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.

Besides several jam-packed days and nights of music showcases, song swaps/in-the-rounds, open mics and informal jam sessions, the NERFA conference will also feature, informative panel discussions and workshops, one-on-one mentoring and peer & affinity group sessions, communal meals, awards presentations, an exhibit hall, a very special film screening, a reception, communal meals, a community meeting with NERFA’s volunteer board of directors, and lots of opportunities for schmoozing and networking. Singer-songwriters Flamy Grant and Janis Ian (best known for her early hits “Society’s Child” and “At 17”) will keynote the conference on Friday and Saturday nights, respectively.

Booking gigs may be the primary objective of some performers who attend the conference; and many presenters and folk DJs do scout out new artists and those whom they have not previously heard and seen in live performance. However, the conference experience is much more than that; it’s really about forging connections, building community, and taking advantage of learning opportunities that can help enhance and enrich your professional and personal lives.

The conference’s programming committee, under the leadership of Ron Olesko, a NERFA board member and the creator and director of Folk Music Notebook (a 24/7 online radio station and community hub), has arranged a diverse array of workshops, panel discussions and special events.

“We are excited to present a special pre-release screening of a new film You Got Gold: A Celebration of John Prine,“ said Olesko. Filmed during a star-studded two-night tribute to the legendary songwriter at Nashville’s famed Ryman Auditorium in October 2022, its national theatrical release is slated for later in November. Prine’s widow, Fiona Whelan Prine, president of Oh Boy! Records and a producer of the film will engage in a Q & A session following the screening. Anna Canoni, president of Woody Guthrie Publications, will give a presentation about her grandfather and the newly released Woody at Home: Woody Guthrie’s Home Recordings, 1951-1952. Buskin & Batteau, Christine Lavin, John Forster, and Carla Ulbrich — who occasionally perform together as the April Fools –will share some very funny folk songs. Also slated is a Friday morning production of Ms. Music: The Jackie Alper Story, a folk musical written and directed by Andy Spence and Sarah Dillon, that honors the late folk music legend in the New York Capital Region and an influential figure in the folk revival.

Also on the conference schedule are the ever-popular On the Griddle instant critique session during which a panel of folk DJs listen to the first 60 seconds of a number of songs and provides snap feedback. Sonny Ochs, a longtime folk DJ and sister of the late troubadour and activist Phil Ochs, will again host a Wisdom of the Elders session. It will feature acclaimed singer-songwriters Janis Ian and Tom Chapin a, along with Terry Thai (Bob Dylan’s first manager and former wife of Dave Van Ronk). Olesko joins Ochs in posing questions to them in a conversational format. A number of workshops and panel discussions designed to help artists and presenters as they try to navigate the challenges currently faced by the folk community are also on the agenda.

Juried Showcases Slated for Friday and Saturday Nights      

Taking center stage during the conference will be 14 artists/acts selected by a panel of judges from among more than 160 submissions – with each to perform a 15-minute formal showcase set on Friday and Saturday nights – the most coveted performance opportunity at the conference. Showcasing their talents on Friday night will be Phil Henry, Judy Kass, Weary Ramblers, Connie Kaldor, Taylor Abrahamse, Elise Leavy, and Cassie and Maggie. Saturday night’s featured artists include The Levins, Sadie Gustafson-Zook, Beecharmer, Louie Lou Louis, Mystery Loves Company, Paul Colombino, and The Honey Badgers.

Judges for this year’s official juried showcases were Richard Cuccaro (publisher of Acoustic Live! in New York City & Beyond), Aaron Nathans (singer-songwriter and recording artist), and Mary Stewart (artistic director of Hugh’s Room Live in Toronto, Ontario)

On Thursday evening, the conference’s opening night, a Presenters Showcase will feature short performances by 14 artists/acts chosen by select folk DJs and concert & festival presenters. Listed in order of appearance, they are Haunted Like Human, Nico Padden, Christine Baillargeon, Nora Meier, Selena Tibbert, Halley Neal, Mirabelle Skipworth, Marc Apostoides, Sam Edelston, Ben Diamond (AKA Son Stone), Allison Strong, Francesca Panetta, Sam Berquist, and Mark & Jill.

Following the juried and curator’s showcases each evening, a number of presenters, performers and others will host private showcases in first floor hotel rooms that extend from 10:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. AcousticMusicScene.com will host a series of song swaps in place of its longtime popular Midnight Hoot on Thursday overnight.

Here’s the AcousticMusicScene.com Showcase lineup:

10:30 p.m             Songs of Social Justice: Dan & Faith, Hank Stone

11:00 p.m.            Reggie Harris & Pat Wictor

11:30 p.m.            Long Island Sounds: James O’Malley, Roger Street Friedman

12:00 a.m.             Americana Folk: Lynn Crossett, Susan Kane, Carolann Solebello

12:30 a.m.             Mixed Bag: Miles & Mafale, Arielle Silver

1:00 a.m.                Funny Folk: Mark Allen Berube, Barry Rabin, Carla Ulbrich

1:30 a.m.                Tunes from Texas: Claudia Gibson, Mystery Loves Company

2:00 a.m.              Doug Mishkin, Stuart Markus

NERFA Leaders Share Their Thoughts on the Conference

“We are thrilled about our new location, nore central to our region in a beautiful and spacious hotel that offers ample opportunity for gathering on a single floor, which will encourage interaction and socializing,” Olesko told AcousticMusicScene.com. “It’s perfect for encouraging collaborations and sharing of best practices.”

Echoing his sentiments, Cheryl Prashker, president of NERFA’s board of directors, said:

“I am excited that we have brought the conference to Albany, New York for the first time. The Desmond Hotel is a perfect space for our community that gathers each year to share their music, their knowledge, and their passion for giving to each other. I cannot think of a more important thing at this time.” Expressing gratitude for a music community of which she’s been a part for more than 25 years, she said: “It has shaped who I am as a musician and a person. All I hope to be able to do is offer the young musicians coming up some love and support as they navigate the business of folk music.”

NERFA 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 conference, NERFA’s geographic boundaries extend from the eastern provinces of Canada south to the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. More extensive information on the organization and its annual conference may be found online at www.nerfa.org and www.nerfaconference.org. The four other North American regions – Folk Alliance Region Midwest (FARM), Folk Alliance Region – West (FAR-West), Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA), and Southwest Regional Folk Alliance (SWRFA) already held their 2025 conferences. Folk Alliance International’s next conference is set for January — — in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Editor’s Note: Besides hosting a late-night song swap-style artist showcase during the conference, as I have under the banner of AcousticMusicScene.com most years since the online publication’s inception in 2007, I will be assisting two of my artist PR clients (Lynn Crossett and James O’Malley) and offering some one-on-one mentoring sessions on artist bios and one-sheets, EPKS, social media promotion, and various other aspects of public relations and strategic communications. As president of the Folk Music Society of Huntington (a nonprofit presenting organization on Long Island, NY), I also curated and will co-host a private showcase under its banner on Friday overnight. As a past president and former 15-year board member of NERFA who was not at last year’s conference, I really look forward to this one.

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.

NERFA (nerfa.org) is one of five North American regional affiliates of Folk Alliance International, a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion — and the only one to host its annual conference both in-person and online this year. Southwest Regional Folk Alliance (SWRFA) and Folk Alliance Region Midwest (FARM) held in-person conferences in September and October, respectively, while Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA) held its 2022 conference in the spring and Folk Alliance Region-West opted not to host one this year.

As in years past, the NERFA conference will feature several jam-packed days and nights of music showcases, song swaps and jam sessions; open mics; one-on-one mentoring and peer group sessions; an exhibit hall; keynote speakers, awards; a community meeting; an open-sing; and lots of informal conversation and networking. The conference is designed to help attendees forge connections and build community, while also providing learning and performance opportunities that can help enhance their professional and personal lives.

Unlike previous NERFA conferences, all of the events will not take place in one location. While the Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel will be home to much of the in-person conference, Formal Showcases will be held at The Stone Pony — a venerable music club located just a few minutes away from it. NERFA Awards will also be presented there, as will two of the conference’s three nightly keynote addresses.

Artists Showcase Their Talents at The Stone Pony, the Host Hotel and Online

The juried formal showcases are considered the premiere performance opportunity during the conference. From among hundreds of submissions, 20 artists/acts were chosen to perform in-person at The Stone Pony, while another 20 were awarded virtual showcase opportunities. All will be streamed online for virtual ticket holders, while Saturday’s in-person formal showcases also are open to the public for $15 plus a service fee in advance via nerfaconference.org/tickets/ or $20 at the venue.

Virtual formal showcasing performers – each of whom submitted a pre-recorded live video – include Deidre McCalla, Emily Drinker, Genevieve Racette, Greg Greenway, ilyAIMY, Joshua Garcia, Justin Farren, Kray Van Kirk, Larry & Joe, Madison Violet, Natalie Price, Palmyra, Peter Calo, Rachael Sage, Rupert Wates, Sam Robbins, Shanna in a Dress, Taylor Abrahamse, and Travis Knapp. In addition to being screened online, all 20 virtual formal showcases will be presented on-site via a theater-sized video wall in the exhibit hall that will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday.

Conference attendees will also have the opportunity to enjoy a Saturday afternoon showcase presented by Folk Music Ontario and the opening night’s Suzi Wollenberg Folk DJ Showcase that will feature short performances by seven artists/acts selected by folk DJs, along with a keynote address by Sarah Craig, executive director of Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs, NY — America’s longest continuously operating folk club. Following the juried and folk DJ showcases each evening, a number of private showcases curated by conference attendees will be held in various hotel rooms from 10 p.m. through the early morning hours on Thursday-Saturday overnight. Some hosts may also livestream their in-person showcases, while others are hosting virtual showcases.

Panel Discussions and Workshops Explore a Variety of Topics

The conference’s programming committee has created a streamlined array of 60-90 minute panel discussions and workshops. These include “Artists & Presenters: Safe Expectations & Boundaries,” “Blurring the Boarder: Do’s, Don’ts and Musts to Ensure a Successful Crossing,” “Bringing Your Venue Online,” “Coming Back from Quarantine – House Concert Edition,” “A Crash Course in Cutting the Cord & Becoming a Full-Time Musician,” “The Current State of Marketing Yourself,” “Defining Success in Your Career,” “Editing Videos for Fun and Profit,” “Export Ready – Preparing Yourself for a New Marketplace,” “How to Return from the Pandemic Stronger,” “How to Seize Financial Opportunities,” “The Ins & Outs of Co-writing,” “Keep the Story Going (The Lifecycle of a Song),” “Lifecycle of Record Production & Release,” “The Reality of Touring for Working Artists,” and “Recording Remotely.”

David Amram (“the renaissance man of American music”) and Vance Gilbert (a veteran touring singer-songwriter and past keynote speaker) will conduct performance critique sessions, while Jean Rohe and acclaimed singer-songwriter Dar Williams present songwriting workshops. Ron Olesko (a veteran folk DJ and the creator & curator of Folk Music Notebook) moderates a Wisdom of the Elders panel discussion featuring Kari Estrin (a radio promoter and artist development & career consultant), Mitch Greenhiill (a musician, composer, producer, and president of the music agency FLiArtists) and Biff Kennedy (an artist manager and radio promoter).

Virtual Tickets Enabling Online Access to the Conference for 30 or 365 Days are Still Available for Purchase

Virtual tickets that afford you online access to all official virtual conference programming (including live-streamed panel discussions and workshops, formal showcases and keynotes, as well as virtual private showcases) for 30/365 days following the conference are available for $35/$50 plus service fees at nerfaconference.org/tickets/.

Born Anthony Grant Barrand in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, England on April 3, 1945 to parents who were part of a local brass band, he moved across the Atlantic after attending Keele University and lived in Brattleboro, Vermont. While pursing a Ph.D. in psychology at Cornell University in the late 1960s, he and John Roberts, a fellow graduate student who was also born and raised in England, discovered that they shared a mutual affinity for English traditional songs and formed a musical duo.

Roberts and Barrand performed a vast repertoire of traditional English folk songs and sea chanteys at festivals, colleges, folk clubs and coffeehouses throughout the U.S., Canada and the UK for more than 50 years. Although best known for their a cappella harmonies, Roberts and Barrand also played instruments. Roberts plays concertina, as well as banjo and guitar, while Barrand was a percussionist on drums, bones and spoons. In concert, they punctuated their songs with folktales, stories, dances, and tunes. The duo recorded a number of albums for various labels over the years and also recorded with Fred Breunig and Andy Davis and performed annual yuletide concerts as Nowell Sing We Clear. An unredacted 3 –CD set of Roberts and Barrand performing live at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, Illinois on January 21, 1978 — recorded by Rich Warren, the longtime former host of The Midnight Special at WFMT Radio – was release to mark the duo’s 50th anniversary concert in September 2019.

Barrand was also a gifted Morris and clog dancer, whose book Six Fools and a Dancer has been cited as a definitive work on Morris dance in the U.S. Besides teaching and writing books about Morris dance, as well as editing the journal Country Dance and Song, Barrand created the Marlboro Morris Ale — a national gathering of Morris dancers that takes place annually in Vermont. The Anthony Grant Barrand Collection of Morris, Sword, and Clog Dancing – featuring a number of films and videos – can be found at the Library of Congress’ American Folklife Center and has also been digitized for online viewing via Boston University. The Country Dance and Song Society honored him with its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008 in recognition of his efforts in teaching, researching and recording Morris dance, as well as for his work as a traditional singer and musician.

A professor emeritus of anthropology (including folklore and esthetics) at Boston University, Barrand taught such courses as English Ritual Dance and Drama, Folk Songs as Social History, and The Psychology and Folklore of Extra-Sensory Perception and Psychic Phenomena.

Folk Music Notebook, a 24-hour online folk music channel launched by veteran folk DJ Ron Olesko in 2019, pays tribute to the life and work of Tony Barrand today (January 30) with two recorded concerts by Roberts and Barrand from 2001 and 2005, as well as a more recent interview with Barrand, beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

The event takes place via Zoom and will be viewable on your computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone. You must register at festival.oldsongs.org to receive a Zoom link via email. Select daytime events and the evening Main Stage concerts will be simulcast on Folk Music Notebook, the 24/7 internet folk radio channel created and curated by veteran folk DJ Ron Olesko, while the evening concerts will also be livestreamed on Old Songs’ YouTube channel.

Among the more than 70 artists slated to perform are Scott Ainslie, The Amidons, Bourque Emissaires, Matthew Byrne & the Byrne Family, Andy Cohen, Guy Davis, Jeff Davis, Steve Gillette & Cindy Mangsen, Sam Gleaves & Deborah Payne, The Great Groove Band, Reggie Harris, Joe Jencks, Hubby Jenkins, JigJam, John Kirk & Trish Miller, Chris Koldewey, Evie Ladin, Magpie, Mist Covered Mountains, John Roberts, Roger the Jester, Sally Rogers & Howie Bursen, Claudia Schmidt, Dennis Stroughmatt & L’Esprit Creole, The Vox Hunters, Windborne, and Bethany Yarrow.

During the daytime hours, there will be five different Zoom breakout rooms – each named after buildings from the in-person festival. Open mics will take place at 5 p.m. ET on both Friday and Saturday. April Grant hosts a Saturday morning ballad sing, while Amanda Witman hosts a Saturday After-Concert Ballad Sing and The Amidons lead a Sunday morning Sacred Harp Sing. Singer-songwriter Steve Gillette presents a songwriting workshop on Friday afternoon for which pre-registration is necessary. A complete schedule and additional information may be found on the festival’s website.

Old Songs (https://festival.oldsongs.org) is a family-friendly festival of folk, traditional, Celtic and regional music and dance, known for its relaxed atmosphere, interactive sessions and workshops, hands-on experiences and participatory nature. In addition to three evening concerts, it usually features more than 100 daytime workshops, dances and performances, as well as a juried craft show, food and instrument vendors, and a children’s activity area.

Launched on May 3, 2019 — the 100th anniversary of the birth of late folk music icon Pete Seeger — Folk Music Notebook is a 24/7 online folk music channel that also can be accessed via free apps and listened to through your smartphones, car speakers, and other Bluetooth streaming devices. In addition to Olesko, Folk Music Notebook features programs hosted by other folk DJs. Olesko views the channel as “a place to ‘discover’ new artists and songs, as well as honor the established names who created this living tradition.”

Streaming online from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET at Clearwaterfestival.org, as well as on the nonprofit environmental organization’s YouTube channel and Facebook page, the virtual festival will feature a wide array of musical performers, storytellers and activists. Participating artists include Scott Ainslie, David Amram, David & Jacob Bernz, Blind Boys of Alabama, Marla and David Celia, The Chapin Sisters, Tom Chapin, Guy Davis, Emma’s Revolution, Dom Flemons, Fred Gillen, Jr., Lyn Hardy & Ruth Ungar, Reggie Harris, Jaeger & Reid, Hubby Jenkins, The Johnson Girls, Diana Jones, Lucy Kaplansky, Geoff Kaufman, Larry Long, Magpie, Mike & Ruthy of The Mammals, John McEuen, John McCutcheon, Alastair Moock, Mustard’s Retreat, Holly Near, Rik Palieri, Tom Paxton, Sparky & Rhonda Rucker, Tom Rush, Joanne Shenandoah, Chris Smither, Noel Paul Stookey, The Storycrafters, Livingston Taylor, Happy Traum, Matt Turk, Jay Ungar & Molly Mason, Sloan Wainwright, Don White, Josh White Jr., and Paul Winter, among others.

A number of folk radio DJs will serve as emcees. These include Jimmy Buff (Host of Jimmy Buff Loves You on WKNY Radio Kingston in upstate New York), Wanda Fischer (host of the long-running Hudson River Sampler on WAMC in New York’s Capitol Region), Sonny Ochs (host of Folk Music & Other Stuff on WIOX in New York’s Catskills Region and on Folk Music Notebook), Ron Olesko (creator of Folk Music Notebook, a 24-7 online music channel and longtime host of Traditions on WFDU in Teaneck, NJ), Rik Palieri (host of Folk Talk with Rik Palieri on WBTV in Burlington, VT and also on Folk Music Notebook), John Platt (host of Sunday Supper on WFUV in New York City and creator of the New Folk Initiative online portal) and Bob Sherman (longtime host of Woody’s Children that now precedes Platt’s Sunday Supper on WFUV).

Although the virtual festival is free, donations will be gratefully accepted. Funds raised will help keep the sloop Clearwater afloat and support the ongoing educational programs and environmental work of the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc.– a nonprofit, member-supported organization launched by Pete Seeger and others more than 40 years ago to clean up, preserve and protect the Hudson River and its tributaries.

A recording of Clearwater’s The Great Hudson River Revival Livestream will be available for viewing for some time after it streams live so you can watch the parts you missed or re-watch those that you enjoyed.

Extending from 3-6 p.m. EST, the 2021 Folk DJ Emerging Artist Showcase is hosted by Folk Music Notebook, an online radio station showcasing a wide array of folk music 24/7 since May 2019. The showcase premieres with a video stream on its YouTube channel (Here is a direct link to view the video: https://youtu.be/ZOAHIRHvTb8], while there will also be a separate audio stream at www.FolkMusicNotebook.com.

Inspired by the Folk DJ Showcase that was started in 2003 at the annual Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) Conference by Rich Warren (the former longtime host of The Midnight Special on Chicago’s WFMT that is also nationally syndicated) and the late Suzi Wollenberg, this virtual showcase will carry on the tradition that was interrupted with the cancellation of the November event due to the COVID-19 pandemic, notes Ron Olesko, a veteran folk DJ who founded and curates Folk Music Notebook.

Realizing that the NERFA Conference would not be taking place, Olesko contacted fellow DJs John Platt, Joe Pszonek and Bruce Swan to discuss doing something online in its place. “We brainstormed and came up with this virtual showcase, and I think what all the DJs have created will remind viewers and listeners of the spirit of the guerrilla Folk DJ Showcase that has been part of NERFA since 2003,” said Olesko. “If this event is well received, we might try another in the spring with other DJs from around the United States and Canada. The talent in our community continues to astound me, and I predict that the artists who are participating in this event will soon become audience favorites.”

Referring to the Folk DJ Showcase as a highlight of the NERFA Conference for a couple of decades, Platt, host of Sunday Supper on WFUV in New York, recalls “first getting turned on to [Canadian singer-songwriter] Rose Cousins and being gratified by the response to artists like [eclectic NY-based alt-roots-Americana band] Spuyten Duyvil that I introduced.” He believes “The lineup here is equally strong, and the beauty is you don’t have to pay for registration or have a hotel room to enjoy them.”

Here is the list of DJs and the artists whom they will be presenting (in order of appearance):

Ron Olesko, a veteran folk DJ and creator & curator of the 24/7 Internet folk radio channel, said “Folk Music Notebook will proudly carry on the spirit of the camp each night as we present concerts from many past and present staff members.” Among the artists slated to share their music are (not in order of appearance) AJ Bodnar & Liza DiSavino, Amy Conley, Andy Cohen, Anni Fentiman & Dave Weber, The Vox Hunters with Sally Rogers & Howie Bursen, Aubrey Atwater & Elwood Donnelly, Becky Tracy & Rachel Bell, Ben Paley, Bennett Konesni & Edith Gawler, Bill Peek, Brian Peters, Brigitte Kloareg, Carolyn Robson, Chris Koldewey, Chris Newman, Coracree (Allan Carr, Sarah Gowan, Bill Quern, Jane Rothfield), Dave Para & Erika Gerety, Dennis Stroughmatt & Doug Hawf, Eliza Carthy, Emily O’Brien, Forest Huval, George Wilson, Gina Forsyth, Harry Tuft, Heather Wood, Hubby Jenkins, Ian Russell, Iona Fyfe, Jen Larson, Jody Kruskal, John Kirk & Trish Miller,John Roberts, Katell Kloareg & Fred Boudinau, Linnea Paton, Lorraine & Bennett Hammond, Margaret Bennett, Mark Gilston, Martin Wyndham-Read, Max Cohen & Rose Clancy, Michael & Carrie Kline, Moira Craig, Molly Hebert-Wilson, Ryan & Brennish Thomson, Sally Rogers & Howie Bursen with Armand Aromin & Benedict Gagliardi, Susan Trump, Tim Eriksen, and The Vox Hunters (Armand Aromin & Benedict Gagliardi) with Rogers & Bursen

Co-directed by Joy Bennett (who is also executive director of Old Songs, Inc.) and Heather Wood (who also performs), TradMad has previously hosted daily workshops on a variety of topics, instrument instruction, dancing to live music, staff concerts, vocal coaching, camper concerts, jamming, singing, swimming, and more. This year, traditional folk fans will have to supply their own campfires and marshmallows, but each evening’s concert will feature some of the finest purveyors of traditional music from both sides of the Atlantic, according to Bennett and Wood. “You can tune in and become a virtual camper — and you won’t need bug spray to listen at this camp!,” they noted.

Noting that folk music has become a term for so many different styles, particularly contemporary acoustic singer-songwriters,” Olesko said: “I’ve always felt that we need to remind people of the our roots – and those deep roots contain the treasures that can be found in Anglo-American folk music. I try to incorporate a great deal of traditional folk into Folk Music Notebook, and this event will help strengthen our connection to the music and the powerful artists that are perpetuating these styles. “ He believes that listeners will be surprised at the diversity within these root styles and also the connections between all the countries that are represented that influence our contemporary folk world.

Over the span of four evenings, listeners will be virtually transported across the pond to the UK and Ireland, as well as to rural Appalachia and many other locales. “Artists, who have been staff instructors/tutors/campers at TradMad in the past, will share not only the songs, but will offer context and background in addition to sharing great memories of TradMad Camp,” he said.

“Each night, we will feature 10 to 12 artists performing from their homes — people like Eliza Carthy, Hubby Jenkins, Sally Rogers and Howie Bursen, John Roberts and so many more,” Olesko continued. “Listeners will be treated to classic ballads, dulcimer and fiddle tunes and some surprises too! This event will be much more than just performances – we will [seek to] capture the spirit of the annual gathering and the magic that takes place when devoted TradMad campers descend upon the beautiful and historic Pinewoods Camp in Plymouth, Massachusetts each year.”

Olesko noted that there would be “encore” broadcasts the following morning at 3am ET and again at noon ET – for all of our listeners around the globe!

“TradMad is truly is a unique and important event that I hope more people will discover,” said Olesko. “There are so many wonderful festivals, but an event like TradMad is a way for us to reconnect with our roots, and happily younger folks are discovering the bounty of offerings that traditional music holds.”

Launched on May 3, 2019 — the 100th anniversary of the birth of late folk music icon Pete Seeger — Folk Music Notebook is a 24/7 online folk music channel that also can be accessed via free apps and listened to through your smartphones, car speakers, and other Bluetooth streaming devices. In addition to Olesko, Folk Music Notebook features programs hosted by other folk DJs. Olesko views the channel as “a place to ‘discover’ new artists and songs as well as honor the established names who created this living tradition.”

Established in 1965, the Folk Music Society of New York (aka Pinewoods Folk Music Club, folkmusicny.org) is a nonprofit organization affiliated with the Country Dance and Song Society of America and engaged in concert presentation and community music-making. Besides concerts, it hosts weekends, workshops, singing parties and get-togethers — all with an emphasis on traditional folk music of all types and flavors.

“I am thrilled to work with Joy Bennett and the magnificent staff at Old Songs to bring this virtual festival to life [on FolkMusicNotebook.com],” said Olesko. “Old Songs has always held a special place in my heart. I go to a lot of different festivals, and each have a unique personality, but there is something extraordinary about Old Songs. The festival is held in a perfect setting at the Altamont Fairgrounds, just outside of Albany, New York. The grounds are a 4-H-style fair with various barns and buildings, so if it rains it is no big deal. The music is always diverse, drawing artists from all parts of the globe. They really abide by their motto of “music with roots,” and it is wonderful to discover the various cultures and the connections we share.”

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has made it impossible to have the festival at the fairgrounds this year, Olesko was eager to capture the spirit of Old Songs “and I think we have done it.” New performances by many of the artists who were slated to play the festival this summer are the centerpiece of the broadcasts that will air on FolkMusicNotebook.com. “They have graciously recorded sets from their homes, and we will be presenting these performances [on] Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, said Olesko.

Archival performances by many of the artists who have previously graced the festival’s stages will be featured during the day on Saturday and Sunday. These include Christine Lavin, Martin Carthy, the Georgia Sea Island Singers, the Johnson Girls, and James Keelagnan among others. Olesko noted that Bennett, Old Songs executive director for the past two years, has shared these recordings from the nonprofit organization’s archives that have not been heard since they were originally performed. An hour of Sacred Harp sings also is set to air on Sunday morning.

Throughout the weekend, listeners also will hear from some of the people who have guided Old Songs over its first 40 years. Andy Spence, the founder who guided the festival for its first 38 years, will discuss the origins of the event, while Bennett will talk about her experiences and what the future may hold for Old Songs. “We will also speak to Phil Teumin, the president of the board of directors for Old Songs Inc., about the other events that Old Songs organizes throughout the year,” Olesko added.

For her part, Bennett said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Ron on this project to help bring these performers into your homes, and look forward to working again with him at the 40th festival in 2021.”

The 2020 Virtual Old Songs Festival begins on Friday night, June 26, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. A full schedule will be posted online at FolkMusicNotebook.com.

Old Songs (https://festival.oldsongs.org) is a family-friendly festival of folk, traditional, Celtic and regional music and dance, known for its relaxed atmosphere, interactive sessions and workshops, hands-on experiences and participatory nature. In addition to three evening concerts, it usually features more than 100 daytime workshops, dances and performances., as well as a juried craft show, food and instrument vendors, and a children’s activity area.

Launched on May 3, 2019 — the 100th anniversary of the birth of late folk music icon Pete Seeger — Folk Music Notebook is a 24/7 online folk music channel that also can be accessed via free apps and listened to through your smartphones, car speakers, and other Bluetooth streaming devices. In addition to Olesko, Folk Music Notebook features programs hosted by other folk DJs. Olesko views the channel as “a place to ‘discover’ new artists and songs as well as honor the established names who created this living tradition.”