatory at Bethel Woods. Tickets are $25.00,
and space is limited to just 25 participants. Visit www.BethelWoodsCenter.org to reserve a spot.
“We want to make the arts fun and approachable while assisting schools
with limited resources and time in exposing their students to the
numerous benefits associated with arts-based learning,” explained
Kathleen A. Christie, Senior Director of Arts, Humanities and Education
Programming at Bethel Woods. “In our latest partnership with Terrance
Simien, we aim to motivate students and community members to understand
how American history and innovation is founded on a mixing of cultures
throughout time. We hope participants will walk away with a sense of
social context, knowledge, and experience that may inspire them to
understand more about the world and feel empowered within it.”
For over 30 years, Terrence Simien has been shattering the myths about
what his indigenous Zydeco roots music is and is not, becoming one of
the most respected and accomplished artists in American roots music
today. He and his band mates have performed over 7,000 concerts, toured
millions of miles to over 45 countries during their eventful career.
Simien’s groundbreaking Creole for Kidz & The History of Zydeco for
student, youth and family audiences has reached nearly 500,000 since its
debut in 2000. This dynamic program is presented at performing art
centers, schools and festivals. Simien is helping build a more
culturally literate young performing arts patron who is more
knowledgeable about zydeco roots music because of his program. He has
received countless awards, grants and recognition for his work and
artistic contributions as a respected Cultural Ambassador for his state
and country.
Simien is blessed with an extraordinary talent that expresses the
deepest human emotions through the original instrument: The Voice. He
takes his audiences on a multicultural tour of the world as the many
countries he’s visited while on tour have informed his musical language.
He creates a hypnotic blend of New Orleans
funk-reggae-flavored-world-blues-American zydeco roots music that
beckons you to your feet and into the groove. He has found a seamless
and artful way to deliver his eclectic music as a relevant, evolving
artist who is clearly rooted in Creole tradition. Well known for his
legendary live performances, Simien also helped change the vocabulary
for his genre by introducing complex vocal harmonies, diverse repertoire
and carefully crafted high quality recordings.
Simien and his loyal and skilled band mates, together have shared studio
& stage with Robert Palmer, Stevie Wonder, Los Lobos, Taj Mahal,
Dr. John, the Meters, Alan Toussaint, Paul Simon and Dave Matthews
Band to name a few. Their music has been featured in TV commercials and a
dozen or more films, including the blockbuster “The Big Easy” which
changed the game for Louisiana music in the late 80’s. His music has
been heard on NPR syndicated radio shows like World Café, American
Routes, E-town & House of Blues Radio Hour. Rolling Stone,
Billboard, and other notable music industry publications, as well as
major daily newspapers have praised his recordings. His extensive
discography dates back to vinyl 45’s.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment