Heritage Fellow Michael Doucet Virtual Residency

Local Learning’s virtual residencies with National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellows take us into the communities and lives of master folk artists.
Supplies
None required.
Acknowledgements

The Local Learning National Heritage Fellows Curricula are supported in part with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. | All portraits courtesy Alan Govenar, director of Documentary Arts, unless otherwise noted.

When I wanted to find heroes, I went into my neighborhood. They may not wear Superman costumes, but they are real heroes.

–Michael Doucet

Found dancing and singing “You Ain’t Nothing But a Hound Dog” in the middle of the highway when he was a toddler, Michael Doucet did not become a famous rock star but a renowned Cajun fiddler. He has performed in every state and all around the globe, at the Super Bowl, three presidential inaugurations, and Carnegie Hall–and along the way picked up two Grammys. Founder of the Cajun music group BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet, he is an ambassador to the world for this distinctive American art form. He brings his experience and knowledge to this virtual residency to share Cajun history, culture, and music, demonstrating how traditions not only endure but also change.