Terrance Simien :: Music Matters

Buy Local Music. With fewer opportunities for consumers to purchase CD's from local indie artists, we have introduced a MusicMarket showcase/buying market. We are currently raising money for listening stations and CD sales racks to place throughout the community to help promote the unique indigenous Zydeco and Cajun music of this region. The money raised will go into a special account to fund more educational activities, showcase, employment and marketing opportunities for our local artists.

We have a wealth of talent that only becomes more intense with each generation of musicians that continue their musical traditions this region is internationally known for. These artists are born into a unique culture with an amazing gift, but often have no support to market their talents/art. MusicMatters is committed to assisting them. Our friend and NO Jazzfest producer Quint Davis once made this analogy "we have the raw materials, but no manufacturing facilities”. New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival presents established, mid level and emerging Cajun and Zydeco artists on a dedicated stage every single year for the past 30 years increasing their visibility/economic opportunities to an international audience. They are a huge part of the economic development of the cultural economy in this state. They are some of the states greatest supporters of LOCAL MUSIC!!!

MusicMatters wishes to thank our friend and attorney Gary McGoffin, of McGoffin Durio Law Firm, Lafayette, LA for his generosity in helping us create our 501c3 non profit corporation. We gained our tax exemption status under the umbrella of The National Folk Alliance, Memphis, TN.

MusicMatters is quickly becoming an effective music business incubator for the music industry in and around Lafayette, LA. For information contact Cynthia Simien at MusicMattersNOW@aol.com

"The Music in Me" The HBO documentary film featuring our own Guyland Leday will be out in the Fall of 2006 as a two part documentary. Terrance can also be seen on this really unique documentary film. We want to thank all of the fantastic women from HBO who worked on this project. It was such a memorable experience for all of us involved. Any media/booking inquiries please contact Cynthia Simien at MusicGroup965@aol.com

Our love for the Crescent City runs long and deep much like the mighty Mississippi River that connects some of the most important music traditions in this country. From the World's Fair in 1984 to our upcoming anniversary of 20 consecutive years of memorable performances at New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival! Some of our most important performances have been in the Crescent City. Over the past 20 years we have been privileged to share the stage at Jazzfest with many of our friends and other talented artists whose work we so admire, like Phish, the meters, Carlos Santana, Cowboy Mouth, Marcia Ball, Better than Ezra, Allen Toussaint, and Ozomatli to name just a few. We applaud the entire NOJHF staff and our friend and producer, Quint Davis of this famed festival for your strength and fortitude during these extraordinary times in this state. We are so thrilled to have the opportunity to be involved yet another year with this legendary event.New Orleans embraced us and our music decades ago. They placed value on us like we were their own. This is a city that celebrates all the musical diversity that has become synonymous with the cultural identity of Louisiana. Jazzfest was the catalyst in many ways for our Zydeco music artists to be seen by so many right here in their own state. We usually have to travel hundreds and thousands of miles to perform for such large and appreciative audiences. When Katrina hit New Orleans Terrance and the band were in Sao Paulo Brazil with many of Louisiana's/New Orleans favorite sons, like Ivan and Ian Neville, Tony Hall, Raymond Weber, Davell Crawford, John Boutte and Charles Elam at a venue called Bourbon Street Music Club and Festival. They performed at a street festival for 25,000 in this city of 27 million, the 3rd largest city in the world.

The Recording Academy and MusiCares. As active members of The Recording Academy, (the Grammy folks) we went right to work on hurricane relief partnering displaced musicians with MusiCares, who to date has assisted several thousand music makers with over 3.5 million dollars. Since 1989 MusiCares has been a safety net for music people in need during times of hardship. MusiCares was one of the "first responders" to the music community along the Gulf Coast. Please visit grammy.com for more info on MusiCares and MusicRising Instrument replacement effort.

If you are looking for the most transparent and reputable music industry charity please consider making a donation if you are so compelled to do so as we know first hand how many artists have received direct and significant assistance from these caring and compassionate folks. We feel privileged to have been postured to assist our many friends and fellow musicians who needed our strength during these times. Marva Wright, Charles Elam, Russ Broussard and Susan Cowsill, Marc Hewitt, Sound Services Studios in east New Orleans to name a few. We admire all of the people of New Orleans who have endured so much. We also want to take this opportunity to thank The Bamboo Room in Lake Worth, FL, for raising over $21,000 for MusiCares, The Chickenbox in Nantucket in Nantucket, The Orange Peel in Asheville, NC, Chuck Wentworth, Rounder Records, The Levitt Foundation in Pasadena, CA, Gimme Five, Michigan all donated directly to musicians and musicians organizations. Healthcare for Musicians, Lafayette, LA and NOMC, New Orleans also did their part and more in the relief effort.??We have been back to New Orleans many times since Katrina and are so moved by the determination of those who are deeply committed to living in their city to see her through the rebirth!

MusicMatters
132 Vivian Drive, Lafayette, LA 70508
337.837.9997
management965@aol.com
tsimieninc@aol.com

For free individual consultations and intensive professional training sessions contact us for fees that are negotiable based on income. Any revenue generated supports the Grammy category initiative, administrative expenses and a special fund for music artists in need.