Reba Heyman – AcousticMusicScene.com

Erin Ash Sullivan Wins Heyman Rising Artist Award

Michael Kornfeld — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 15:19:57 +0000

Erin Ash Sullivan, a Massachusetts-based singer-songwriter, has been named as the winner of the 2025 Heyman Rising Artist Award. Focus Music established the award in 2022 in honor of the late Reba and Vic Heyman, two stalwart supporters of the folk music community.

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.

Reba Heyman Tribute Concert & Livestream Set for March 19

Michael Kornfeld — Fri, 04 Mar 2022 14:10:06 +0000

Fourteen artists/acts will help celebrate the life and legacy of Reba Heyman, a stalwart supporter of the folk music community who was widely viewed as a ‘folk angel’ or ‘folk mom,’ on Saturday, March 19, 2022. Co-sponsored by Focus Music, Uptown Concerts, World Folk Music Association (WFMA), Songwriters’ Association of Washington (SAW), and Institute of Musical Traditions, the concert takes place at the Olney Theatre in Olney, Maryland and will also be livestreamed.

Slated to showcase their talents during the concert that is set for 7 p.m. EST are Stephanie Corby, Ronny Cox, Terry Gonda and Kirsti Reeve, Lara Herscovitch, The Kennedys, Kate McDonnell, Dan Navarro, Tom Prasada-Rao, Jenny Reynolds, SONiA disappear fear, LisaBeth Weber, Annie Wenz, and Jack Williams. Also performing will be My One and Only, an Americana duo recently selected as the inaugural recipient of an annual Rising Artist Award established by Focus Music in honor of Reba and Vic Heyman. Several artists who could not be in Maryland for the tribute concert –- including Michael Bowers & Siobhan Quinn, Christine Lavin and John McCutcheon — will participate via pre-recorded videos.

Tickets for the tribute concert are $25 in advance ($25 at the door for members of the sponsoring organizations, $35 at the door for non-members and for virtual tickets) and include a video of the event that can be viewed live (for those who are not comfortable attending an in-person show) or online afterwards. “we felt the livestream was important since we know there are many outside of the DC area who felt the love Vic and Reba shared,” noted Shelley Caplan, Focus Music’s board secretary. “Also, in these times of COVID uncertainty, we wanted to provide an option for those not ready to attend an in-person show.” To order tickets and for more information on the concert and the performers, visit FocusMusic.org. Proceeds from the event will be used to fund future Rising Artist Awards.

Reba Heyman (Photo: Neale Eckstein)

Reba Heyman, who passed away on June 17, 2021 at age 84, grew up in Chevy Chase, Maryland and lived in Rockville, MD for decades. She was an integral part of the folk music community in Maryland, South Florida and nationally for many years. She and her late husband, Vic, were known for decades for their generous financial backing for folk festivals and artists, and 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 recent years, Reba Heyman had 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.

Artists Share Their Reflections on Reba Heyman

In a Facebook post last June reflecting on Reba Heyman’s passing, Maura Kennedy of the folk-rock duo The Kennedys noted of her and Vic: “They were like parents to us and to so many, and they were always in our audience, right in the front row. Vic passed away several years ago [2009], but we still saw Reba every year when we played in Florida, often staying with her.”

Dan Navarro

Singer-Songwriter Dan Navarro, recalls having first met Reba Heyman at a Folk Alliance conference in Cleveland, Ohio in 2000. “We had not met before, but wound up sitting together at the Club Lounge breakfast every morning. We joked about ‘having breakfast together’ every day, and by conference’s end, had gotten to know and like one another,” said Navarro, a former Folk Alliance International board president who co-wrote “We Belong,” a big hit for Pat Benatar. “I didn’t really know who she [Heyman] was in the community, nor did she know me or my work, so everything was immediate and taken at face value. We became instant pals.”

Navarro told AcousticMusicScene.com that over the years, he saw the Heymans at music festivals and conferences and was struck by Reba’s easy charm, her savvy wit, and the depth of her connection with Vic. “Usually dressed alike, they were the ubiquitous folk community parent/grandparent figures, and we all loved them,” he said.

Navarro reflected on having played a memorial concert for Vic Heyman, also at the Olney Theatre, along with the late David Glaser. “”We coincidentally arrived wearing the exact same Scully “Nighthawk” western shirt, with no fallback wardrobe to keep us from looking like a Holiday Inn band in matching outfits. What to do, what to do? ‘I know,’ David said. ‘Let’s say we’re dressed as Vic and Reba!’ We did, and it worked.”

Lara Herscovitch performs at the Black Bear Americana Music Festival (Michael Kornfeld)

Navarro acknowledged, as others in the folk community know, how the loss of her husband did not slow Heyman down one bit. “She traveled to the same festivals and conferences, lived a rich life split between Maryland and Florida, and was a fixture at my shows in the mid-Atlantic,” he said. “She loved reminding people, ‘we met at breakfast.’ Navarro noted that she even came on his Greek cruise in 2019, along with her daughter Judy, and charmed everyone she met “She was a gem, a delight, a charmer’s charmer, and I will miss her always,” he said.

“Reba leaves a huge, heart-shaped hole in so many of our lives,” said Lara Herscovitch, a Connecticut-based singer-songwriter. “Reba and Vic believed in me before I believed in myself; they welcomed me in, showing me that I belong in this big folk music community and family. Any time spent with Reba was home-away-from-home – whether visiting her in Florida, Maryland, at Falcon Ridge, Kerrville, any of many Folk Alliance conferences, or on the phone,” she continued. “She brought such a deep interest in and care for the world, a great sense of adventure and humor, and a determined strength alongside profound warmth and care,” the former Connecticut State Troubadour noted. Expressing gratitude for “all the gifts of connection, spirit and love that she brought to the world,” Herscovitch told AcousticMusicScene.com: “She will remain an angel on my shoulder – and thousands of others – as we all carry the lessons of her and Vic’s legacy forward.”

Folk Community Mourns the Passing of Two Stalwarts: Clark Weissman and Reba Heyman

Michael Kornfeld — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 00:45:39 +0000

By Aengus Finnan

Last week, the folk community lost two seminal figures: Clark Weissman, co-founder of Folk Alliance International (along with his late wife Elaine, 2005), and Reba Heyman, an omnipresent supporter (along with her late husband Vic, 2009).

While we can’t possibly acknowledge every passing, the specific significance of these two people is reason to pause and celebrate their lives and contributions. The quiet, heartfelt, and passionate presence and work they each did (hand in hand with their respective spouses) brought inspiration and changed the course of many lives.

Clark Weissman

Clark and Elaine Weissman
Clark and Elaine Weissman traveled across America in 1988 talking to folk music community organizers, gathering over 100 people the following year in Malibu, California, ultimately leading to the formation of the North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance (now Folk Alliance International). Clark was seminal in steering the young organization, ensuring its stability, and stewarding its hand off as it formalized. During preparations for FAI’s 30th anniversary, Clark met with the Board and staff members during a planning retreat at Camp Hess Kramer where he shared stories and photos of the initial meeting and discussions there.

Reba Heyman

Vic and Reba Heyman
Reba and Vic Heyman were more than simply uber-fans; they were consummate supporters of the
scene, present in their matching shirts at almost every Folk Alliance event (regional and international), and consistently in the front row of folk clubs and festivals from Texas to Florida to Washington and beyond. Reba was a generous mother figure to an entire generation of artists (myself included); always there with a word of encouragement, an introduction, a spare bed when passing by, advice when sought, and support of all manner when needed. Her opinion mattered, and she quietly made career-changing things happen for countless people.

In very different ways both Clark and Reba (and their spouses before them) had a profound influence
on the entire community we call home. They exemplified the best we can be: generous, aspirational,
present, and kind.

I’ll close with a quote from the song “Travel Well,” originally written for Vic’s passing by Amy Speace, Cary Cooper, Jagoda, and Tom Prasada-Rao:

“Travel well, friend and angel,
To the place where you belong,
Take your seat, front row in heaven,
Where you’ll always hear a song”

Rest in peace Clark and Reba!

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

Editor’s Note: Both Clark Weissman and Reba Heyman died on June 17, 2021. He was 87, while she was 84.

I did not know Clark Weissman who, along with his wife, ran a house concert series for 15 years and was a founder of the California Traditional Music Society. Clark and Elaine also were among the founders of Folk Alliance Region-West (FAR-West), which honored them in 2007 with its “Best of the West” Ambassador Award.

I was friendly with Reba Heyman – having come to know her through the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA). An integral part of our folk community, she will be sorely missed. Among other things, she was a co-presenter of the South Florida Folk Festival’s Singer-Songwriter Competition. Reba and her late husband, Vic, were known for decades for their generous financial backing of folk festivals and artists. The couple also formerly ran a concert series in Rockville, Maryland known as Vic’s Music Corner; served on the boards of several music festivals; and established a scholarship fund for performing artists.

South Florida Folk Festival Goes Virtual, Feb. 13-14, 2021

Michael Kornfeld — Tue, 09 Feb 2021 14:05:03 +0000

After a number of years at Fort Lauderdale’s Hugh Taylor Birch Park, the Broward Folk Club moved its annual South Florida Folk Festival to another location last February. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, festival organizers have been compelled to pivot again. The 2021 South Florida Folk Festival will stream live online February 13 and 14, 2021 (from 2-7 p.m. and 2-6:15 p.m. EST, respectively) via the nonprofit organization’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

“The Broward Folk Club is dedicated to keeping folk and acoustic music alive and vibrant into the future, and we’re confident that this virtual festival can do just that,” say festival organizers. Since its inception, the festival has been a combination of a music fest, family reunion, community gathering, and weekend musical retreat. Although it generally features nearly 50 Florida-based and national touring artists/acts performing and leading workshops on two stages, this year’s online festivities have been scaled back a bit. However, unlike past festivals, this virtual one is free to enjoy from the comfort of your own home. Donations are welcome and appreciated.

Featured performers include (in alphabetical order, not order of appearance) The Currys (Port St. Joe, FL), Friction Farm (Greenville, SC), Dave Gunning (Pictou, Nova Scotia), Lara Herscovich (Durham, CT), Joe Jencks (Dekalb, IL), Zoe Lewis (Provincetown, MA), Cara Luft (Winnipeg, Manitoba), Rod MacDonald (Lake Worth, FL), Crys Matthews (Washington, DC), Deirdre McCalla (Atlanta, GA), Mean Mary (Nashville, TN), Sofia Talvik (Sweden and Spain), and Twin Flames (Ottawa, Ontario and Nunavik, Quebec).

Lara Herscovitch (photo: Frank Piercy)
“The South Florida Folk Festival is a great event and family reunion every year,” said singer-songwriter Lara Herscovitch. “I will really miss being with everyone, catching up in person, singing together, walking on the beach in those south Florida January temperatures — as we’re talking, a foot of snow is falling here in New England!” While acknowledging that any virtual, digital format is not the same as being together in the same space, she expressed gratitude for the opportunity to share her songs online.

“Some art forms can’t pivot to online the way music is able to,” Herscovitch continued. “A big silver lining is that being online makes it all more accessible; it has been fun and amazing to connect at my own and others’ concerts with people from around the globe, and those who aren’t able to attend in person for other reasons. So, I’m just going with it, learning my own corner of the studio technology as fast as I can, and witnessing the ways that the heart and soul of music can still be delivered though a wi-fi connection. I figure it’s all just perfectly imperfect.”

Christine Stay and Aidan Quinn of Friction Farm shared similar sentiments.“ The South Florida Folk Festival was the first festival that Friction Farm played as a duo. We were recovering from the dread of being in a rock band, and the South Florida folk community was, and continues to be, unbelievably supportive and nurturing,” Stay told AcousticMusicScene.com. “We will certainly miss the late night song circles, hugs, musical spontaneity and that inexplicable energy that surrounds live music. But we can’t wait to hear our friends perform online, to celebrate the songwriter competition winners, and to see the faces of our beloved Florida friends and fans. Plus, we won’t get rained out and there won’t be a line for the bathroom.”

The Festival’s 2020 Singer-Songwriter Competition Winners Will Also Perform

Also slated during the virtual festival is a winners’ round featuring the three winners of last year’s South Florida Folk Festival Singer-Songwriter Compet ition: Pamela Machala (Boulder, CO), Aaron Nathans (Chester Heights, PA) and Karyn Oliver (Fort Worth, TX). They were selected by a panel of judges from among the 12 finalists who kicked-off last February’s musical festivities during the 2020 South Florida Folk Festival in Davie. Each received the Vic Heyman Songwriting Award, $200 cash prize and the opportunity to perform during this year’s event.

Aaron Nathans is among the three Singer-Songwriter Competition winners slated to perform online.
“Last year’s event was so much fun,” Nathans told AcousticMusicScenme.com. “We didn’t know it was the last hurrah for all of us for a while. We were reading about the virus in the news, and it was serious but far, far away, or so it seemed.” He said that he looks forward to reconnecting with the people he met there, as well as some old friends. “While I’ll miss returning to sunny South Florida, I’m glad this event is going forward in whatever way it can given the circumstances. And I can’t wait to swap songs with my friends and co-winners, Karyn Oliver and Pamela Machala.”

The songwriting competition is co-presented by Reba Heyman. Along with her late husband, Vic, Reba has been an integral part of the folk community in South Florida and nationally for many years. The couple, known for decades for their generous financial backing of folk festivals and artists, formerly ran a concert series in Rockville, Maryland known as Vic’s Music Corner. They also served on the boards of several music festivals and established a scholarship fund for performing artists.

The full schedule for the virtual 2021 South Florida Folk Festival appears on the Broward Folk Club’s Facebook page.

Winners Named in South Florida Folk Festival Singer-Songwriter Competition

Michael Kornfeld — Sun, 09 Feb 2020 06:01:46 +0000

Pamela Machala (Boulder, CO), Aaron Nathans (Chester Heights, PA) and Karyn Oliver (Stokesdale, NC) have been named as winners in the 2020 South Florida Folk Festival’s Singer-Songwriter Competition.

A panel of judges chose the three winners from among 12 finalists after each performed two songs live during the festival at its new location, the Bergeron Rodeo Grounds in Davie, on Saturday, February 8. Each of the winners receive the Vic Heyman Songwriting Award – a $200 cash prize and an invitation to perform at next year’s festival.

The songwriting competition is co-presented by the Broward Folk Club (the nonprofit organization that stages the festival) and Reba Heyman. Along with her late husband, Vic, Reba has been an integral part of the folk community in South Florida and nationally for many years. The couple has been known for decades for their generous financial backing of folk festivals and artists. They ran a concert series in Rockville, Maryland known as Vic’s Music Corner, established scholarship funds for artists, and served on the boards for several music festivals.

Now in its 26th year and continuing through today, the South Florida Folk Festival features more than 40 artists/acts from the U.S. and Canada performing and leading workshops. The three singer-songwriter competition winners, along with the runners-up, also are being afforded the opportunity to play ‘in-the-round’ during the festival’s second day. In addition, there is a jam area where amateur musicians can play traditional folk and other acoustic styles of music.

Finalists Chosen in South Florida Folk Festival Singer-Songwriter Competition

Michael Kornfeld — Wed, 13 Nov 2019 21:37:28 +0000

Finalists have been named in the 2020 South Florida Folk Festival’s Singer-Songwriter Competition. Each of them will perform two songs live during the festival at its new location, the Bergeron Rodeo Grounds in Davie, on Saturday, Feb. 8.

The 12 finalists, chosen by a preliminary selection committee from the local folk community, are Randy Emmons (Osprey, FL), Mike Glick (New York, NY), Susan Levine (Newburyport, MA), Pamela T. Machala (Boulder, C), Mel and Vinnie (Lake Worth, FL), Aaron Nathans (Chester Heights, PA), Karyn Oliver (Stokesdale, NC), Mike Ryan (Clifton, VA), Jan Seides (Austin, X), Paul Smithson (Eustis, FL), Think Twice (Robby Layton & Teresa Pembroke) (Boulder, CO), and Joe Virga (Cape Coral, FL). Each had submitted two original songs in the acoustic, folk, inde, Americana, singer-songwriter and associated genres.

Three winners selected by a panel of judges will each receive the Vic Heyman Songwriting Award – a $200 cash prize and an invitation to perform at the following year’s festival. In addition, all winners and runners-up will be afforded the opportunity to play ‘in-the-round’ during the festival’s second day on Sunday, Feb. 9.

The songwriting competition is co-presented by the Broward Folk Club (the nonprofit organization that stages the festival) and Reba Heyman. Along with her late husband, Vic, Reba has been an integral part of the folk community in South Florida and nationally for many yeas. The couple has been known for decades for their generous financial backing of folk festivals and artists. They ran a concert series in Rockville, Maryland known as Vic’s Music Corner, established scholarship funds for artists, and served o the boards for several music festivals.

In its 26h year, the South Florida Folk Festival (www.southfloridafolkfest.net) is expected to feature more than 40 Florida-based and nationally touring artists performing and leading workshops. There also will be a jam area where amateur musicians can play traditional folk and other acoustic styles of music.

South Florida Folk Festival Set for Jan. 26-27

Michael Kornfeld — Sat, 29 Dec 2018 17:19:02 +0000

The Caroline Aiken Band, Ronny Cox Trio, The Kennedys, David Olney, and Tom Prasada-Rao co-headline the 2019 South Florida Folk Festival, Presented by the nonprofit Broward Folk Club, the festival takes place on Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 26-27. Nearly 50 artists/acts will perform on two stages at Fort Lauderdale’s Hugh Taylor Birch State Park (3109 E. Sunrise Boulevard, just west of A1A) over the weekend.

Since its inception, the festival has been a combination of a music fest, family reunion, community gathering, and weekend musical retreat, according to its organizers. Besides the co-headliners, among the other artists slated to perform are The Belle Hollows, Randy Brown, Ellen Bukstel, Escaping Pavement, Friction Farm, Anne Hills, House of Hamill, John Latini, Rod MacDonald, Austin MacRae, The Moon and You, Micah Scott, Cecilia St. King, Debbie Tassone & Gary Frost, Joe Virga, Dan Weber, Rupert Wates, Annie Wenz, and The Whispering Tree.

Some of the performing artists will also lead participatory workshops or jams during the afternoons.

Singer-Songwriter Competition to Feature 12 Artists

Kicking-off the weekend’s musical festivities on Saturday, Jan. 26, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., will be the 12 finalists in the 2019 South Florida Folk Festival’s singer-songwriter competition, each of whom will perform two songs. They are Jordi Baizan (Houston, TX), Robert Bruce Baldwin (Lake Worth, FL). Michael Stephen Borok (Peekskill, NY), Susan Cattaneo (Boston, MA), Gracious Me (Fairfax, VA), George Gray (Tallahassee, FL), Pat Lamanna (Hyde Park, NY), Conni Laine (St. Simons Island, GA), Grant Livingston (Miami, FL), Bob Patterson (Saint Augustine, FL), Paul Smithson (Eustis, FL), and Chuck Williams (Mattapoisett, MA)

Three winners selected by a panel of judges will each receive the Vic Heyman Songwriting Award – a $200 cash prize, will perform in a winners’ round on Sunday afternoon, and will be invited to perform at next year’s festival. In addition, all of the finalists will be afforded the opportunity to perform ‘in-the-round’ that second day

The songwriting competition is co-presented by Reba Heyman. Along with her late husband, Vic, Reba has been an integral part of the folk community in South Florida and nationally for many years. The couple, known for decades for their generous financial backing of folk festivals and artists, formerly ran a concert series in Rockville, Maryland known as Vic’s Music Corner. They also served on the boards of several music festivals and established a scholarship fund for performing artists.

For more information on the festival that is co-sponsored by Sea Turtle Oversight Protection (STOP) and to order tickets in advance, visit www.southfloridafolkfest.net.

Winners Chosen in 2018 South Florida Folk Festival Singer-Songwriter Competition

Michael Kornfeld — Wed, 17 Jan 2018 17:41:18 +0000

Three winners have been named in the 2018 South Florida Folk Festival Singer-Songwriter Competition that took place on Saturday, January 13, at Fort Lauderdale’s Hugh Taylor Birch State Park.

Randy Brown (Mineola, Texas), Lauren Heintz (Winter Park, Florida) and Cecilia St. King (Delray Beach, Florida) were selected by a panel of judges from among a field of 12 finalists – each of whom performed two songs on the opening day of the festival that is presented annually by the nonprofit Broward Folk Club. As winners, each receives the Vic Heyman Songwriting Award – a $200 cash prize and an invitation to perform at the 2019 festival. They also were afforded the opportunity to perform in-the-round during the second day of this year’s festival, as were the other finalists.

As previously noted on AcousticMusicScene.com, the South Florida Folk Festival’s singer-songwriter competition is co-presented by Reba Heyman. Along with her late husband, Vic, Reba has been an integral part of the folk community in South Florida and nationally for many years. The couple has been known for decades for their generous financial backing of folk festivals and artists. They formerly ran a concert series in Rockville, Maryland known as Vic’s Music Corner, have established a scholarship fund for artists, and served on the boards of several music festivals.

Mid-January is Music Festival Time in Florida

Michael Kornfeld — Sat, 30 Dec 2017 19:29:39 +0000

Floridians and visitors to the Sunshine State can escape the winter doldrums and enjoy some fine music in mid-January. The South Florida Folk Festival and the 30A Songwriters Festival take place over the same weekend in different parts of the state. The former includes the finals of an annual singer-songwriter competition, while the latter features such big-name talents as Steve Earle and Emmylou Harris.

South Florida Folk Festival Features a Singer-Songwriter Competition

Jack Williams is among the headliners at the 2018 South Florida Folk Festival.
The Currys, The Dave Nachmanoff Band, and Jack Williams headline the 2018 South Florida Folk Festival. Presented by the nonprofit Broward Folk Club, the festival takes place Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 13-14. More than 40 musicians will perform on two stages at Fort Lauderdale’s Hugh Taylor Birch State Park (3109 E. Sunrise Blvd., just west of A1A) over the weekend.

Since its inception 20 years ago, the festival has been a combination of music fest, family reunion, community gathering, and weekend musical retreat. In addition to the festival’s headliners, a number of Florida-based musicians and other national touring acts are slated to perform. These include Ellen Bukstel, Kate Callahan (Connecticut State Troubadour), Caroline Cotter & Michael Thomas Howard, Jerry DeMeo, Jacob Johnson, Tom Lyman (all the way from Budapest, Hungary), Rod MacDonald, Laurie McClain, Danielle Miraglia, New Middle Class, Angela Parrish, Bill & Eli Perras, Roy Schneider & Kim Mayfield, Doug Spears, Twangtown Paramours, Mare Wakefield & Nomad, and Laura Zucker, among others. Some of the performing artists also will lead workshops, while there also will be a jam area for those who enjoy playing traditional folk and other acoustic styles of music.

Kicking-off the weekend’s musical festivities on Saturday, Jan. 16, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., will be the 12 finalists in the festival’s singer-songwriter competition, each of whom will perform two songs. They are Bear & Robert (Jacksonville, FL), Randy Brown (Mineola, TX), Nigel Egg (Minneapolis, MN), Lauren Heintz (Winter Park, FL), Sonya Heller (Calicoon Center, NY), Judy Kass (Tarrytown, NY), Leah Kaufman (Raleigh, NC), Claudia Nygaard (Nashville, TN), Cecilia St. King (Delray Beach, FL), Kray Van Kirk (Arcata, CA), Joe Virga (Cape Coral, FL), and Joel Zoss (West Palm Beach, FL).

Three winners selected by a panel of judges will each receive the Vic Heyman Songwriting Award – a $200 cash prize and an invitation to perform at the 2019 festival – as will 2017 winners Jane Fallon (Brookline, NH), Amber Ikeman (Bozeman, MT) and Austin MacRae (Ithaca, NY) at this event. In addition, all winners and finalists may be afforded the opportunity to perform ‘in-the-round’ during the festival’s second day, on Sunday, Jan. 14.

The annual songwriting competition is co-presented by Reba Heyman. Along with her late husband, Vic, Reba has been an integral part of the folk community in South Florida and nationally for many years. The couple has been known for decades for their generous financial backing of folk festivals and artists. They formerly ran a concert series in Rockville, Maryland known as Vic’s Music Corner, have established a scholarship fund for artists, and served on the boards of several music festivals.

For more information on the festival, which is co-sponsored by Sea Turtle Oversight Protection (STOP), and to order tickets in advance, visit www.southfloridafolkfest.com.

30A Songwriters Festival Features More Than 175 Performing Artists

Now in its ninth year, the 30A Songwriters Festival is set for Friday-Monday, Jan. 12-15. More than 175 artists are slated to perform at two-dozen venues and locations along the Florida Gulf Coast’s scenic Highway 30A in Walton County.

Emmylou Harris, a 13-time Grammy Award-winner, co-headlines the 30A Songwriters Festival.
The 30A Songwriters Festival features artists working in such genres as Americana, blues, country, folk, and soul. Headliners include Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, North Mississippi Allstars, Ann Wilson of Heart, Lee Ann Womack, and The Zombies. Although the festival schedule has not yet been finalized and posted online, among the other confirmed artists are David Berkeley, Dan Bern, Bonnie Bishop, Jeff Black, Crystal Bowersox, Randall Bramblett, Mary Bragg, Eliot Bronson, Edie Carey, Hayes Carll, Deanna Carter, Peter Case, Joe Crookston, Don Dixon & Marti Jones, Ian Fitzgerald, Ruthie Foster, Mary Gauthier, John Gorka, Ingrid Graudins, Patty Griffin, Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion, Robby Hecht, Griffin House, Will Kimbrough, Korby Lenker, Liz Longley, Michelle Malone, The Mastersons, Kathy Mattea, James McMurtry, Rhett Miller, Dan Navarro, Old Salt Union, Gretchen Peters, Kim Richey, Emily Saliers of Indigo Girls, The Secret Sisters, Caroline Spence, Jesse Terry, Paul Thorn, Becky Warren, Reed Waddle, Seth Walker, and The War & Treaty.

These artists and more will perform at amphitheaters, town halls, restaurants, theaters, bars and covered patios — with capacities ranging from intimate indoor venues that can seat 75 people to outdoor settings that can accommodate a few thousand.

“The 30A Songwriters Festival is one of the most diverse songwriters festivals I’ve ever been to,” says Shawn Mullins, who also will showcase his talents. “The wide range of songwriters performing, the great crowds, the unique venues, and the beautiful location all make for an incredible experience.”

Festival weekend passes, beginning at $280, can be purchased online at www.30asongwritersfestival.com, where you’ll also find more information on the festival, its performers and venues – including a complete schedule when it’s available. Tickets may also be purchased in-person at the Cultural Arts Alliance’s office in Santa Rosa Beach, The Foster Gallery in Grand Boulevard, and at Central Square Records in Seaside.

NPR’s Folk Alley, a multimedia music service produced by WKSU in Ohio, will be on site throughout the weekend, interviewing artists and filming and recording performances. The Sessions from the 30A Songwriters Festival will later air on the syndicated Folk Alley radio show and also will be archived at www.folkalley.com.

Winners Named in South Florida Folk Festival Singer-Songwriter Competition

Michael Kornfeld — Mon, 30 Jan 2017 01:28:02 +0000

Jane Fallon (Brookline, NH), Amber Ikeman (Bozeman, MT), and Austin MacRae (Ithaca, NY) are the winners of the 2017 South Florida Folk Festival singer-songwriter competition. The three showcased their talents, along with nine other finalists, on Jan 28 during the annual event presented by the nonprofit Broward Folk Music Club at Fort Lauderdale’s Hugh Taylor Birch State Park.

Selected by a panel of judges, each of the winners received the Vic Heyman Songwriting Award – a $200 cash prize and an invitation to perform at next year’s festival. In addition, all 12 finalists were afforded the opportunity to perform ‘in-the-round’ during the festival’s second day on Sunday, Jan. 29.

The songwriting competition was co-presented by Reba Heyman. Along with her late husband, Vic, Reba has been an integral part of the folk community in South Florida and nationally for many years. The couple, known for decades for their generous financial backing of folk festivals and artists, formerly ran a concert series in Rockville, Maryland known as Vic’s Music Corner. They also served on the boards of several music festivals and established a scholarship fund for performing artists.

Suzy Bogguss and Victoria Vox headlined this year’s event, while a number of Florida-based musicians and other artists from the U.S., Canada and Israel also performed over the weekend. Performing artist-led workshops, jams and campfires also took place.