![]() ![]() After his parents dropped him off, his roommate continually told him that he would never be able to return home – he would be at the school forever. ![]() A particularly poignant moment comes from Michael’s voiceover describing his first week at the residential school as a young child. The film is mostly chronological, taking viewers through Michael’s parents worries upon learning about his disabilities immediately after his birth, to his time spent attending the Kentucky School for the Blind, where he took many of his first musical lessons. It was the song that inspired him to pick up the instrument, and he relishes playing and reinventing it. Michael reveals that while many musicians steer themselves away from fan favorite Orange Blossom Special, he embraces it. He recalls hearing a fiddle for the first time and being absolutely, completely hooked, then spending nights with his head laid against a speaker trying to soak in as much as he could. His grandparents were bluegrass fans and had a huge collection of records and 8-tracks. Michael’s love for the music bloomed early. Throughout the feature-length film, director John Presley deftly weaves together recent live performances, interviews with family, friends, and fellow musicians, and video, audio, and photographs from Michael’s childhood, creating an intriguing portrait of a man whose entire life has centered around his love of bluegrass music. However, the fact remains that his blindness has influenced his growth as a musician and bandleader, and this is what is explored by the new documentary from Validate Films, Flamekeeper: The Michael Cleveland Story. He’s Michael Cleveland the 11-time Fiddle Player of the Year, the leader of Flamekeeper, the multi-instrumentalist – not Michael Cleveland, the blind musician. However, any disabilities he may have are often quickly forgotten in the face of his sheer musical talent and the magnetism he displays on stage. Most everyone who is a fan of bluegrass music knows that Michael Cleveland is blind the fact is often briefly mentioned in bios and introductions, or tossed around in stories from one picker to another. ![]()
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