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.

Laura Stevenson (a Long Island, New York-based singer-songwriter) and Adam Weiner (who fronts the Philadelphia-based band Low Cut Connie) 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.

Singer-Songwriter Cape May also features two afternoons 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 communications and public relations strategist and will participate in a panel discussion “ on “Marketing & Branding for Independent Acts & Artists” during a Friday afternoon conference session.

Bill Pere, a Grammy Award-winning songwriter and author of Songcrafters’ Coloring Book, will 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, leads a workshop entitled “Regenerative Creativity: Making a Musical Life that Matters.” The Peres said that they are glad to be returning to SS Cape May for the 12th time to share their decades of experience and knowledge on the craft and business of songwriting. “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. “We always look forward to this weekend filled with the creative energy and aspirations of current and upcoming singer-songwriters.”

The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) has many implications for the music industry. Aspects of these will be explored in two workshops. Jeff Snyder, a professor emeritus who spent 25 years in higher education and chaired a music department, will share examples of the many uses of AI that are already happening during a workshop entitled “Hey AI … What Have You Done?,” 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 — will also present a workshop on “New Copyright & IP issues in Music, Film, TV, Adverts, & Games.”

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 currently represents more than 400 writers and artists, speaks on “Marketing Your Music for Film & Television.” There will also be a “Producer Panel” that will delve into the roles of producers, recording sessions, mixing & mastering recordings, production budgets, supervision, and more.

The conference registration desk opens at 11 a.m. on March 28, while panel discussions and workshops take place between 1 and 5 p.m. on Friday and 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday. Showcasing artists and panelists will receive credentials for the conference, while others may register to attend the daytime events for a small fee. 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. In addition, Behr Brewing on Seashore Road in Cape May hosts a SS Cape May Kick-Off Party featuring live music on Thursday, March 27, from 6-9 p.m.

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

Artists wishing to showcase their talents must submit applications online via clicking on the Showcases tab on sscapemay.com by December 20, 2024.All artists who submit showcase applications will receive free registration for the conference whether or not they are slotted. Those artists who are selected will perform 30-40-minute sets on a bill with similar acts at one of 15 downtown Cape May restaurants, bars and hotels. Some 70% of the showcases — all of which are free and open to the public — will be acoustic solo, duo, trio and unplugged performances

Laura Stevenson (a Long Island, NY-based singer-songwriter) and Adam Weiner (frontman of the Philadelphia-based band Low Cut Connie) will deliver keynotes and perform during the conference. SS Cape May also will feature two days of music business panel discussions, workshops, and mentoring at Congress Hall & Harrison Conference Center. There will be plenty of opportunities for networking with other singer-songwriters, musicians and music industry professionals.

Non-performers and non-applying performing artists may register and attend SS Cape May for a small fee. Evening showcase performances at restaurants, bars and hotels around the National Historic Landmark City will be free and open to the public.

For more information, visit sscapemay.com.

Editor’s Note: I have spoken on PR, social media and strategic communications for artists during previous Singer-Songwriter Cape May conferences and look forward to doing so again, as well as providing some one-on-one mentoring.

Singer-songwriters Jesse Terry and Erin McKeown will deliver keynotes and perform during the conference, while some 150 other pre-selected musical acts and artists of various genres will showcase their talents at more than a dozen local bars, restaurants and hotels on Friday and Saturday evenings.

“Jesse Terry is a gentle soul with a formidable songwriting talent and a clear artistic vision,” says John Platt, host of Sunday Supper on New York’s WFUV. A true musical journeyman, Jesse Terry has made it his mission to share his love of music fully and completely, without regard for shading his emotions or tempering his convictions. By his own definition, the Connecticut-based performing artist has never been a cautious individual, but rather one who finds inspiration and optimism in the solace and joy that making music brings him and which he can impart to others both through his recordings (five albums and an EP to date) and his live performances throughout the U.S., Europe, Greenland, and New Zealand. More information may be found online at www.jesseterrymusic.com.

Here are links to the official music videos for Jesse Terry’s “Kaleidoscope” and “Stargazer” from his album Stargazer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGW9irhdZUQ and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydOal9N6jw4.

Although often referred to as a folk-rock singer-songwriter and musician, Erin McKeown’s music defies stylistic boundaries – as her 10 full-length albums over the last 20 years attest. Her first musical, Miss You Like Hell, which opened Off-Broadway at The Public Theater last year, was nominated for five Drama Desk Awards and was named as Best Musical of 2018 by The Wall Street Journal. A western Massachusetts-based international touring artist, McKeown has performed at such notable festivals as Bonnaroo, Glastonbury and the Newport Folk Festival. Her songs have been widely played on NPR, the BBC and other radio stations. She has secured song placements in numerous commercials and television shows, and she even wrote a song via text messaging with her friend Rachel Maddow. “In several distinctive ways – voice, dynamic subtlety, and sheer songwriting ability – Erin McKeown is in a class of her own,” writes a music critic for The Sunday Times (UK). For more information, visit www.erinmckeown.com.

Here’s a link to a video of Erin McKeown performing “Now I’m Here“ from Miss You Like Hell live at WFUV’s Studio A in New York City in 2018: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qtQ9v-VxTY.

AcousticMusicScene.com Editor & Publisher, Connecticut Songwriters Association Leader and ReverbNation Co-Founder are Among the Panelists During the Singer-Songwriter Cape May Conference

Singer-Songwriter Cape May also features two afternoons of music business panel discussions, workshops and 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 communications and public relations strategist and will be among the panelists discussing “Press, Publicity and Promotion” and “Branding, Marketing and Social Media for Independent Artists” during afternoon conference sessions. Although the media landscape is in a continual state of flux, independent singer-songwriters have many options for promotion these days. I hope to help SS Cape May attendees set the right course and navigate through the many channels available to them to reach and connect with their target audiences. Talented artists with some promotional and social media savvy, or the smarts to surround themselves with people who do, can strike a responsive chord through strategic public relations and creative communications.

Evening Showcases at Venues Around Cape May Are Free and Open to the Public

The conference registration desk opens at 11 a.m. on March 29, while mentoring sessions extend from noon to 5 p.m. each day, and the workshops take place between 1 and 5 p.m. on Friday and 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday. Showcasing artists and panelists will receive credentials for the conference, while others may register to attend the daytime events for $55. Evening showcase performances –- apart from those featuring the keynoters Jesse Terry and Erin McKeown, which are ticketed — are free and open to the public. For more information and to register for the conference, visit www.sscapemay.com.

Singer-songwriters Ben Arnold and Jill Sobule will deliver keynotes and perform during the conference. SS Cape May also will feature two afternoons of panel discussions, workshops, mentoring and demo-listening sessions, exhibits and performance critiques at Congress Hall & Harrison Conference Center. There will be plenty of opportunities for networking with other singer-songwriters, musicians and music industry professionals.

Non-performers and non-applying performing artists may register and attend SS Cape May for a small fee. Evening showcase performances at restaurants, bars and hotels around the National Historic Landmark City will be free and open to the public.

For more information, visit www.sscapemay.com.

Editor’s Note: I have spoken on PR, social media and strategic communications for artists and done some one-on-one mentoring at previous SS Cape May conferences and likely will do so again in 2016.

SS Cape May also will feature two afternoons of keynotes, panel discussions, clinics, workshops, one-on-one mentoring and demo-listening sessions, and exhibits at historic Congress Hall & Harrison Conference Center. Plenty of opportunities for networking with other singer-songwriters, musicians and music industry professionals also are in the offing. Singer-songwriters Patty Larkin and Dan Navarro will deliver keynotes and perform on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

All emerging and established artists who submit showcase applications — which must include a photo, bio, three original songs and a listing of their performance dates during the last six months — are automatically registered at no charge for credentials to attend the conference even if they don’t get a showcase slot, says John Harris, who coordinates SS Cape May. Non-performers and performing artists not applying to showcase may attend the conference for $55 if they register by Dec. 31. The registration fee rises after then. Evening showcase performances will be free and open to the public.

For more information, visit www.sscapemay.com.

The maddening crowds of summer won’t be there, but several hundred performing artists and others engaged in the music business are expected to converge on the historic Victorian-lined New Jersey seaside resort community of Cape May, March 28-29, 2014, for the seventh annual Singer-Songwriter Cape May conference.

Singer-songwriters Melissa Ferrick and Michael Glablicki (front-man of Rusted Root) will deliver keynotes and perform during the conference, while some 150 other pre-selected musical acts and artists of various genres will showcase their talents at 17 local bars, restaurants and hotels on Friday and Saturday evenings.

SS Cape May also will feature two afternoons of music business panel discussions, workshops, mentoring and demo-listening 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 also am a communications and public relations strategist and will be among the panelists discussing “Branding, Marketing & Social Media for Independent Artists” during a Friday afternoon conference session. Although the media landscape is in a continual state of flux, independent singer-songwriters may have more options for promotion these days than ever before. I hope to help SS Cape May attendees set the right course and navigate through the many channels available to them to reach and connect with their target audiences. Talented artists with some promotional and social media savvy, or the smarts to surround themselves with people who do, can strike a responsive chord through strategic public relations and creative communications.

The conference registration desk opens at 11 a.m. on March 28, while mentoring and demo listening extends from noon to 5 p.m., and the workshops take place between 1 and 5 p.m. each day. Showcasing artists and panelists will receive credentials for the conference, while others may register to attend the daytime events and receive a SS Cape May compilation CD for $100. Evening showcase performances –- apart from those featuring the keynoters, for which there is a $15 fee each night — will be free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.sscapemay.com.

Some 150 acts, from solo artists to full bands, will be selected to showcase at various venues over two nights during the seventh annual Singer Songwriter Cape May music business conference set for Friday-Saturday, March 28-29, 2014 in the historic Victorian-lined New Jersey seaside resort community. All artists who submit showcase applications by Jan. 20 via Sonicbids, Reverbnation, U.S. Mail or via a social networking site will receive free registration for the conference whether or not they are slotted.

Singer-songwriters Melissa Ferrick and Michael Glablicki of Rusted Root will deliver keynotes and perform during the conference. SS Cape May also will feature two afternoons of panel discussions, workshops, mentoring and demo-listening sessions, exhibits and performance critiques at Congress Hall & Harrison Conference Center. There will be plenty of opportunities for networking with other singer-songwriters, musicians and music industry professionals.

Non-performers and non-applying performing artists may register and attend SS Cape May for a small fee. Evening showcase performances at restaurants, bars and hotels around the National Historic Landmark City will be free and open to the public.

For more information, visit www.sscapemay.com.

Editor’s Note: I have spoken on PR, social media and strategic communications for artists at previous Singer-Songwriter Cape May conferences and will be a panelist again in 2014.

Kornfeld also believes that all-volunteer, nonprofit presenting organizations are an important constituent group within Folk Alliance International that have been under-represented on the organization’s board of directors. “As president of the Folk Music Society of Huntington, an FAI member organization that presents two concert series a month, hosts monthly folk jams, and co-presents an annual day-long folk festival that I coordinate in partnership with the Huntington Arts Council, I would bring valuable insights and perspectives to the FAI board,” he asserts. Kornfeld also is a former board member of Tribes Hill, a Hudson Valley (NY)-based organization that seeks to unite the music community.

Under the banner of AcousticMusicScene.com, Kornfeld organizes and hosts song-swap-style artist showcases at music conferences and festivals. An award-winning communications and public relations strategist, he counts a number of independent recording artists among his clients. A past president of two professional associations in his field, he also is a frequent speaker on PR and communications topics at music conferences. He will be among the workshop speakers/panelists at the People’s Music Network Winter Gathering in New York City next January and the Singer Songwriter Cape May conference in the New Jersey seaside resort community next March.

Online balloting for the Folk Alliance International board, which is open only to voting members of the organization in good standing, began on Dec. 1. “Although I know, like and respect several of the other candidates, I hope that some FAI members will be inclined to ‘bullet’ vote for me only since this will enhance my chances of being among the five with the highest vote counts,” says Kornfeld.

Folk Alliance International (www.folk.org) aims to foster and promote multicultural, traditional and contemporary folk music, while strengthening and advancing organizational and individual initiatives in folk music, dance and related performing arts through education, networking, advocacy, and professional and field development. Graham Nash will keynote is 26th annual international conference, which is slated for February 19-23, 2014, in Kansas City, MO. Each of the organization’s five regional affiliates – Folk Alliance Region Midwest (FARM), Folk Alliance Region West (FAR-West), NERFA, SERFA, and Southwest Regional Folk Alliance (SWRFA) also host conferences during the year that feature artist showcases, jams and open mics, workshops and panel discussions, mentoring sessions, and plenty of opportunities for networking and building community.

The maddening crowds of summer won’t be there, but several hundred performing artists and others engaged in the music business are expected to converge on the historic Victorian-lined New Jersey seaside resort community of Cape May, March 30-31, for the fifth annual Singer-Songwriter Cape May conference.

New York-based singer-songwriter Glen Roethel, part of the folk harmony trio Gathering Time and co-creator of AcousticMusicScene.com, is among the more than 150 musical acts and artists from as far away as Australia and France who will showcase their talents during 40-minute sets at 17 local bars and restaurants on Friday and Saturday evenings.

SS Cape May also will feature two afternoons of music business panel discussions, workshops, clinics, mentoring and keynotes at Congress Hall and the Harrison Conference Center. New Jersey-based singer-songwriters Todd Sheaffer, of the band Railroad Earth and Christine Martucci will present musical keynotes on Friday and Saturday, respectively. Attendees also will have plenty of opportunities for networking with other singer-songwriters, musicians and music industry professionals.

While AcousticMusicScene.comis my labor of love, I also am a communications and public relations strategist. As such, I will be among the panelists discussing “Publicity, Marketing & Social Media for Independent Artists” during a Friday afternoon conference session. Although the media landscape is in a continual state of flux, independent singer-songwriters may have more options for promotion these days than ever before. I hope to help SS Cape May attendees set the right course and navigate through the many channels available to them to reach and connect with their target audiences. Traditional print and broadcast media outlets continue to play vital roles in boosting awareness and visibility, while the Internet and social media afford artists a wealth of new opportunities. Talented artists with some promotional and social media savvy, or the smarts to surround themselves with people who do, can strike a responsive chord through strategic public relations and creative communications.

Showcasing artists and panelists will receive credentials for the conference, while others may register to attend the daytime events for $75. Evening showcase performances will be free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.sscapemay.com.