A multicultural arts-in-education “informance” (informational performance) that has reached over 250,000 K-12 students, parents and educators at schools, art centers and festivals around the globe in places far away from Louisiana. This unique program has informed and engaged young and family audiences in Australia, Mali, Paraguay and all over Canada!

The Creole for Kidz & The History of Zydeco program is of course centered on the indigenous zydeco music of the French speaking Creoles of south Louisiana and is accompanied by a 6 page study guide used to help prepare the students in advance for the performance. This handy informational tool is available as a PDF download.

The Creole For Kidz & The History of Zydeco CD from which the live performance was adapted, is narrated by our respected friend, former state Senator and current Opelousas mayor, Donald Cravins. The narration tracks offer a rare glimpse into this unique and complex rural culture that has been under represented and misunderstood for years. A champion for his Creole culture and zydeco music, Don along with his brother Charles, hosts one of the oldest zydeco radio shows on the air in Lafayette. He also produces the annual Memorial Day Zydeco Extravaganza festival in Opelousas.

“This project addresses a long standing need in Louisiana’s educational system which has regrettably ignored the critically important historical, cultural and linguistic contributions of the state’s large Creole community”
Dr. Carl Brasseaux, Louisiana History ULL, Lafayette

“I've been teaching for 19 years, and I have searched high and low for information on Creoles of this region. My Creole students hunger for this information and I have tried in vain to find a substantial enough amount of material to even teach a lesson. I congratulate you on your efforts and want to thank you for helping us to teach our students about their culture.”
Liz Simoneaux Dorsey, Lafayette Middle

“You performed today for Spirit Lake, IA elementary students and you rocked their world!  Thanks for bringing great culture to our small town of sameness. We all loved the performance and I had a blast on stage" 
Angela, Spirit Lake Elementary

“THANK YOU so much for working with us on getting Terrance and the band in our community for close to a week.  It has been the most heartwarming and empowering experience  I have seen in my 9 years at Carnegie Hall. Terrance is the only one who has been able to get the students and teachers so involved in a show that they gave him and encore and the school ALLOWED it!  The community is buzzing about the shows...they touched the hearts of over 2400 school children in our county.  EVERY middle school student was able to have a zydeco experience. "
 Lynn Creamer, Artist Director, West Virginia

“This production was a huge success. The school and the Mayors Office continue to get calls almost daily from parents and teachers in thanks for the presentation they attended. During each performance the connection between Simien, his band and the teacher/student audience was almost palpable. While having the time of their lives, students and teachers were learning new things in an interactive environment while affirming each other’s diversity. It was beautiful to observe such a positive experience!”
Sabrina Beach, Development Director, Epiphany Day School

“Professional in every manner, Terrance and Cynthia worked closely with the Center’s Education Institute beforehand to ensure a high quality performance. Terrance and his band were engaging, witty and exuberant during their audience interactive performance. The students delighted in the experience of catching the Mardi Gras beads Terrance threw during the performance that they proudly carried from the theatre as a memento of this exciting experience. “
Morenga Hunt, Director of the Blumenthal Performing Art Center Education Institute, Charlotte, NC

“I learned that Zydeco was the music of the Creoles”
Curtis Brooks, age 10 New Iberia, LA

“Every school, library, tourist center and museum should have this disc. It simply and effectively tells the unique history of the bayou natives just as important as the Cajuns are in making Louisiana like no other place in the world.”
Herman Fuselier, The Daily Advertiser Lafayette, LA

“Terrance Simien is a model of success. He has taken his role very seriously and the materials developed for the students are both professional and informative. We need more programs like this that provide information and instill pride of heritage in the young Creoles of this community. “
Louise Chargois, Instructional Supervisor, Social Studies Lafayette Parish School System