Nashville, Tennessee-based singer-songwriters Pete Mroz (who performed on NBC’s The Voice) and Maya DeVitry (formerly a founding member of the roots trio The Stray Birds) will deliver keynotes and perform during the conference, while some 130 other pre-selected musical acts and artists of various genres will showcase their talents at 15 local bars, restaurants and hotels on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Now in its 13th year, Singer-Songwriter Cape May launched in 2008, continued through 2019, and resumed in last year following a five-year hiatus. The conference also features two days of hour-long music business panel discussions and workshops, as well as mentoring sessions, at Congress Hall & Harrison Conference Center. There will be plenty of opportunities for networking with other singer-songwriters, musicians and music industry professionals.

While AcousticMusicScene.com is my labor of love, I am also a seasoned public relations and strategic communications professional and will moderate a panel discussion entitled “Story to Strategy: Marketing & Branding for Independent Acts & Artists” during a Friday afternoon conference session similar to one that I participated in last year.

The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) has many implications for the music industry and is rapidly changing how music is written, recorded and shared. Aspects of AI will be explored in three workshops. Professor Emeritus Jeff Snyder, who spent 25 years in higher education and chaired a music department, will lead ones on “AI … What Have You Done?” and “AI for Musicians: From Creation to Promotion,” while Dr. Michael Harrington, a frequent speaker at SS Cape May and other music conferences, will explain how to leverage AI as a creative tool while safeguarding your intellectual property in “Harnessing AI for Music Creation: A Legal Perspective.” Harrington, who created a popular Berklee College of Music course on copyright law in the music business, has served as an expert witness and co-authored amicus briefs on behalf of big-name artists and as a consultant in hundreds of music copyright and intellectual property matters.

Bill Pere, a Grammy Award-winning songwriter and author of Songcrafters’ Coloring Book, returns to the conference to again present a workshop on “Building A Successful Career as a Songwriter” and share “The 8 Keys to Success in the Music Business” in another one. His wife, Kay Pere, a nationally known vocal and creativity coach, again leads a workshop entitled “Regenerative Creativity: Making a Musical Life that Matters. The Peres have been sharing their decades of experience and knowledge on the craft and business of songwriting at SS Cape May every year since its inception and are glad to be returning. “Among the dozens of music conferences we have presented at over the last 30 years, SS Cape May is clearly one of the best for both new and experienced singer-songwriters to learn, network, and enhance their career goals,” they told AcousticMusicScene.com last year. “We always look forward to this weekend filled with the creative energy and aspirations of current and upcoming singer-songwriters.”

Lou Plaia (Hot Rats Entertainment), co-founder of ReverbNation – the world’s largest DIY artists services platform, moderates a panel discussion on “Maximizing Your Potential as a Musician,” Fellow music industry veteran Les Scott (Source Q Boutique), who specializes in music placement in film & television and has represented hundreds of writers and artists, speaks on “Marketing Your Music for Film & Television,” as well as “Breaking Down the Doors” of gatekeepers/decision makers. Other workshops and panel discussions will delve into “From Songs to Stages: Building a Sustainable Career as a Singer-Songwriter,”  “Recording and Releasing New Music in 2026,” “The Independent Advantage: Shaping the Future of the Music Industry,” “Redefining the Modern Musician: The Shift from ‘Artist Only’ to Creative Entrepreneur,” and “Maximizing Your Potential As a Musician.”

The conference registration desk opens at 10 a.m. on March 27, while panel discussions and workshops take place between 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Showcasing artists and panelists will receive credentials for the conference, while a limited number of others may still register to attend the daytime events for $135. Evening showcase performances  — apart from those at Congress Hall featuring keynoters Laura Stevenson and Adam Weiner, which are ticketed — are free and open to the public. The venues hosting them are all within walking distance of Congress Hall.

For more information, to register for the conference, and to view the evening showcase schedules, visit www.sscapemay.com.

Booking gigs may be the primary objective of some performing artists who attend the FARM Gathering, and many presenters and folk DJs do scout out new artists and those whom they have not previously heard and seen in perform live. However, the conference experience is much more than that; it’s really about forging connections, building community, and attending workshops and panel discussions to learn about options to further their careers, promote the music, and attract audiences and listeners

This year’s conference also includes a Presenter Summit for the first time. It will feature a full track of programming designed specifically for venues, festivals and other concert presenters to learn from experts in accounting, audience development, community engagement, marketing, and production.

Taking center stage during this year’s FARM Gathering will be 14 artists/acts selected by a panel of judges to each perform a short set of just shy of 20 minutes, with full sound Showcasing their talents on Friday night will be Mac and Cheese, Dennis Warner, Weary Ramblers, Andy Baker, Stone & Snow, Amy Speace, and Paula Boggs Band. Saturday’s official showcase lineup features Warren & Flick, The Twangtown Paramours, Sam Robbins, Maggie’s Wake, Dave Moore, Bruce Henry & Dean Magraw, and Abigail Stauffer and the Wisdom. Unplugged private showcases follow from 10:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. each evening.

On the docket for Thursday night is a barn dance, followed by a folk DJ showcase featuring performances by Friction Farm, Gia Dagenhart, Chris Walz, Matt Watroba, The Springtails, Helene Cronin, Senior Infants, Bobbie Lancaster, Rees Shad, Mark Jewett, The Thorntons, and Dandelion Delivery Service. Following that showcase, attendees also will shuffle between a number of rooms to enjoy private showcases.

“In addition to the great performances and showcases we have lined up, I am very excited to welcome some special guests to this year’s conference who will speak to the issues affecting our country and our local music communities right now, including our keynote speaker Nicky Mehta.” said Ellen Stanley, the conference director. “Although best known for being a member of the Canadian folk band The Wailin’ Jennys, she is also an activist and will talk about how artists can stay true to their artistic vision and the causes they believe in.” She also mentioned Spencer LaJoye, a winner of the prestigious Kerrville New Folk Competition, who will give a spotlight talk ahead of the keynote about telling their truth as a queer artist

Daytime programming includes a wide array of workshops and panel discussions and peer group conversations addressing timely topics. “”We’re going to talk about the issues that we’re all worried about, and we hope to provide a welcoming space for everyone to share their stories and learn from others as we do our best to navigate these challenging times, Stanley told AcousticMusicScene.com.

Song swapping and jamming, speed mentoring sessions, open mics, and FARM’s popular Performance Lane series of 10-minute mini-showcases that take place simultaneously in several rooms are also part of the daytime mix. Special events on Friday include a 30-minute Chicago Celtic Spotlight featuring Reverie Road and a folk DJ meet & greet. Marilyn Rea Beyer, who hosts the nationally syndicated weekly radio program “The Midnight Special” from the studios of Chicago’s WFMT, will host a Wisdom Across the Ages panel discussion featuring artists and activists from different generations: Amy Speace, Paula Boggs, Katie Dahl, and Sam Robbins. Also on the docket for Saturday afternoon is a Celtic jam, as well as the spotlight and keynote talks. FARM’s 2025 Lantern Bearer Awards will be presented following dinner that evening to two individuals who have made significant contributions to the folk community locally and/or regionally. This year’s recipients are Charlie Mosbrook (a musician, former FARM board president, and current vice president of Folk Alliance International) and Lilli Kuzma, a veteran folk DJ at WDCB Public Radio in Glen Ellyn, Illinois).

AcousticMusicScene.com Hosts Two Nights of Private Showcases

Although AcousticMusicScene.com has hosted primarily song swap-style private showcases at Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA), Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA), and Southwest Regional Folk Alliance (SWRFA) conferences, and its editor & publisher has also participated in Folk Alliance Region-West (FAR-West) conference, this year marks the first time that two nights of private showcases will be held under its banner at a FARM Gathering. The AcousticMusicScene.com Showcase lineup follows.

Thursday Overnight in Muddy Waters (Conference 3) Room

10:30  Ben Bedford & Vanessa Lively, Jim Patton & Sherry Brokus

11:00  Erin Eades, Rob Lytle

11:30  The Shandies, another artist TBA ?

12:00  Julie Grower, Lucy Isabel

12:30  Tony DiCorpo, Doug Harsch

1:00    Josh Harty, Josh Rose

1:30    Patty & Craig, The Raven & The Remedy

2:00    Beth Bombara

Friday Overnight in Childress/Saxton (Oak/Green) Room

10:30  Two from Texas: Lynn Crossett, Tipps & Obermiller

11:00  A Trio of Duos: Ruth & Max Bloomquist, Dan & Faith, Tom & Barb Webber

12:00  Mixed Bag: Sue Horowitz, Miles & Mafale, Mike Ward

1:00    Chris Farrell, Jim Gary

1:30    Gina Forsyth, Karen Mal & David Stoddard

2:00    Rick Vines, Joshua Vorvick

FARM is one of five North American regional affiliates of Folk Alliance International (folk.org), a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion. Although folks from throughout North America attend its annual Gathering, FARM (farmfolk.org) serves Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Manitoba, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Nunavut, Ohio, Saskatchewan, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. The 2026 FARM Gathering is set for October 22-25 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. FAR-West and SWRFA held their annual conferences earlier this fall, while NERFA’s is slated for Nov. 6-9 in Albany, New York.

Editor’s Note: In addition to curating and hosting two nights of private showcases, I look forward to sharing information and insights gleaned from my many years as public relations and strategic communications professional, as well as a concert and former festival presenter with conference attendees. I will join Elexa Dawson and Joy Zimmerman as part of a Promoting Your Event panel discussion and will offer a series of one-on-one speed mentoring sessions. A past president of NERFA and former board member of Folk Alliance International, I am excited to be attending my first in-person FARM Gathering.

Singer-Songwriter Toby Tobias — who co- hosts the NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) in Huntington, NY three Wednesdays each month — will host an open mic, while his co-host Richard Parr handles sound. Terry Seidl, also a Long Island-based artist, leads a song circle.

Among the short breakout sessions during the Acoustic Music Community Gathering will be Getting the Word Out: A Primer (presented by Michael Kornfeld), a Partial Capo Workshop for Guitarists (led by Hank Stone), a Performance Skills Workshop (presented by Carolann Solebello), and a Sea Chantey Sing (led by Stuart Markus).

Although refreshments will be provided as part of the price of admission ($15 in advance via PayPal; $20 at the door — cash and checks only), meals are intentionally not included so as to keep costs low. Folks are welcome to bring their own lunch if so desired, while many attendees are apt to go out for dinner afterwards.

To save money and provide organizers with an idea of how many people to prepare for, please consider purchasing your ticket in advance online via PayPal by taking a photo/scan of the QR code in the graphic image that accompanies this article. You can also purchase tickets via the link below:

https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/8B3PQTPRV4UDA

Getting There: The Ethical Humanist Society of Long Island is easily accessible by car and train. There’s a free, paved parking lot on-site, while the Long Island Rail Road’s Mineola station is about half a mile away.

Here is the afternoon’s schedule (subject to change):

1 p.m.- Welcoming remarks (MK), Introductions of key participants (that’s you), meet & greets

1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.- Open Mic hosted by Toby Tobias

2:00 p.m.- Sea Chantey Sing (Stuart Markus)

2:45 p.m.- Partial Capo Workshop (Hank Stone)

3:45 p.m – 5:45 p.m. – Song Circle hosted by Terry Seidl

3:30 p.m.- Personalized Performance Skills Workshop (Carolann Solebello)

4:15 p.m – Getting the Word Out: A Primer (Michael Kornfeld)

5:00 p.m.- Possible repeat of one of the above

5:45 p.m. -Closing Remarks + Participatory Song

About the Co-Presenters:

AcousticMusicScene.com is an online publication that has been providing news and information for the folk, roots and singer-songwriter communities since January 2007. Michael Kornfeld, a PR and communications strategist who founded AcousticMusicScene.com as a labor of love, also has hosted artist showcases and song swaps at music conferences and festivals under its banner.

Folk Music Society of Huntington (FMSH.org) is a volunteer-led nonprofit organization that was founded in the late 1960s. It co-presents the monthly Hard Luck Cafe concert series and the thrice-monthly North Shore Original Open Mic (NOOM) with the Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington, NY on Wednesday nights in its Sky Room, as well as a folk jam & sing-along one Sunday a month at the South Huntington Public Library.

The Our Times Coffeehouse (ourtimescoffeehouse.org) was established by the Ethical Humanist Society of Long Island in March 1990 as a venue for live folk music. Following a three- year hiatus, the volunteer-run monthly concert series resumed in May and continues on the first Friday of each month featuring local, regional and nationally touring artists preceded by an open mic.

The show can be viewed online at Harbortown Music’s Facebook page or YouTube channel. It may also be shared via the AcousticMusicScene.com group on Facebook. Although there is no set fee to view the livestream, tips for the artists would be most appreciated (suggested donation: $20) and may be made via paypalme.com/harbortownmusic.

About the Artists:

One of the most acclaimed voices in contemporary folk music, Amy Speace was discovered in 2006 by Judy Collins and signed to her record label. The Americana Music Association UK named the title track of her album Me and the Ghost of Charlemagne was named International Song of the Year in 2020. Speace’s latest release, 2021’s There Used To Be Horses Here. chronicles the year between the birth of her son and the death of her father. A new album, Tucson, is set for release this year. Collins, Red Molly, and Blues Hall of Famer Sid Selvidge among others, have also recorded her songs. Speace founded the East Nashville Song Salon in 2010 and teaches songwriting and performance at conferences, institutions, and privately. For more information, visit amyspeace.com.

Accompanying herself on piano, Kate Klim, whose songs mix her folk and pop sensibilities, was a winner of the prestigious Kerrville New Folk Competition in 2010, has been part of the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Emerging Artist Showcase, and has been a finalist in the Mountain Stage Newsong Contest, the Mid-Atlantic Song Contest and the Telluride Troubadour Competition, among others. After a hiatus of a few years surrounding the birth of her two sons, she returned to the studio in early spring 2020 to begin recording her fourth album. Released earlier this month, Something Green is an album about hope, love, change, and new growth. For more information and to listen to some of her songs, visit kateklim.com.

Both artists also have YouTube channels. Here’s a link to view an official video of Amy Speace performing the title track of There Used To Be Horses There. And here’s a link to view the official lyric video for “Something Green,” the title track of Kate Klim’s new release.

About Your Hosts:

Michael Kornfeld, a veteran strategic communications and public relations professional – whose clients have included a number of independent recording artists and labels – launched AcousticMusicScene.com in 2007 to provide news, information and commentary for the folk, roots and singer-songwriter communities. The longtime president of the Folk Music Society of Huntington, a nonprofit presenting organization on Long Island, NY, Kornfeld also serves on the boards of Folk Alliance International and NERFA, curates the annual Huntington Folk Festival, emcees concerts, and hosts showcases and mentors artists at various music conferences and festivals.

Kathy Sands-Boehmer is an enthusiastic and tireless presenter, promoter and supporter of independent musicians. For years, she booked and promoted artists, new and old, at a well-respected 225-seat venue north of Boston, Massachusetts; was an active leader of the Boston Area Coffeehouse Association (BACHA); and has also mentored and managed artists. She blogs about all kinds of great music for Everything Sundry and recently launched Harbortown Music as a resource for musicians and venues — building community, while promoting and presenting high-quality music. Sands-Boehmer works with Stephen Bach of The Digital Docs, who engineers all of Harbortown Music’s virtual shows and lends his technical expertise to the participating artists as well.

About the Artists:

Hailing from the countryside of rural Ontario, Benjamin Dakota Rogers is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist channels his penchant for starry nights and nostalgia into a stylized, hard-driving and powerful Americana sound full of heartbreak and grit featuring guitar, banjo, upright bass, and fiddle. He has released three full-length solo recordings, showcased his talents at the Philadelphia Folk Festival, among others, and has been a four-time international songwriting competition winner and a two-time Canadian Folk Music Awards nominee.

Here’s a link to view a few of Benjamin’s videos: benjamindakotarogers.com/videos.

Angela Saini is a Canadian prairie-raised, Toronto- based folk-pop Americana artist with a positive and uplifting outlook on life. She is all about second chances and empowering others. A 2020 Independent Music Award Nominee and 2017 Toronto Independent Music Award winner, she uplifts and inspires audiences with sing-alongs and storytelling about courage and finding joy in surprising places. Angela has five Canadian tours under her belt, as well as several treks across Germany, The Netherlands and the UK. Best known for her sunshine-soaked song “Living on the Bright Side,” she has showcased her talents at the Philadelphia Folk Festival and at a number of Canadian music festivals. Her ability to combine humanistic and honest themes laden with catchy hooks and memorable melodies make her entertaining as well as relatable.

Here’s a link to view a few of Angela’s videos: angelasaini.com/videos.

The Young Novelists create contemporary folk songs that marry effortless harmonies with darkly poetic lyrics, exquisitely crafted hooks, and the unique sound of bowed glockenspiel. The award-winning Toronto-based husband-and-wife folk-roots duo of Graydon James and Laura Spink share a passion for confessional storytelling and sing songs about small towns, redemption, love and loss. The duo has toured across Canada, the U.S. and Europe and has released three studio albums and a live recording. In 2015, The Young Novelists were named New/Emerging Artist of the Year in the Canadian Folk Music Awards and took first place in the Grassy Hill-CT Folk Songwriting Competition during the 10th annual Connecticut Folk Festival, while James won the Ontario Arts Council’s Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award for “Couldn’t Be Any Worse.” The duo has also played coveted juried official showcases during the Folk Alliance International conference and those of its northeast and southeast regional affiliates (NERFA and SERFA).

To view a few videos, visit youngnovelists.com/videos.

About Your Hosts:

The livestream marks a renewed partnership of sorts for Michael Kornfeld and Kathy Sands-Boehmer, who served as president and vice president, respectively, of the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) for several years and also co-coordinated one-day conferences and a series of showcases. Kornfeld, a veteran strategic communications and public relations professional – whose clients have included a number of independent recording artists and labels – launched AcousticMusicScene.com in 2007 to provide news, information and commentary for the folk, roots and singer-songwriter communities. The longtime president of the Folk Music Society of Huntington, a nonprofit presenting organization on Long Island, NY, Kornfeld also serves on the board of Folk Alliance International, curates the annual Huntington Folk Festival, and hosts showcases at various music conferences and festivals. Sands-Boehmer, who served as the booking and publicity manager for Me & Thee Coffeehouse in Marblehead, MA for many years, was an active leader in the Boston Area Coffeehouse Association (BACHA), and has also served as an artist manager, recently launched Harbortown Music as a resource for musicians and venues — building community, while promoting and presenting high-quality music. She works with Stephen Bach of The Digital Docs, who engineers all of Harbortown Music’s virtual shows and lends his technical expertise to the participating artists as well.

Visibly moved and overwhelmed, after having himself just presented NERFA’s first Album of the Year Award to singer-songwriter Ellis Paul for The Storyteller’s Suitcase. Olesko accepted the award in front of some 700 conference attendees during a Friday night dinner and awards ceremony in the Stamford Crowne Plaza’s International Ballroom.

“It is because of NERFA and the spirit it creates that I am able to find the motivation and support to organize this channel,” asserts Olesko. “You are all my family and the art created by this community keeps me going. I will continue to work this labor of love until my last breath. Thank you all for the love you’ve shown me.”

Folk Music Notebook launched on May 3, 2019 – the 100th anniversary of the birth of folk music icon Pete Seeger. Olesko envisions it as a gathering spot for the folk community and all the fans of our music –- a place to ‘discover’ new artists ad songs as well as honor the established names who created this living tradition.

As previously reported on AcousticMusicScene.com [https://acousticmusicscene.com/2019/05/02/folk-music-notebook-a-247-music-channel-launches-online-and-is-available-via-free-apps/], Folk Music Notebook offers up a curated playlist focusing on the diverse contemporary folk music community, while also incorporating the folk revival artists who drew many people to this genre. Interspersed with the music are brief but informative DJ announcements, recorded stories behind the songs from the artists themselves, as well as commentary, news and other special features. The channel broadcast juried official showcases, as well as its own curated artist showcases, live from the conference.

Folk Music Notebook engages listeners by showing the connections between songs and styles – keeping them engrossed throughout the day without constant badgering from hosts, endless strings of commercials, or repetitive automated playlists.

“I was stunned to receive such a recognition and proud of what has been accomplished by all the wonderful program hosts and correspondents that make Folk Music Notebook possible,” Olesko posted on his Facebook page. “I almost lost it when I walked onstage to accept the award and saw people starting to give me a standing ovation … It was a moment I won’t forget, to be recognized by this wonderful family of folkies!”

Olesko noted that he shares the award “with all of our hosts, everyone who contributed to our Kickstarter campaign that enabled us to launch, the artists whose music we share, and [with] everyone who tunes in to our 24-hour service. I am very proud what we have created together!” He expressed thanks to the NERFA board of directors for recognizing Folk Music Notebook and what it has accomplished so far. “We have some exciting new shows and plans for the future, and I think you will enjoy what we are going to be adding at www.FolkMusicNotebook.com – your home for great folk songs old and new, 24 hours a day!”

An active participant in NERFA conferences for many years, Olesko served as a moderator and panelist during this year’s event, and was part of the judging panel that selected the official showcase artists. He joined Sonny Ochs (an upstate New York-based folk DJ who also has a show that airs on Folk Music Notebook) in moderating a Wisdom of the Elders session featuring fellow folk DJs Wanda Adams Fischer (host of Hudson River Sampler on WAMC in Albany, NY), John Platt (host of Sunday Supper on WFUV in the Bronx, NY), and Rich Warren (host of the nationally syndicated Midnight Special that emanates from WFMT in Chicago, IL). Olesko also joined Platt and folk DJs Jess Phaneuf (MVY Radio on Martha’s Vineyard, MA), Joe Pszonek (who hosts shows on WNTI in NJ and on Blues & Roots Radio), and Greg Torrington (Stingray Digital) in a panel discussion entitled Ride The Wave: Radio, Podcasts, Satellite, Terrestrial & New Media Platforms, as well as Pszonek, AcousticMusicScene.com’s Michael Kornfeld, and artists Mara Levine and Stuart Markus on a panel exploring Self-Promoting Your Project To The Folk DJ Chart – Is It For You?

Conference attendees included performing artists, presenters, promoters, agents and managers, folk DJs, and others actively engaged in contemporary and traditional folk music. They enjoyed and were inspired by jam-packed days and nights of music showcases, song swaps/in-the-rounds, open mics and informal jam sessions, a children’s concert, informative panel discussions and workshops, one-on-one mentoring and peer group sessions, communal meals, an exhibit hall, a community meeting with NERFA’s board of directors, a community sing, a welcoming party, a 25th anniversary celebration, and lots of opportunities for schmoozing and networking.

Courtney Rodland, NERFA’s conference director, presented the organization’s first Lifetime Achievement Award to Dianne Tankle, NERFA’s founder and its conference director from its inception until stepping down last fall.

NERFA (www.nerfa.org) is a regional affiliate of Folk Alliance International (www.folk.org), a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion. NERFA’s geographic boundaries extend from the eastern provinces of Canada south to the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.

Editor’s Note: Thanks to my NERFA board colleagues for their ongoing commitment and dedication to our organization and the community that we serve, and for re-electing me to another term as president during our reorganization meeting that took place just prior to the start of the conference. It was my pleasure to present NERFA’s first Creator of the Year Award to Ron Olesko, as well as to participate on two panels and host late-night showcases under the banner of AcousticMusicScene.com during the conference.

Prior to the evening concert, Michael Kornfeld, president of the Folk Music Society of Huntington and editor & publisher of AcousticMusicScene.com, will host a series of song swaps from 12-6 p.m. These will take place near a canopy tent on the upper lawn area overlooking the stage and will feature more than 30 artists/acts from half-a-dozen states and a Canadian province. Unlike the unplugged showcases of previous years, these will be amplified. The day’s musical festivities begin with an open mic-song circle at 11 a.m.

Among the artists who will showcase their talents during the afternoon are Lisa Bastoni, Belle of the Fall, Melanie Brulée, Christian Diana, Roger Street Friedman, Genevieve, Sharon Goldman, Loretta Hagen, Marion Halliday, Joe Iadanza, Susan Kane, Judy Kass, Terry Kitchen, Scott Krokoff, Mara Levine, The Levins, Lipkin & Hitt, Annie Mark, Catherine Miles & Jay Mafale, Kate Mills, Lois Morton, Grace Morrison, Claudia Nygaard, Siobhan O’Brien, Anne O’Rourke, Nico Padden, D.B. Rielly, Eugene Ruffolo, Hank Stone, Jonathan Tea, and Toby Tobias.

Here’s the complete schedule for the Huntington Folk Festival:

11:00 Open Mic – Song Circle

12:00 LI Guys of Note: Roger Street Friedman, Scott Krokoff, Toby Tobias

12:30 Emerging Talents: Genevieve, Marion Halliday, Kate Mills, Anne O’Rourke

1:30 A Musical Mix: Christian Diana, Annie Mark, Lois Morton

2:00 NJ Songsters: Sharon Goldman, Loretta Hagen, Jonathan Tea

2:30 Musical Potpourri: Terry Kitchen, Mara Levine, Eugene Ruffolo

3:00 Kerrville New Folk Winners 2019: Lisa Bastoni, D.B. Rielly

3:30 Tribes Hill – Hudson Valley Songsters: Susan Kane, Judy Kass, Lipkin & Hitt

4:00 A Trio of Duos: Belle of the Fall, The Levins, Catherine Miles & Jay Mafale

4:30 Women of Note: Melanie Brulée, Grace Morrison, Claudia Nygaard, Siobhan O’Brien

5:30 FMSH Members Song Swap: Joe Iadanza, Nico Padden, Hank Stone

6:00 Dinner Break

8:00 Lucy Wainwright Roche

8:30 Loudon Wainwright III

Festivalgoers are advised to bring lawn chairs and blankets and a picnic supper (or they can walk into Huntington Village and enjoy a meal at one of its many restaurants).

The Huntington Folk Festival is part of an extended folk and Americana weekend at Heckscher Park. Long Island talent will be spotlighted on Thursday night, July 25, with a shared bill featuring folk-harmony trio Gathering Time and singer-songwriter Christine Sweeney. On Friday night, July 26, the Crys Mathews Trio will grace the stage. Although both concerts are set for 8 p.m., Kornfeld will conduct a 7:15 p.m. special on-stage interview-conversation with Matthews, the grand-prize winner in the 2017 NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition. Crystal Bowersox – a rising star whose influences span across folk-pop, classic rock, soul, blues and country – closes out the weekend on Sunday night.

The Huntington Summer Arts Festival is produced by the Town of Huntington, presented by the Huntington Arts Council, and sponsored in part by the New York State Council on the Arts, the County of Suffolk and Canon U.S.A.

The official showcases take place Thursday-Saturday evenings from 7- 10:15 p.m., with each artist/act performing a 15-minute set. In addition, the conference will include late-night guerilla showcases hosted by AcousticMusicScene.com and others from 10:40 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Also on the agenda are daytime informational seminars and workshops, a Wisdom of the Elders session, one-on-one and group mentoring sessions, the SERFA Awards, an exhibit hall, and plenty of opportunities to learn, share and network –- including during built-in afternoon breaks in the programming.

SERFA is a regional affiliate of Folk Alliance International (www.folk.org), a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.

SERFA (https://www.serfa.org) exists to promote, develop and celebrate the diverse heritage of roots and indigenous music, dance, storytelling and related arts in the southeastern United States. Its annual conference is a primary means of doing that. Its move to Chattanooga this year, following consecutive years at the Montreat Conference Center, a beautiful and tranquil spot nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, was necessitated by a growing number of attendees.

“We will miss Montreat, but we outgrew the lovely setting,” noted Don Baker, president of SERFA’s board of directors. “We are very excited to be in the vibrant city of Chattanooga, where we have been welcomed with open arms.” Citing the board’s desire for SERFA to broaden its horizons and be more inclusive, Baker expressed pleasure with the cultural and racial diversity of its new conference home.

Apart from an opening reception at the Songbirds Guitar Museum on Wednesday evening, May 15, all of the conference activities will take place on one level of The Chattanoogan hotel.

Ellis Paul to Deliver Keynote Address

Ellis Paul has played more than 5,000 shows – gracing stages at the Newport Folk Festival, Carnegie Hall, and clubs and coffeehouses the world-over. A prolific songwriter, he’s penned more than 500 songs. “His songs are literate, provocative and urbanely romantic.” (Scott Alarik, The Boston Globe). He’s recorded and released 20 albums, while his music has also been featured in a number of Hollywood film soundtracks – including several by the Farrelly Brothers – as well as commercials, documentaries and TV shows.

“Despite his success and sense of history, Mr. Paul remains an artist with his eye on the future and an interest in discovering the transformative potential in his music.” – The New York Times

SERFA Awards to be Presented

Separately and together, Norman and Nancy Blake have created some 40 albums. They began recording together in 1974 – although Norman had already played on recordings by such notable artists as Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash and John Hartford by that time. The Blakes’ musical experiences together and separately have encompassed 1950s bluegrass, classical music, session work in Nashville, he Aeroplane Band, and very traditional southern music.

A co-founder of the Fiddle Puppets (1979 — which developed into/was transformed into Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble 15 years later – Eileen Carson has been a pioneer in bringing percussive dance to performing arts sages, folk festivals, and the general public. Mark Schatz has played bass with such notable artists as John Hartford, Claire Lynch, Tim O’Brien, and Tony Rice as well as he bands Nickel Creek and Spectrum.

Fletcher Bright, who died in 2017 at age 86, was part of the Dismembered Tennesseans band for 70 years and hosted legendary jam sessions. He also led the Three Sisters Festival.

J.T. Gray has owned the Station Inn, Nashville’s preeminent bluegrass club, since 1981. Besides being responsible for a 165-seat venue, he is a bassist and previously toured with Jimmy Martin.

Workshops and Panel Discussions Organized by Tracks

More than 40 workshops and special events during the conference will be organized by tracks: Activism, Business, Media, Performing and Recording, Presenting, Roots and Sources, Songwriting, and Special Events. Workshops and panel discussions will delve into such topics as Americana Blues and the Africa-American Folkloric Tradition, The Art of Co-Writing, Claw hammer Banjo, Elements of a Compelling Interview, Fair Trade Music, Folk Music and Social Responsibility, House Concert Roundtable, How to be a Storyteller in Song, How Not to Think Like a Guitarist and Still be One, How Presenters Choose Artists, Reinterpreting the Music of Charlie Poole, 300+ Years of Banjo, Vocal Technique for the Touring Musician, and Women’s Empowerment in the Folk Music World. Also slated are a Community Sing, peer group meetings, Yoga, and a Women’s Song Circle.

A Wisdom of the Elders session — to be moderated by Art Menius, SERFA’s executive director — will feature Norman and Nancy Blake (described above) and music industry veteran David Wilkes. Among other things, Wilkes was active in New York’s folk scene for six decades, managed the iconic The Bitter End in NYC’s Greenwich Village, was a music publisher, and served as vice president of A&R for the influential folk label Vanguard Records and as manager or co-manager for such artists as Emmylou Harris, Richie Havens, Tom Paxton, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Josh White, Jr. He also owned the Coffee House Circuit — which booked Havens, Harry Chapin, Jim Croce, and John Denver. Still active as a manager and agent, Wilkes also is the U.S. representative for the Canadian folk-world music group Sultans of String.

Besides the workshops and panel discussions, there will be one-on-one mentoring sessions, yoga, an exhibit hall, communal meals, and, of course, a lot of music. Grady Ormsby of Down East Folk Arts will host several open mics.

Official and Guerilla Showcases Abound

Slated to present official showcases on Thursday, May 16, are (in order of appearance) Crossing the Caney, Andy Cohen, Rod Abernethy, Grace Morison, Wolf and Clover, Antonio Andrade, Boomtown Trio, Karyn Oliver, and Resonant Rogues. Friday’s official showcase lineup features David Davis and the Warrior River Boys, Carolann Solebello, Frank and Allie Lee, Belle Plaine, Grant Peeples, Amy Speace, Twin Kennedy, Wyatt Easterling, and Ben Van Winkle. Saturday’s showcase artists include After Jack, Nancy Beaudette, Nicholas Edward Williams, Deidra McCalla, The Currys, Cary Morin, Flint & Feather, Eric Brace Peter Cooper and Thomm Jutz, and Ginger Cowgirl.

Here’s a link to listen to a sampler featuring 23 of the official showcase artists/acts: https://noisetrade.com/serfaartists/serfa-showcase-artists-2019

Following the official showcases (as well as on Wednesday overnight), late-night guerilla showcases will take place in various rooms for several hours. AcousticMusicScene.com, which has had a presence at the SERFA Conference for the past eight years, will host late-night showcases on Thursday, May 16, overnight. These will primarily take the form of song swaps.

Here’s the AcousticMusicScene.com showcase schedule:

11:00: Todd Hoke and Jeff Talmadge

11:30: O Canada: Nancy Beaudette, Flint & Feather and Twin Kennedy

12:00: Women of Note: Deidre McCalla, Kate Mills and Grace Morrison

12:30: Guys of Note: Wyatt Easterling, Brian Ashley Jones and Dennis Warner

1:00: Songswarm: Nancy Dillon, Ruby Lovett, Taylor Pie

1:30: Long Island Sounds: Joe Iadanza and Hank Stone

Here’s a link to view a couple of Ruby Lovett videos — including a recent one for her song, “A Father’s Love,” that appears on her new album entitled It’s A Hard Life. Taylor Pie accompanies her, while AcousticMusicScene.com‘s Michael Kornfeld and singer-songwriter Nancy Dillon also can be seen at the bonfire: https://www.rubylovett.com/videos.

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Editor’s Note: In addition to hosting AcousticMusicScene.com showcases, I will moderate and participate in a panel discussion entitled Recording Promotion Demystified. I will also again be a mentor offering advice and counsel on various aspects of public relations and strategic communications. An elected board member of Folk Alliance International, I also serve as board president for the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA). I have been an active participant at SERFA conferences since 2011.

Kornfeld is also president of the Folk Music Society of Huntington, a nonprofit presenting organization on suburban Log Island, New York, and forged a locally heralded partnership between FMSH and LI’s Cinema Arts Centre. He also coordinates the annual Huntington Folk Festival that is presented each summer in partnership with the Huntington Arts Council. An award-winning strategic communications and public relations professional, Kornfeld launched AcousticMusicScene.com, an online publication for the folk, roots and singer-songwriter communities, in January 2007. He arranges and hosts artist showcases and song swaps under its banner during various music conferences and festivals.

For the 12th consecutive year at the NERFA Conference that drew some 730 people, Kornfeld hosted a popular AcousticMusicScene.com Midnight Hoot featuring several singing folk DJs and 40 independent recording artists/acts from throughout the U.S. and Canada, as well as an O Canada celebration featuring nearly 20 Canadian artists/acts. He also moderated a panel discussion on online presence for artists and offered some one-on-one mentoring during the conference.

Led by Kornfeld, current and past board members paid tribute to Dianne Tankle, NERFA’s founder and conference director since its inception, who stepped down from her leadership role following 24 years at the helm of the conference. “My board colleagues and I are grateful to Dianne for all of her efforts on behalf of our organization and community over the years,” wrote Kornfeld in a letter published in the printed conference program & directory. “She and her team have devoted countless hours and put considerable thought into conscientiously designing our conference to help [attendees] forge connections and build community, while also providing learning opportunities that can help enhance [their] professional and personal lives.”

Named as interim conference director for 2019 is Courtney Rodland, who has been assisting NERFA with social media, served as associate director for the 2018 NERFA Conference and coordinated its mentoring program. A new NERFA logo was also unveiled during the conference.

Re-elected as NERFA board officers, along with Kornfeld, were secretary Ethan Baird of Pesky J. Nixon and Tribal Mischief Productions and treasurer Justin Nordell, executive director of the Philadelphia Folksong Society. The board’s new vice president is Barbara Shiller, co-president of CT Folk, who succeeds Kathy Sands-Boehmer of the Me & Thee Coffeehouse in Marblehead, MA, who opted not to seek re-election to the nine-member board.

NERFA’s volunteer board of directors has been engaged in efforts to make it more of a year-round organization in order to best meet the needs and serve the interests of Folk Alliance International members in its region. The Mid-Winter FolkFest at Club Passim in Cambridge, MA that was also streamed online via Concert Window in late January is an examples of this. So, too, are the NERFA Presents Young Folk showcases that have bee presented over the past several summers in partnership with a few music festivals in the U.S. and Canada, as well as several NERFA Showcase concerts co-presented with several venues and presenting organizations in the region. A Spring FolkFest, another one-day online music festival emanating from Club Passim; is slated for Saturday, March 23, from 12-4 p.m. EST. Coordinated by Sands-Boehmer, it will feature a number of artists who had official juried showcases during the recent NERFA conference and who have never played the famed Harvard Square folk club.

With only 14 artists/acts chosen for 15-minute slots on Friday and Saturday nights, the Formal Showcase is the premiere and most coveted performance opportunity at the conference. Featured in these showcases will be (listed in alphabetical order by last name or group name) The Black Feathers, Jonathan Byrd, Scott Cook, Ronny Cox, Reggie Harris and Greg Greenway: Deeper Than The Skin, Alice Howe, Louise Mosrie, Zoe Mulford, Heather Pierson Acoustic Trio, Sally Rogers and Claudia Schmidt, Screaming Orphans, Robinson Treacher, Kenny White, and Windborne. Named as alternates were Quentin Callewaert, Low Lily, and Kolonien.

Note: Alternates are automatically given a Semi-Formal Showcase performance slot unless selected to take the place of any Formal Showcase artists who are unable to perform.

Immediately following the Formal Showcases on Friday and Saturday nights, conference attendees will shuffle between three rooms in close proximity to one another to enjoy juried 15-minute Semi-Formal Showcases (formerly known as tricentrics and quadcentrics). Artists selected by a separate jury for these showcases include Rod Abernethy, Asaran Earth Trio, Big Little Lions, C. Daniel Boling, Ellen Bukstel, Susan Cattaneo Band, Noah Derksen, Emerald Rae, Josh Harty, Cassandra House, House of Hamill, Joe Jencks, Rachael Kilgour, Erika Kulnys, Kipyn Martin, The Next Generation Leahy, Moonfruits, Aaron Nathans & Michael G. Ronstadt, Diane Perry, Kerri Powers, The Promise Is Hope, Quarter Horse, Monica Rizzio, Annie Sumi, Jesse Terry, UPSTATE (formerly Upstate Rubdown), and Suzie Vinnick. Named as alternates were Roger Street Friedman, Mike P. Ryan, and All Types of Kinds. Like the Formal Showcases that precede them, nothing else is allowed to compete with the Semi-Formal Showcases during the conference.

After the juried showcases each evening, AcousticMusicScene.com will join dozens of presenters, performers and others in hosting guerilla showcases in their hotel rooms that extend through the early morning hours. The Suzi Wollenberg Folk DJ Showcase, informal jam sessions, thematic song circles, round-robin song swaps, and community sings round out the musical mix.

[Here’s a link to a short song video by Neale Eckstein featuring images and scenes from the 2017 NERFA Conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qt-A_DnX1OY.]

As in years past, besides several jam-packed days and nights of music showcases, the NERFA conference, also will feature informative panel discussions and workshops, one-on-one mentoring and peer group sessions, communal meals, a large trade show-like exhibit hall, a welcoming party, and lots of opportunities for schmoozing and networking. Singer-songwriter Dar Williams will be the conference’s keynote speaker.

NERFA is a regional affiliate of Folk Alliance International (www.folk.org), a nonprofit organization that aims to nurture, engage and empower the international folk music community — traditional and contemporary, amateur and professional — through education, advocacy and performance.

NERFA’s geographic boundaries extend from the eastern provinces of Canada south to the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. Last year, its annual conference drew nearly 750 performing artists, presenters, promoters, folk DJs, agents and managers, and others engaged more than peripherally in the world of folk and acoustic music. The conference is designed to help them forge connections, build community, and learn things that can help enhance and enrich their professional and personal lives. For more information and to register to attend the conference, visit www.nerfa.org.

Editor’s Note: I am president of the NERFA board of directors and also serve on the Folk Alliance International board. In addition to hosting late-night showcases under the banner of AcousticMusicScene.com, I will moderate a panel discussion on social media and your online presence and offer mentoring sessions on strategic communications, PR and other topics during the conference.