Sullivan –- whose songs draw inspiration from her own life experiences — was cited for her dedication to the craft, storytelling, stage demeanor, and immersion in the folk community. She beat out finalists Allison Strong and Us! (a trio comprised of AcousticMusicScene.com co-creator Glen Roethel, Judy Kass and Amy Soucy) in a competition that drew more than four times the number of applications than it has in previous years. The number of entries and quality of them made the listening- and decision-making process both time-consuming and challenging for judges Ron Olesko (a folk DJ and creator of Folk Music Notebook), Tina Ross (a singer-songwriter who won the award in 2022), and Debby St. Charles.

“I’m just so happy and grateful,” said Sullivan of receiving the award from the predominantly volunteer organization that that provides performance opportunities for and presents concerts by emerging and nationally touring singer-songwriters, and folk and acoustic musicians in DC, Maryland and Virginia. “To get that vote of confidence from the Focus Music judges has just felt so good. It comes at a time when I’m embarking on a third album and to have that message of support from the organization is really heartening and an encouraging reminder to keep on going,” she told AcousticMusicScene.com.

Sullivan — who primarily performs in the northeast U.S. and along the eastern seaboard —  describes her music as “story-driven folk.” She notes that the kind of songs that she personally loves are those that have a really vivid story attached to them – like ones penned by singer-songwriters Lori McKenna and Patty Griffin. “If you’re someone who likes music that’s going to immerse you in other people’s perspectives and stories, then my songs might be interesting to you,” she said.

In addition to McKenna and Griffin, she cites singer-songwriters Ellis Paul and Vance Gilbert as major inspirations. Sullivan has participated in Ellis Paul’s New England Songwriter Retreats for a number of years. “Those experiences have been game changers for me in terms of inspiration and building community for songwriters,” she said. “Another inspiration for me has been Vance Gilbert,” whom she calls “a real honest and loving mentor.” Noting that he’s someone who doesn’t pull punches, she said: “He just pursues everything with honesty and joy, and I’d like to do that too.”

Music has long been a major part of Sullivan’s life. She recalls taking piano and voice lessons from her grandmother during childhood. However, she didn’t start playing guitar or writing songs until after graduating from Amherst College. While living in and teaching elementary school in New York City, she and Amy Speace, a college friend who is also a noted singer-songwriter, formed a band, Edith O. that performed at venues across the city and released an album called Tattooed Queen. Although marriage, children and her career in education (as both a teacher and an administrator) prompted her to put music on the back-burner for years, Sullivan resumed writing and performing in 2018 and released her debut album in 2021. Entitled We Can Have Each Other, it reached #10 on the monthly Folk Alliance International Folk Radio Charts, and was followed up in 2024 by Signposts and Marks, which reached #4 on the top albums chart during the month that it was released.

Sullivan was named the winner of the Al Johnson Performing Songwriter Award during the 2025 Wildflower! Arts & Music Festival in Richardson, Texas and looks forward to performing at the festival in May. She also was voted a “Most Wanted to Return” Artists by festival attendees following the Grassy Hill Emerging Artist Showcase at the 2023 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, won the Rose Garden Coffeehouse Performing Songwriter Competition that year, and has been a finalist in a number of other songwriting competitions.

Beyond providing recognition and support, the Heyman Rising Artist Award includes $1,000, which Sullivan plans to use towards producing her third album with Doug Kwartler at Hollow Body Studios near Boston, Massachusetts.

The Heyman Rising Artist Award is named for Vic and Reba Heyman, who were widely viewed as “folk angels” for their staunch, decades-long support of artists – especially those early in their careers. Reba Heyman, who passed away in June 2021 2021 at age 84, grew up in Chevy Chase, Maryland and lived in Rockville, MD for decades. Along with her husband Vic, who died years earlier, she was an integral part of the folk music community in Maryland, South Florida and nationally for many years. The couple was known for their generous financial backing for folk festivals and artists, and also formerly ran a concert series in Rockville known as Vic’s Music Corner. They also launched and ran Heyman Mailing Service for many years (a godsend for artists in the pre-Internet days), served on the boards of several music festivals, and established a scholarship fund for performing artists. In her later years, Reba Heyman spent considerable time in Florida and co-presented the South Florida Folk Festival Singer-Songwriter Competition, whose winners received the Vic Heyman Songwriting Award – including a cash prize and the opportunity to perform at the festival.

Bluegrass Sings Paxton is a multi-artist collection of a dozen select songs penned by Paxton and performed by a wide array of bluegrass singers and pickers assembled by producers Cathy Fink and Jon Weisberger. “I Can’t Help But Wonder (Where I’m Bound)” is the album’s lead-off track. Other Paxton songs on the Mountain Home Music recording – seven of which were among September’s most-played songs on folk radio — include current IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year Greg Blake’s rendition of “Leaving London,” previous three-time IBMA Male Vocalist Award recipient Danny Paisley’s take on the classic “Ramblin’ Boy,“ and past IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year Claire Lynch’s rendition of “I Give You the Morning.” Sister Sadie’s interpretation of “The Last Thing On My Mind” closes out the album, which also features selections, old an new, recorded by Laurie Lewis (Central Square”), Bluegrass Hall of Famer Alice Gerrard (“The Things I Notice Now”), Grammy Award-winner Tim O’Brien (“You Took Me In,” a new gospel-tinged song co-written by Paxton, O’Brien and bandmate Jan Fabricius), Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer (“All I Want”), Aaron Burdett of The Steep Canyon Rangers (“The Same River Twice”), Chris Jones (“The Last Hobo”), and Sav Sankaran (“Looking for the Moon”).

[Here’s a link to enjoy a five-minute video featuring Tom Paxton discussing Bluegrass Sings Paxton and its songs, along with a few musical excerpts:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUU8haC-nmU.]

House of Hamill, a self-described upcycled Celtic folk band, was the most played artist on folk radio for a second consecutive month – this time tying with singer-songwriter Kate McDonnell. Featuring Rose Baldino (fiddle and vocals), Brian Buchanan (fiddle, vocals and guitar), and Caroline Browning (bass, mandolin and piano), House of Hamill is a Pennsylvania-based, nationally touring trio that has performed at music festivals and established folk venues. Its fourth full-length release, Wildfire, topped the folk album charts in August, while its rendition of Jimmy Webb’s “The Highwayman” was that month’s top song. House of Hamill’s tight vocal harmonies, sophisticated instrumental arrangements, and acoustic pop sensibilities are evident on Wildfire. Like its live shows and previous releases, the album features a mix of original numbers, modern takes on centuries-old folk ballads, and choice covers. Recorded in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Asheville, North Carolina, Wildfire also features House of Hamill’s original song “Banks of the Brandywine.” An ode to folklore that surrounds a notorious location on the Brandywine River in Chester County, PA, the song was recently selected as the grand-prize winner in the folk category of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest – 2024 Session 1.

[Here’s a link to listen to the title track of House of Hamill’s new album, Wildfire:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grwhwUutYiA.]

Kate McDonnell is an award-winning singer-songwriter, as well as a gifted guitarist with a propensity to play the instrument differently than most. According to her official bio, she taught herself how to play the guitar, strung for a right-handed player, left-handed “upside down and backwards,” using her stronger right hand for chording and ignoring the customary positioning of the guitar strings. Part of a musically-inclined family, McDonnell began writing her own songs in 1989 and gained recognition in the early 1990s as both a Kerrville New Folk finalist and a finalist in the Grassy Hill Emerging Artist Showcase at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, as well as being voted the #1 singer-songwriter in a New Haven (Connecticut) Advocate readers’ poll following the release of her-self-produced debut album, Broken Bones. Since then, she has earned much critical acclaim and praise from such noted songwriters as Jonathan Edwards and the late Bill Staines, recorded five more albums, and toured internationally. Although she took a hiatus from performing for a decade to focus on working as a child therapist in day treatment programs, residential programs, and inner city schools, McDonnell never gave up songwriting. She returned to the studio in 2020 to record her fifth album, Ballad of a Bad Girl. Her sixth album, Trapeze, was released in September. It features 14 songs that she wrote over the past three years.

[Here’s a link to enjoy a recent video of Kate McDonnell performing her song “Pretty Good Day”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nUfNS26c6k.]

The September 2024 top albums, songs and artists charts are based on 10,787 airplays reported on 362 playlists submitted by 101 different folk DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses.

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

Top Albums of September 2024

1.Bluegrass Sings Paxton by Various Artists (124)
2. Labor Day: A Tribute to Hardworking People Everywhere by Si Kahn and
George Mann (103)
3. Trapeze by Kate McDonnell (58)
4. Wildfire by House of Hamill (56)
5. From China to Appalachia by Cathy Fink, Marcy Marxer and Chao Tian (53)
6. The Legend of Sugarbelly by Guy Davis (52)
7. Ten Good Sermons by Eugene Ruffolo (51)
8. Manos Pan Americanos by Larry and Joe (45)
8. Boarding Windows in Paradise by Rebecca Frazier (45)
10. Everything Must Go by Donal Hinely (44)
11. Back to the Light by Heather Pierson (43)
12. Woodland by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings (33)
12. The Set by Jerry Douglas (33)
14. The American Dream by Amy Speace (31)
14. Bloom Where You Fall by Hana Zara (31)
16. Dan Tyminski: Live From the Ryman by Dan Tyminski (30)
17. Carved in the Bark by Nick Carter (29)
17. A Prosperous Gale by Open the Door for Three (29)
19. Blessed by the West by Sarah Pierce (28)
19. Heart on a Wire by Carolyn Shulman (28)
19. Now, O Now by Rakish (28)
22. Terra Madre by Beppe Gambetta (27)
23. Earl Jam by Tony Trischka (26)
24. Willie Watson by Willie Watson (25)
25. Live at Steelstacks by River Drivers (24)
26. City of Glass by Aj Lee and Blue Summit (23)
27. “The Great Northwest by Steve Lundquist (22)
28. The First Day of December by Ivan Strunin (21)
29. Harbortowne by Jim Patton and Sherry Brokus (20)
29. Lessen the Blue by Larry Folk (20)
31. The Light Years by The Magnolia Janes (19)
32. Blame It on Eve by Shemekia Copeland (18)
33. The Unspeakable Milo Binder by Milo Binder (17)
33. The Two of Us by Janie Rothfield and Allan Carr (17)
33. Thus Spoke the Fool by Pony Bradshaw (17)
33. Bluegrass Tracks by Andy Statman (17)
33. Weird Wild Wonderful by Emily Hicks (17)
33. Quiet Town by Mindy Smith (17)
33. Hanging at the Luna Star by Lou Dominguez (17)
40. Wasted Luck by Tiffany Williams and Dalton Mills (16)
40. Goldenrod by Teni Rane (16)
40. One of These Days by Cris Jacobs (16)
40. Trail of Flowers by Sierra Ferrell (16)
44. Soliloquy by Craig Bickhardt (15)
44. Long Way Home by Ray Lamontagne (15)
46. Driven to Drive by Joe Ely (14)
47. Phthalo Blue by Andrew Marlin (13)
47. Polaroid Lovers by Sarah Jarosz (13)
47. More Than a Whisper: Celebrating the Music of Nanci Griffith by
Various Artists (13)
50. Western Chill by Robert Earl Keen (12)
50. Diamond Days by Brooks Williams (12)
50. Daylight Savings Time by Steve Forbert (12)
50. The Price of Happiness by Miranda Hardy (12)
50. “weet Critters by Caleb Caudle (12)
50. Trees by Laurie Lewis (12)
50. Atlantic Sounds by Miscellany of Folk (12)
50. 20 by The Grascals (12)

Top Songs of September 2024

1. “I Can’t Help but Wonder (Where I’m Bound)” by Tom Paxton and Della Mae (27)
2. “I Give You the Morning” by Claire Lynch (17)
3. “Canaan” by Danny Schmidt (16)
4. “The Old Labor Hall” by Joe Jencks (13)
5. “Banks of the Brandywine” by House of Hamill (12)
5. “The Same River Twice” by Aaron Burdett (12)
5. “The American Dream” by Amy Speace (12)
5. “Central Square” by Laurie Lewis (12)
5. “Something You Got” by Jerry Douglas (12)
10. “You Took Me In” by Tim O’Brien (11)
10. “Ramblin’ Boy” by Danny Paisley (11)
10. “It Takes All Kinds” by Mark Stepakoff (11)
10. “Everything Must Go” by Donal Hinely (11)
10. “Up Here in the Mountains” by Heather Pierson (11)
10. “The Last Thing on My Mind” by Sister Sadie (11)
16. “Back to the Light” by Heather Pierson (10)
16. “A World Minus One” by Eugene Ruffolo (10)
16. “Wildfire” by House of Hamill (10)
19. “Long Way to Harlan” by Si Kahn and Laurie Lewis (9)
19. “The Things I Notice Now” by Alice Gerrard (9)
19. “High on a Mountain” by Cathy Fink, Marcy Marxer and Chao Tian (9)
19. “Gone Gonna Rise Again” by Michael Johnathon and Odetta (9)
19. “Late Bloomer” by Eugene Ruffolo (9)
19. “Back When Times Were Hard” by Si Kahn (9)
19. “No Child Should Ever Go Hungry” by Tret Fure (9)
19. “Pretty Good Day” by Kate McDonnell (9)
19. “Beautiful You” by Tom Prasada-Rao (9)
19. “Ain’t That Me and You” by Nick Carter (9)
19. “What’s Gonna Become of Me” by Jerron Paxton (9)
19. “Lawrence Jones” by Kathy Mattea (9)

Top Artists of September 2024

1. Kate McDonnell (60)
1. House of Hamill (60)
3. Highwaymen (55)
4. Guy Davis (54)
5. Cathy Fink, Marcy Marxer and Chao Tian (53)
6. Eugene Ruffolo (51)
7. Heather Pierson (48)
8. Donal Hinely (47)
9. Larry and Joe (45)
9. Rebecca Frazier (45)
11. Bob Dylan (39)
11. Amy Speace (39)
13. Jerry Douglas (38)
14. Gillian Welch and David Rawlings (36)
15. Laurie Lewis (34)
16. Hana Zara (31)
16. Open the Door for Three (31)
16. Rakish (31)
19. Dan Tyminski (30)
19. Tony Trischka (30)
21. John McCutcheon (29)
21. Leonard Cohen (29)
21. Nick Carter (29)
21. Beppe Gambetta (29)
25. Willie Watson (28)
25. Carolyn Shulman (28)
25. Sarah Pierce (28)
28. Tom Paxton and Della Mae (27)
28. Willie Nelson (27)
28. Tim O’Brien (27)
31. River Drivers (26)
31. Si Kahn (26)
31. Danny Schmidt (26)
34. John Gorka (24)
34. Dar Williams (24)
34. Joe Jencks (24)
37. Aj Lee and Blue Summit (23)
37. Nanci Griffith (23)
37. Joni Mitchell (23)
37. Tim Grimm (23)

Anne Saunders, the festival’s artistic director, expressed delight that Falcon Ridge stalwarts Vance Gilbert, Nerissa & Katryna Nields, and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams are returning –along with Family Stage faves The Storycrafters — while Woodstock, NY-based husband & wife Americana duo Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams will make their Falcon Ridge debut. So too will Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and country-rock pioneer Richie Furay — who was a founding member of Buffalo Springfield, Poco and Souther, Hillman & Furay.

Among the other artists and acts slated to perform are the Adam Ezra Group, Annie & the Hedonists, The Black Feathers, The Ebony Hillbillies, Tret Fure. The Gaslight Tinkers, Craig Harris, Alice Howe & Freebo, David Jacobs-Strain & Bob Beach, Steve Postell, Sam Robbins, South For Winter, Amilia K. Spicer, and Annie Wenz.

The popular festival, which will feature four stages of music, officially kicks off on Friday afternoon, July 27, at noon. That’s when 13 artists have been invited to perform in the 2024 Grassy Hill Emerging Artist Showcase on the festival’s Mainstage. Appearing in this year’s showcase are (listed alphabetically by last name, not in order of appearance) are Carlyle, Allie Chip, Heather Anne Lomax, Louie Lou Louis, Nan MacMillan, Sean Magwire, MQ Murphy, Alex Radus, Tina Ross, Ida Mae Specker, Mark Stepakoff, Tracy Walton, and Dylan Patrick Ward. Although there is no compensation for showcasing artists, each receives full admission, on-site camping and meals during the festival plus a guest pass

The Grassy Hill Emerging Artist Showcase is not a contest, and artists won’t be judged per se during the festival, although the audience is surveyed as to which showcase artists they’d like to see return the following year to participate in a Most Wanted Song Swap. In evaluating submissions, a panel of three judges looked for high-quality performances of interesting, well-crafted, acoustic-based material. This year’s judges were Ron Olesko of Folk Music Notebook, singer-songwriter Carolann Solebello and Hannah Stritzker from Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs, NY.

Katie Dahl, Kemp Harris and The Honey Badgers –three of the four top audience-voted showcase performers from last year — will showcase their talents during this year’s Most Wanted Song Swap, as well as in other performance slots during the festival.

An Activities 4 Kids Area, Circle of Song acoustic community stage, Family and Workshop Stages, and Dance Barn also will begin on Friday afternoon, July 26, while evening Mainstage performances and nightly dancing are slated to follow the daytime programming. Mainstage performances extend until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, while Sunday’s musical festivities wrap up at 6 p.m. For those camping on the fairgrounds, there will be some late-night musical revelry featuring an array of informal jams, artist showcases and song circles that help foster a sense of “folk” community and a different kind of festival experience.

Tret Fure, a Virginia-based singer-songwriter also making her maiden flight at Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, shares their excitement. “I’m delighted to be part of the lineup,” she said. “It’s gonna be a very moving weekend, I feel, on the heels of the recent passing of Tom Prasada Rao [a much-adored member of the folk and singer-songwriter community]. I know that there’ll be a lot of love for him there, so I’m just delighted to be part of the weekend.”

While live music may be Falcon Ridge’s main draw, festivalgoers also can enjoy a variety of ethnic and good ole Americana cuisines with plenty of vegetarian and vegan options, while and array of international craft vendors will be plying and selling their wares.

Thursday Night Music Stage Precedes the Festival and Features Nine Talented Acts

Prior to the start of the actual festival, the aforementioned Pre-Fest Tastings & Farmers Market will take place on Thursday afternoon, while Scotten Jones (a co-founder of the Lounge Stage that hosted live music on Thursdays for many years) and Kathy Sands-Boehmer of Harbortown Music host a Thursday Night Music Stage beginning at 5 p.m.

“Being given the opportunity to present some artists on the Thursday Night Music Stage is a real labor of love,” said Sands-Boehmer, a former concert presenter who curates it. “So many folks come to the fest a day or two early so this is a great chance to experience music together before the actual festival begins on Friday.”

Artists slated to appear on the Thursday Night Music Stage include Mya Byrne, Goodnight Moonshine, Honeysuckle, Eva James, Kat and Brad, Heather Maloney, Miles and Mafale, Grace Morrison, and The Rough and Tumble.

“We are thrilled to be playing the Thursday Night Music Stage this year,” said Eben Pariser who, with his wife Molly Venter, is part of the New Haven, CT-based guitar & vocal duo Goodnight Moonshine. “Molly and I are old-school Falcon Ridge alums, having both won the emerging artist showcase with our respective bands, Red Molly and Roosevelt Dime,” He noted. “Even as everything changes, it’s nice to know that some things stay the same – like the feeling we get when we reunite with our Falcon Ridge community.”

Three-day festival tickets are $250 with camping or $175 without camping. Single -day tickets also are available for $65. All three-day tickets include Pre-Fest Thursday admission, while tickets for Pre-Fest Thursday also can be purchased for $20 at the gate. Children ages 12 and under will be admitted free, while tickets are heavily discounted for teens. The campgrounds will open by 4 p.m. on Wednesday, July 24. More information on the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival can be found at falconridgefolk.com.

The popular festival, which will feature four stages of music, officially kicks off on Friday, July 28 at noon. That’s when 15 artists/acts have been invited to perform in the 2023 Grassy Hill Emerging Artist Showcase on the festival’s Mainstage. Appearing in this year’s showcase are (listed alphabetically by last name or name of group, not in order of appearance) are Sandy Cash, Katie Dahl, Leslie Evers, The Honey Badgers, Eric Kilburn, Latin Americana, Chris LaVancher, Juliet Lloyd, Carol Ann Montag, Halley Neal, Kevin Neidig, Noble Dust, Andy Sydow, and Tiffany Williams. Kemp Harris is the first alternate. Although there is no compensation for showcasing artists, each will receive full admission, on-site camping and meals for the festival, plus one guest pass per act.

The Grassy Hill Emerging Artist Showcase is not a contest, and artists won’t be judged per se during the festival, although the audience is surveyed as to which showcase artists they’d like to see return the following year to participate in a Most Wanted Song Swap. In evaluating submissions, a panel of three judges looked for high-quality performances of interesting, well-crafted, acoustic-based material. This year’s judges were Susan Forbes Hansen (a folk DJ on WWUH and WHUS in Connecticut), Bruce Martin (from Blues Café in Southbury, CT) and Barbara Shiller (former president of CT Folk). “This year’s judges all said [that] it was extremely difficult to choose the final slate,” said Anne Saunders, the festival’s artistic director. “The level of talent and quality of the submissions was all pretty high — and much of it from newbies they did not know previously. We do so love when that happens.”

Phil Henry, Grace Morrison, Sam Robbins, and Erin Ash Sullivan will showcase their talents during this year’s Most Wanted Song Swap. In addition,the four are participating in a Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Presents The “Most Wanted” Tour leading up to the festival. They will showcase their talents at SolarFest in Brandon, VT (July 15), Club Passim in Cambridge, MA (July 16), The Listening Booth in Lewes, DE (July 21), Moore Music in Rockville, MD (July 22), and Earp’s Ordinary in Fairfax, VA (July 23).

During the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, an Activities 4 Kids program, Circle of Song acoustic stage, Family Stage and Workshop Stage also will begin on Friday afternoon, July 28, while evening Mainstage performances and nightly dancing are slated to follow the daytime programming. Mainstage performances extend until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights (followed by late-night musical revelry at the campgrounds featuring informal jams, artist showcases and song circles). Sunday’s musical festivities wrap up at 6 p.m. For those camping on the fairgrounds, there will be some late-night musical revelry featuring an array of informal jams, artist showcases and song circles that help foster a sense of “folk” community and a different kind of festival experience.

“We are very happy to be bringing back both DANCE and our Thursday Tastings and Farmers Market program,” said Saunders. While acknowledging that both will be smaller than in the pre-pandemic years when the festival took place on a farm in upstate New York, she noted “but that’s as expected; the important thing is that they are back.” So too will be a full array of craft and food vendors.

Prior to the start of the actual festival, the aforementioned Pre-Fest Tastings & Farmers Market will take place on Thursday afternoon, while a Thursday Night Music Stage will be hosted by Scotten Jones (a co-founder of the Lounge Stage that hosted live music on Thursdays for many years) and Kathy Sands-Boehmer of Harbortown Music beginning at 4 p.m. Artists slated to appear include Lisa Bastoni, Marc Douglas Berardo, Joe Crookston, Kirsten Maxwell, No Fuss and Feathers, Rod Picott, RaSkull Flagg, Robinson & Rohe, Rachael Sage, Tom Smith, and Rachel Sumner.

[Here’s a link to a Spotify playlist that Kathy Sand-Boehmer compiled featuring songs by artists who are part of the Thursday Night Music Stage lineup.

Three-day festival tickets are $240 with camping or $165 without camping. Single -day tickets also are available for $60. All three-day tickets include Pre-Fest Thursday admission, while tickets for Pre-Fest Thursday also can be purchased for $20 at the gate. Children 12 and under will be admitted free, while tickets are heavily discounted for teens. The campgrounds will open by 4 p.m. on Wednesday, July 26. More information on the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival can be found at falconridgefolk.com.

Entries, which are due by May 15, will be evaluated based on composition (music and lyrics), vocal and instrumental delivery, and overall live performance. Judging will be done prior to the festival – with one winner and four finalists invited to perform on the festival’s solar-powered main stage on Saturday, July 15. Cash prizes will also be awarded — $300 for the winner and $75 or the finalists — while the winner will be invited to perform a full set at next year’s festival.

May 15 is the deadline to submit applications online via the use of a Google Form [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdxnBHBQY1YyxFP2hB4m8sDHcGWTudPcySNtCvlXndZFJYzww/viewform]. All entries must include links to two live performance videos, a brief bio, and a link to the artist’s website.

Launched in 1995, SolarFest aims to connect people, the arts, ideas and technology, fostering partnerships and activism to create a vibrant present and a sustainable future. “In addition to workshops and great information on renewable energy, SolarFest has been the home to diverse and exciting music,” says singer-songwriter Phil Henry, a festival organizer. Among the more than 20 artists and acts who will showcase their talents during this year’s festival are Dar Williams, House of Hamill, HuDost, Lara Herscovitch & the Philosopher Kings, Pamela Means, Louise Mosrie Coombe, and the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival “Most Wanted” Preview Tour featuring Phil Henry, Grace Morrison, Sam Robbins, and Erin Ash Sullivan. Henry, Herscovitch and Mosrie Coombe are previous SolarFest Singer-Songwriter Showcase winners.

“The Singer-Songwriter Showcase gives up-and-coming singer-songwriters an opportunity to stand and deliver original music on a beautiful stage with stellar production,” Henry told AcousticMusicScene.com. “For me, being selected and winning SolarFest was a critical acknowledgement that was so important early in my career.”

More information on SolarFest and its Singer-Songwriter Showcase may be found at solarfest.org.

As was the case last August, American, Canadian, Irish and Scottish artists will be featured in what Cheryl Prashker, the festival’s artistic director and general manager envisions will be “a magical online experience.” There will be interviews and music from The Bookends, Dave Curley, The Ennis Sisters,Daoirí Farrell, Fàrsan, Emily Flack, The Gilberts, Jane & Kyle, Seán Keane, Mélissandre Tremblay-Bourassa & Alexis Chartrand, Dave Woods, and Ryan Young.

An Emerging Artist Showcase with Acts from Around the World to Debut

For the first time, the festival also will include an emerging artist showcase named for festival founders Eleanor and Warren Robinson and featuring 10 artists/acts from around the world.
Participating in the inaugural Robinson Emerging Artist Showcase are 3 on the Bund (Ireland), Clíodhna Ní Aodáin (Ireland/Switzerland), Daridel (Italy), Harmundi (Brazil), Isla Ratcliff (Scotland), Kinnfolk (USA), Michael Darcy & The Atlantic Tramps (Canada), Miguel Girão (Portugal), Mosquera Celtic Band (Spain), and O’Jizo (Japan). The online audience will help select two who will be invited back to play the festival’s main stage in 2022 and will be mentored monthly throughout the year leading up to it. They will also be invited to participate in virtual artist development workshops and the weeklong Celtic College preceding next year’s festival as they seek to advance their musical careers.

“It has been a dream of mine to bring such a showcase to Goderich since this festival and the college have always been about showcasing young talent,” Prashker told AcousticMusicScene.com. She cited the long-running Grassy Hill Emerging Artist Showcase at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival in upstate New York as the inspiration behind it and expressed thanks to Michael Patrick Farrell from Toronto-based Dolmen Entertainment Group “who had a great deal to do with helping put this together.”

In all, nearly eight hours of pre-recorded music made especially for the festival will be viewable via the festival’s website (CelticFestival.ca), as well as its Facebook page (https://facebook.com/goderichceltic).

From its humble beginnings as one-time memorial concert in 1993, the Goderich Celtic Roots Festival is now the oldest pan-Celtic festival in North America. In addition to a three-day outdoor festival showcasing some of the world’s best Celtic musicians, dancers and artists, it has grown/evolved to include a weeklong Celtic College and a Celtic Kids Camp, as well as a series of rural outreach mini-concerts.

A Series of ‘Conversations with ..”-Style Online workshops Precede the Virtual Festival

“During the week prior to the virtual festival, which would have been our Celtic College week, we are offering six different 90-minute workshops, which are more like ‘Conversations with …’,” said Prashker. These ticketed events will take place via Zoom – Monday, Aug. 2 – Thursday, Aug. 5 — and all proceeds will go directly to the artists leading them. With the exception of a knot-work drawing workshop led by David Rankine — which will follow a more hands-on, step-by-step instructional format — instructors will generally spend the first 50 minutes or so sharing music and information about their areas of expertise, while engaging in Q & A and discussion with workshop participants for the last 40 minutes or so.

The Goderich Celtic Roots Festival –- whose physical location is surrounded by the Irish and Scottish heritage reflected in the nearby communities of Belfast, Dublin, Kincardine, Lucknow and Seaforth — was founded on the spirit of community and connecting people with Celtic roots and exploring new Celtic expressions. It generally features more than 60 hours of live musical performances by dozens of artists and acts on five stages, ranging from small intimate ones to a high-powered main stage.

Prashker -– who is also part of the Celtic roots group RUNA and a ‘percussionist to the folkies’ — noted that when she assumed her position with the festival three years ago it was her “secret hope to put the beautiful small town of Goderich on the world map … and now it will again be on the world stage virtually.” As in 2020, she noted that “Although the musicians will have pre-recorded music especially for us, the hosts, will be live all weekend long — and each musician will be Zooming in before their slot happens so we can all interact with the audiences watching.” Prashker, who first taught at the Celtic College and played the festival with RUNA in 2011, expressed hope that the virtual festival experience will give viewers a small glimpse of the spirit and beauty of Goderich that drew her there.

Marking its usual calendar spot and Brigadoon-like appearance, the fest will be shorter & sweeter yet still brimming with love, talent, community spirit and, of course, still accessible and ASL-interpreted, according to Anne Saunders, the festival’s artistic director. She noted that this year’s festival will seek to be as contact-free as possible and advises attendees to bring and use only their own chairs. There will be no on-site camping.

A Day of Falcon Ridge — for which advance ticket sales end by July 28 — will feature eight acts on two stages, along with more limited food and crafts and the ever-present community vibe. Slated to perform are festival stalwarts Vance Gilbert, Nerissa & Katryna Nields, the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, and Susan Werner.

Over the span of more than 30 years, the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival has drawn thousands of music lovers to a farm in Hillsdale, New York — located in the foothills of the Berkshires near the tri-state corner of NY, Connecticut and Massachusetts — where the multi-day event usually takes place. The festival generally features dozens of artists performing on several stages, children’s music and activities, and a wide array of crafts, food and other vendors. In recent years, it has been preceded by a Pre-Fest Tastings Day & Farm Market featuring locally grown food, drink and artisanal items, along with performances by a number of artists on The Lounge Stage curated by Tribal Mischief Productions. Those camping at Falcon Ridge and staying up through the early morning hours have enjoyed an array of informal jams, mini-showcases and after-hours song circles that help foster a sense of “folk” community.

Saunders expressed hope that Falcon Ridge can return to its previous incarnation next year. “But this year, amid the pandemic, we’re following state and federal guidelines and exhibiting an abundance of caution out of concern for the health and safety of our community,” she said.

Quarter Horse is a six-member ensemble that was voted the Most Wanted to Return Emerging Artists at the 2018 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival. Elements of folk, rock, alternative, country, blues, and jazz are all part of its Americana sound.

Prior to the evening concert, Michael Kornfeld, president of the Folk Music Society of Huntington and editor & publisher of AcousticMusicScene.com, will conduct an on-stage conversational interview with the evening’s featured & opening artists at 7:30 p.m. He also hosts a series of amplified showcases and a harmony workshop (presented by The Honey Dewdrops) from 1-6 p.m. These will take place near a canopy tent on the upper lawn area overlooking the stage and will feature artists from throughout LI and the New York metropolitan area.

Artists slated to showcase their talents during the afternoon include Josie Bello, Roger Street Friedman, Loretta Hagen, Ray Lambiase, The Levins, Catherine Miles & Jay Mafale, Kate Mills, Dave Murphy, Open Book, Nico Padden, Queler/Farber Family Band, The Royal Yard, Rachael Sage, South Country String Band, Christine Sweeney, and Toby Tobias.

The complete schedule for the Huntington Folk Festival appears below:

1:00 Ray Lambiase
1:15: Song Swap: Rorie Kelly, Nico Padden & Christine Sweeney
2:00 South Country String Band
2:15 Josie Bello
2:30 Roger Street Friedman
2:45 The Royal Yard (sea shanty duo)
3:00 Dave Murphy
3:15 Loretta Hagen
3:30 Kate Mills
3:45 Open Book
4:00 Harmony Workshop with The Honey Dewdrops
4:45 Catherine Miles & Jay Mafale
5:00 The Levins
5:15 Queler/Farber Family Band
5:30 Toby Tobias
5:45 Rachael Sage
6:00 Dinner Break
7:30 On-Stage Conversation with Quarter Horse and The Honey Dewdrops
8:00 Evening Concert on the Chapin Rainbow Stage

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 festival’s evening concert will also be livestreamed via the Huntington Arts Council’s Facebook page and its website (huntingtonarts.org).

The Huntington Summer Arts Festival is produced by the Town of Huntington and presented by the Huntington Arts Council. Additional support is provided by Presenting Sponsor Canon U.S.A., with partial funding from the New York State Council on the Arts, Suffolk County, and Darin. W. Reed – Allstate Insurance Agent. The Honey Dewdrops’ performance is sponsored in part by a grant from the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation.

Editor’s Note: This is my 13th year curating and emceeing artist showcases during the Huntington Folk Festival.

Gathering Time — the Long Island, NY-based trio of Stuart Markus, Hillary Foxsong and Gerry McKeveny — has drawn the attention of folk fans with a sound reminiscent of musical luminaries such as The Byrds, Peter, Paul & Mary, and Crosby, Stills & Nash. However, Gathering Time’s vocal harmonies and instrumental acumen on both originals and choice covers have broadened its appeal to a wider audience.

Although the trio has also toured in Canada and Europe, Gathering Time has forged a musical foothold throughout the Northeast U.S. – due in part to having secured several official juried showcases at Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) conferences and being audience-voted as “Most Wanted to Return” artists at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival in 2012.

Gathering Time’s new album, Old Friends, is a collection of classic folk-rock songs from the 1960s and 1970s. On it, the trio pays homage to some of the artists who influenced the sound of its original music through recreating and reinterpreting some of its members’ favorite songs — ones that Gathering Time revels in playing alongside its own and whose messages of love, concern and wisdom are as relevant today as they were a half-century or more ago.

Gathering Time’s songs have been widely played on folk radio for a number of years. Its previous three albums also made the top five on the monthly folk radio airplay charts. The trio’s 2016 release, Keepsake, was the #1 album and featured the month’s most-played song on folk radio during March 2016, while When One Door Closes … was the #3 album in January 2014 and Red Apples and Gold charted at #5 in September 2012.

Gathering Time’s cover of The Youngbloods’ classic “Getting Together,” which appears on Old Friends, was the most-played song on folk radio in July. That song was released to folk DJs ahead of the album at the urging of John Platt, host of Sunday Supper on New York’s WFUV, who also designated Old Friends the Spotlight Album of the Month for September on his New Folk Initiative blog. Writes Platt: “While they dive deep into the folk-rock canon from the ‘60s and early ‘70s on their superb new album, Old Friends, they don’t just honor the classics, [Gathering Time] make them their own with their delicious harmonies… These songs are indeed Old Friends, and the album reminds us why they’ve been part of the soundtrack of our lives.”

James Lee Baker is a Texas-based folk-rock balladeer who has been a finalist in several songwriting competitions. An official showcase artists at the 2019 Southwest Regional Folk Alliance (SWRFA) Conference, he has played stages throughout the southwestern U.S. “100 Summers” is the title track of his new album that was recorded in one take at Blue Rock Studios in Wimberly, Texas. Prior to its release this year, Baker released another album, Home Again, in 2017 and a pair of EPs in 2011 and 2014.

Here’s a link to view a video of James Lee Baker performing “100 Summers” live at Blue Rock Studios: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BCicb0xFyYg

Scott Cook’s song “Say Can You See,” which topped the charts in August, appears on his recent seventh release, Tangle of Souls, the second most-played album on folk radio in both August and September. An internationally touring Edmonton, Alberta-based troubadour, Cook has been playing an average of more than 150 shows and a dozen festivals annually since 2007. However, like most artists, he’s not been touring during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Chosen by Falcon Ridge Folk Festival attendees as the “Most Wanted to Return” artist following 2019’s Grassy Hill Emerging Artist Showcase, Cook performed as part of the virtual festival in July.

The September 2020 Top Albums, Songs and Artists charts are based on 13,108 airplays reported on 434 playlists submitted by 114 different DJs. The number of reported spins appears in parentheses in the monthly top albums, songs and artists charts that can be viewed by clicking on the link below:
https://www.folkradio.org/chart/september-2020/#albums

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

The festival usually features dozens of artists performing on several stages (including a dance tent), children’s music and activities, and a wide array of crafts, food and other vendors. For the past several years, a Pre-Fest Tastings Day & Farm Market has taken place on Thursday and featured locally grown food, drink and artisanal items, along with performances by a number of artists from the late afternoon through the evening on the Lounge Stage curated by Tribal Mischief. Those camping at Falcon Ridge and staying up through the early morning hours have enjoyed an array of informal jams, mini-showcases and after-hours song circles that help foster a sense of “folk” community. This year’s virtual festival will be quite a different experience to be enjoyed from the comfort of your own home.

The Falcon Ridge 2020 Share & Shelter In Place Fest will be shown on the festival’s Facebook and YouTube pages: facebook.com/FalconRidgeFest and http://youtube.com/channel/UCgoYgzUgfFhTc_EXhNeC_ng? from 1:30-4:30 p.m. each day and will also be archived for replay and future viewing. The audio stream from the virtual festival may also be heard on FolkMusic Notebook.com, the 24/7 online music channel.Live streams from virtual camps, song swaps and mini-showcases — including The Lounge Stage on Thursday night (see details below), Big Orange Tarp, Dave Carter Song Circle, Night Owl Song Swap, Pirate Camp and more will also be shared at later times via various online platforms.

Evocative archival footage from past festivals and special messages from previous festival artists, longtime vendors, radio sponsors, dancers, campers, and others in the festival commUNITY will be interspersed among performance videos by 30 confirmed participating artists/acts and an abbreviated Grassy Hill Emerging Artist Showcase.

Scott Cook (a Canadian prairie roots balladeer), Zoe Mulford (a transatlantic singer-songwriter) and South For The Winter (a Nashville-based, genre-bending trio) were the artists who were voted “Most Wanted” to return by festival attendees following last year’s Grassy Hill Emerging Artist Showcase.

More information on Cook and the other Most Wanted artists, as well as video links, may be found in an article that was published in February and may be found at https://acousticmusicscene.com/2020/02/12/falcon-ridge-most-wanted-artists-named-2/.

Although 24 artists/acts usually showcase their talents on Friday afternoon, this year’s abbreviated edition of the Emerging Artist Showcase includes 11: Andy Baker, John Beacher, Randy Lewis Brown, Buffalo Rose, Kala Farnham, Lynne Hanson, Indian Summer Jars, Karyn Ann, The Levins, The Real Sarahs, and Shanna in a Dress. The Emerging Artists Showcase is not a contest, and artists won’t be judged per se, although the audience is surveyed as to which showcase artists they’d like to see return the following year to participate in a Most Wanted Song Swap.

Lounge Stage at Falcon Ridge Streams Via Twitch on Thursday, July 30

Another highlight of the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival has been The Lounge Stage. For the past 10 years, many festivalgoers have flocked to it on Thursdays for an early musical fix before the festival formally gets underway on Friday.

Curated by Tribal Mischief (the brainchild of Ethan Baird and Jake Bush, who are also the mainstays of the band Pesky J. Nixon) with tech support by Scott Jones, what began as a special event on the festival’s campgrounds now customarily takes place in the Dance Tent. This year, The Lounge Stage will stream live on Thursday evening, July 30, from 7p.m.-12 a.m. EST at http://twitch.tv/tribalmischief.

Artists slated to perform, in order of appearance, include Pete Mancine, Izzy Heltai, Zoe Mulford, Brian and Katie (We’re About 9), Mya Byrne, Kirsten Maxwell, Dinty Child, Sol y Canto, Mike McKenna Jr., Annie Sumi, Tragedy Ann, Rachael Kilgour, Crys Matthews, Heather Mae, and Vance Gilbert.

Baird noted that the Lounge Stage at Falcon Ridge was launched to afford the weeklong attendees at the festival and select artists an opportunity to more intimately engage with each other when the festival was forced to shorten its schedule after a couple of really challenging years due to weather. Over the last decade, the Lounge Stage has presented more than 200 artists. “This year, the stage has really been split into two entities,” said Baird. “ One run by Scott Jones — our initial partner in putting the Lounge Stage together as the technical director and master of lighting, sound, and recording – will feature a retrospective of the last 10 years of material from the Lounge Stage’s evolution from hillside show to a festival mainstay. Jake and I are taking what we have built with the Tribal Mischief network of conversational programming and music presentation and are hoping to present the best amalgamation of virtual and live events.

Baird acknowledged that while multiple musicians can share a stage via the platform that Tribal Mischief is using, current technology won’t allow for them to play together live simultaneously. “However,’ he added, “they can cheer for each other, comment, speak, and interact. That interaction has always been the principle on which the Lounge Stage was built, and to be able to facilitate that means a lot to us.”

Baird noted that “Tribal Mischief is in the middle of a high-risk experiment in which we are betting on technologies and online tools that the folk community hasn’t really embraced as of yet — namely YouTube and Twitch. There are millions of people out there on these platforms actively and desperately looking for good content, for something different. We are betting that this is something that the remarkable creators in our community may not have realized they were missing.”

In addition, but of equal importance, according to Baird, “both of these platforms offer creators the opportunity to earn money passively through advertising.” He said that “while we welcome the subscriptions of our fans and want to encourage community building and engagement, we are trying to move away from a fundraising mechanism that is 100% reliant on donations. We hope to be able to build that through efforts like this.” Accordingly, this will be the first Lounge Stage for which donations will be accepted. It will also be the first one for which all the participating artists will be paid, while 20 percent of the funds raised will go to help ensure that the continuation of the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival.

“We won’t take a penny raised through this show – making sure that the artist community has an opportunity to make some money this year –considering all the shows and performances that have been lost is really important to us, “ Baird added.

Tribal Mischief (http://tribalmischief.com) seeks to assist worthy causes and build community through music. Baird and Bush host weekly conversational broadcasts with music makers and others in the music industry each Sunday on Tribal Mischief’s Twitch channel.

To stream or download past Lounge Stage performances, visit http://theloungestage.com.

Although there is no cost the stream the Falcon Ridge 2020 Share & Shelter in Place Festival, Saunders noted that donations — via paypal.me/FalconRiidgeFolkFest or venmo.com/FalconRidgeFolks or from the venmo app: @FalconRidgeFolks –will be much appreciated.”One of our goals in presenting this virtual fest, as far as contributions raised,is to come as close as we can to paying all of our confirmed artists their entire fee for this year because, for many of them, it may be the only fee they will get for a very long time,” she said. “Along with that, we hope to give something substantial to Dodds Farm [where the festival usually takes place] so that they can continue to hold on as well.”