Nurture the Future is this year’s conference theme. “It was something we felt needed to be communicated as our world is changing every second of the day,” says Jill Kettles, SERFA’s board president. “We aim to uphold the past, mold the present, and project it for future generations; this is not just important but vital.”

SERFA is a regional affiliate 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. SERFA (serfa.org) exists to promote, develop and celebrate the diverse heritage of roots and indigenous music, dance, storytelling and related arts in the southeastern United States. It has produced an annual conference since 2008. This is SERFA’s third consecutive year at the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina.

The official showcases take place Friday and Saturday evenings, with each artist/act performing a 15-minute set. Unplugged private showcases follow from 10:40 p.m. to 2 a.m. Also on the agenda are daytime panel discussions and workshops, a Wisdom of the Elders session, a few thematic song circles, open mics, mentoring sessions, an awards presentation, an exhibit hall, communal meals, and plenty of other opportunities to learn, share and network –- including during built-in afternoon breaks in the programming. Informal jams and song circles also are apt to break out in the lobby and outside (weather permitting).

Rachael Sage, Award-Winning, Prolific Singer-Songwriter and Boutique Label Owner to Deliver Keynote Address

Daytime Programming Includes Workshops, Song Circles, Think Tanks, and Mentoring Sessions

Besides the workshops and panel discussions, there will be moderated, interactive “think tanks” on House Concerts and Small Venues and Hey, What’s Your Problem, one-on-one mentoring sessions, several thematic song circles, several thematic song circles, and a Wisdom of the Elders session during the daytime hours.

Wisdom of the Elders and SERFA Awards are Among Conference Highlights

The Wisdom of the Elders conversational panel session provides a structured opportunity for conference attendees to learn from and about veteran leaders in the folk community and for the elders to talk among themselves as well. Participants this year are Scott Berwick, Wayne Erbsen and Taylor Pie.

Berwick has long been active in American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 1000 (the traveling musicians union), has been attending SERFA conferences for the past decade, and has also been involved with the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, the Hudson Valley Folk Guild, and the Ashokan Center, as well as an informal, weekly song circle near his home in upstate New York.

Erbsen has been engaged in traditional American music for more than 50 years as a musician, recording artist (with nearly 20 albums to his credit), professor at Warren Wilson College and the University of North Carolina at Asheville, author and publisher (who has written and published 40 books), and a public radio DJ.

A Tennessee-based traveling folk minstrel and Americana artist, Taylor Pie (Susan Taylor) helped form the Pozo Seco Singers with Don Williams in the early 1960s and has been a solo singer-songwriter and musician since the folk group disbanded. Many notable artists have covered her songs, while Pie was inducted into the Old-Time Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015. Along with her friend Kathryn Harrison, she launched PuffBunny Records in 2007 to share her music and that of other artists she admires. Taylor Pie, who now handles A &R for the label, also stars in Nobody Famous, an award-winning music documentary that was screened during the 2022 SERFA conference.

Menius, who currently hosts “The Revolution Starts Now” on Hillsborough, NC-based WHUP, has hosted radio shows on four stations since 2007. The first executive director of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), from 1985-1990, Menius also served as Folk Alliance International’s initial board president in 1990 and manager from 1991-1996, prior to serving as associate director of MerleFest for a decade and then as executive director of Appalshop in Whitesburg, Kentucky and The ArtsCenter in Carrboro, NC. He’s also produced concerts, festivals and conferences and worked as a fundraiser, marketing director, emcee, stage manager, and writer.

Dom Flemons, an Arizona native and Chicago area-based musician who has earned the moniker “The American Songster” since his repertoire covers more than 100 years of American roots music, records for Smithsonian Folkways. He is a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist (banjo, guitar, harmonica, jug, percussion, quills, fife, and rhythm bones), music scholar, actor, slam poet, record collector, and the creator, host and producer of American Songster Radio Show on WSM in Nashville, Tennessee. Earlier this year, he was named the grand-prize winner as well as first place honors for Best Folk/Americana Roots Album (for American Wildfire) in the International Acoustic Music Awards. In 2020, he received the prestigious United States Artists Fellowship Award in the Traditional Arts category. Two years later, he received a degree as Doctor of Humane Letters from his alma mater Northern Arizona University and was the commencement speaker at the graduation ceremony or the Class of 2022. Flemons was a founding member of Carolina Chocolate Drops, a Grammy Award-winning African-American old-time string band.

Junior Appalachian Musicians, Inc. (jamkids.org) is the nonprofit parent organization for more than 50 afterschool programs for children ages six and up. JAM provides communities with the requisite tools and support to teach children to play and dance to traditional old time and bluegrass music. Its program model introduces music through small group instruction on instruments common to the Appalachian region and provides youth with opportunities to learn traditional music with their peers from local teaching artists and to perform in their communities and regionally.

Taylor Caffery, the longtime host of “Hootenanny Power” on WRKF in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is the recipient of this year’s Kari Estrin Founding President’s Award. His weekly radio show incorporates musical styles and cultural influences from Caffery’s five decades on radio that began when he hosted his first show while in the U.S. Navy and continued with his college radio station KCSL. To that musical gumbo, he mixes in new discoveries from Folk Alliance International and SERFA conferences.

Dozens of Artists to be Featured in Official and Guerilla Showcases

Slated to present official showcases on Friday evening, May 10 are (in order of appearance) Sue Horowitz, Chris Haddox, Ron Fetner, A Tale of Two, Dustin Gaspard, Nicholas Edward Williams, Helene Cronin, and Admiral Radio. Saturday’s official showcase lineup features Jess Klein, Wes Collins, Bett Padgett, Cast Iron Bluegrass, Ruth and Max Bloomquist, Stone & Snow, Couldn’t Be Happiers, and Ordinary Elephant.

Here’s a link to a Spotify playlist that features one song from each of the official showcase artists.

Following the official showcases on Friday and Saturday, as well as an open mic on Thursday, late-night guerilla showcases will take place in various meeting rooms for several hours. AcousticMusicScene.com, which has had a presence at SERFA conferences since 2011, will host a couple of late-night song swaps and a midnight hoot (featuring more than two-dozen artists/acts – each performing one song) on Thursday, May 9, overnight. The AcousticMusicScene.com Midnight Hoot is a pre-arranged round-robin song swap that is intended to provide concert and festival presenters, folk DJs and others with an opportunity to get a small sampling of the music of a lot of artists in a short period of time on the conference’s opening night. It also enables artists to enjoy and each other’s company and music before the conference really gets into full swing on Friday.

Here’s the AcousticMusicScene.com Showcase schedule:

10:40 Brooklyn in the House: Carolann Solebello and Pat Wictor

11:00 Long Island Sound: Hank Stone and Jim Whiteman

11:30 Midnight Hoot, Part 1 (one song each):

Antonio Andrade, Max & Ruth Bloomquist, Dan & Faith, Katie Dahl, Annie Stokes

12:00 Midnight Hoot, Part 2 (one song each, not necessarily in this order)

Taylor Pie, The Farmer & The Crow, Amy Speace, Annie & Rod Capps, Marc Douglas Berardo, Karyn Oliver, Lindsay Whiteman, Miles & Mafale, Rachael Sage, Emma Frances, Nicholas Edward Williams, Noah Zacharin

1:00 Midnight Hoot, Part 3 (one song each, not necessarily in this order)

Jon Shain & FJ Ventre, Erin Ash Sullivan, Robert Bidney, Rob Lytle, Jim Patton & Sherry Brokus, Meg Braun, Alice Hasen, Brian Ashley Jones & Melanie Jean, Couldn’t Be Happiers, Reckless Saints, Siena Christie

Chosen to present 30-minute sets on full-production stages with lighting and sound before presenters, agents, managers, media, artists, and other music professionals during the music business conference were Adrian + Meredith, Afrikana Soul Sister, Alice Hasen & The Blaze, Alicia Toner, Alysha Brilla, Amy Lavere, Amy Speace, Andrea Von Kampen, Angelique Francis, Anna Ekborg, Anya Hinkle featuring Billy Cardine, Aysanabee, Bailey Bigger, Barnaby Bright, Ben Sures, Berk Jodoin, Bobby Alu, Brad Reid Quartet, Brek, Bruce Molsky, Bruno Capinan, Buffalo Rose, Canyoon City, Cary Morin Duo, Casii Stephan, Celeigh Cardinal, Charly Lowry, Charm of Finches, Chatham Rabbits, Damoizeaux, Dan Navarro, Delbert Anderson Trio, Digawolf, Dom Flemons, Elexa Dawson, Eljuri, Emily Nenni, Emma Langford, Ernest Aines, Falls, Fanny Lumsden, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer with Chao Tian Flagship Romance, Fortunate Ones, Fourwinds, Gangar, Genevieve Racette, Gina Chavez, Gordie McKeeman and His Rhythm Boys, Hanne Kah, Harry Manx, Heather Pierson Duo, Holly Arrowsmith, Humbird, Ian Sherwood, Iona Fyfe, Jack Klatt, Jaimee Harris, Jake Blount, Jancie Jo Lee, Jason Lang: Homage to Penny Lang, Jennifer Knapp, Jenny Mitchell, JigJam, Jim and Sam, Jim Stevens, Jobi Riccio, Joe Jencks, Joy Clark, Karan Casey, Kelley Hunt, Kellie Loder, Kitty MacFarlane, Kris Drever, Lady Nade, Larry & Joe, Le Diable a Cinq, Le Winston Band, Les Arrivants, Les Hay Babies, Les Rats D’Swompe, Les Tireux D’Roches, Little Misty,Lon, Los Arcos Hermanos Pena, Matthew Fowler, Melisande [Electrotrad], Memphissippi Sounds, Mike Biggar, Missy Raines & Allegheny, Monique Clare, My Son the Hurricane, Nadia Larcher with Ensemble Iberica, Nani (Noam Vazana), Nat Myers, Nefesh Mountain, Nigel Wearne, Northern Resonance, Okcello, Ordinary Elephant, Oshima Brothers, Phoebe Hunt, Pipo Romero, Queen Esther, Quote the Raven, Rainbow Girls, Raine Hamilton String Trio, Rakish, Ray Bonneville, Rev. Robert B. Jones, Ron Artis II, Royal Wood, Rum Ragged, Sawyer Fredericks, Seth Walker, Shane Hennessy, Shane Pendergast, Silver Wolf Band, Siomha, So Long Seven, Sophie Lukacs, Spence LaJoye, Steve Poltz, Sussex, Suzie Ungerleider, Talibah Safiya, Talisk, Taylor Rae, , Terra Spencer, The Arcadian Wild, The Armagh Rhymers, The Black Feathers, The Brother Brothers, The Burney Sisters, The Contenders The Faux Paws, The Fretless, The Heart Collectors, The Henry Girls, The Magpies, The McDades, The Rough & Tumble, The Small Glories, Tish Hinojosa, Twin Flames, Veronica Valerio, Waahli, and Wallis Bird.

Besides the juried official showcases and lots of private showcases, there will be a wide array of workshops and panel discussions, mentoring and peer sessions, keynoters, the International Folk Music Awards, a large exhibit hall, receptions and networking opportunities galore.

The theme of the 2023 conference, the world’s largest gathering of the folk music industry and community, is Facing the Future: Sustainability in Folk Music. “As we emerge from the survival mindset of the early 2020s, our attention turns to the horizon and the challenges – and opportunities – that lie ahead for our industry and community,” according to the Kansas city-based nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion. “Together, we’ll explore the intersection of individual excellence and collective strength and work to understand what must be dismantled and what must be built.”

For more information on Folk Alliance International and its annual conference, for which the advanced registration deadline is October 31, visit folk.org.

Editor’s Note: I am a member of the the Folk Alliance International board of directors but was not involved in the selection of official showcase artists.

On his 40th recording, John McCutcheon, a much-revered folksinger-songwriter and a multi-instrumentalist, pays tribute to the music of his friend and mentor, the late folk icon Pete Seeger. McCutcheon calls To Everyone in All the World “an album I’ve been waiting over 50 years to make.” Also lending their musical talents to the recording are Beausoleil, Suzy Bogguss, Stuart Duncan, Finest Kind, Corey Harris, and Hot Rize.

Of his friend, Seeger had said: “John McCutcheon is not only one of the best musicians in the USA, but also a great singer, songwriter, and song leader. And not just incidentally, he is committed to helping hard-working people everywhere to organize and push this world in a better direction.”

McCutcheon, a performing and recording artist since the mid-1970s, is also a longtime labor and social activist. He is a founder and former president of Local 1000, the traveling acoustic musicians local of the American Federation of Musicians. He has keynoted conferences for several regional affiliates of Folk Alliance International. His previous release, Ghost Light, was the #2 album on folk radio in 2017 and also features three of that year’s 25 most-played songs. McCutcheon’s classic “Christmas in the Trenches” has been among the most-played songs during the holiday season for years.

[Here’s a link to hear John McCutcheon’s rendition of Pete Seeger’s “Well May the World Go” from To Everyone in All the World: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VE05enOBXA.]

Following McCutcheon, the most-played artists on folk radio during 2019 were Mara Levine, Pete Seeger, Our Native Daughters and Bob Dylan, respectively. Songs Of Our Native Daughters was the year’s second most-played album, followed by Facets of Folk by Levine, What Will We Do by Lula Wiles, and Honest by Ordinary Elephant. McCutcheon’s rendition of Seeger’s “Well May the World Go,” edged out the year’s Molly Tuttle’s “Take the Journey” for the year’s most-played song, closely followed by Danny Schmidt’s “Just Wait Till They see You,” Levine’s interpretation of Tommy Sands’ “Daughters & Sons,” ad Jan Aldridge Clark’s “The Welcome Song.”

The 2019 year-end FOLKDJ-L charts are based on 181,160 airplays from 6756 playlists from 167 folk DJs. The number of reported spins (airplays) is shown below in parentheses. The top albums, songs and artists charts are compiled by Folk Alliance International (http://folk.org), a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.

Like the monthly top albums, songs and artists charts, the annual charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com with permission.

Top Albums of 2019

1. To Everyone in All the World: A Celebration of Pete Seeger by John
McCutcheon (713)
2. Songs of Our Native Daughters by Our Native Daughters (665)
3. Facets of Folk by Mara Levine (660)
4. What Will We Do by Lula Wiles (571)
5. Honest by Ordinary Elephant (488)
6. The Storyteller’s Suitcase by Ellis Paul (454)
7. Heart Land Again by Tim Grimm (437)
8. Standard Deviation by Danny Schmidt (409)
9. Unfortunate Point of View by Katherine Rondeau (376)
10. Leylines by Rising Appalachia (363)
11. Patty Griffin by Patty Griffin (355)
12. When You’re Ready by Molly Tuttle (350)
13. Visions by Alice Howe (345)
14. Assiniboine and the Red by The Small Glories (343)
15. It’s a Dog’s Life by Si Kahn and the Looping Brothers (340)
16. Gonna Love Anyway by Louisa Branscomb (334)
17. Up Against the Sky by Dave Gunning (327)
18. Allison De Groot and Tatiana Hargreaves by Allison De Groot and
Tatiana Hargreaves (321)
19. The Great Irish Songbook by Dervish (309)
20. Even the Sparrow by Kelly Hunt (305)
21. Tides of a Teardrop by Mandolin Orange (289)
22. Rose Avenue by Joel Rafael (281)
23. The Point of Arrival by Carrie Newcomer (277)
24. It’s a Hard Life by Ruby Lovett (269)
25. Time and Truth by Joel Mabus (259)
26. Country Music – A Film by Ken Burns (The Soundtrack) by Various
Artists (251)
26. Closing the Gap by Molsky’s Mountain Drifters (251)
28. The Longest Night of the Year, Vol. 2 by Various Artists (248)
29. Words of Love by Allison Lupton (242)
29. Off to Here Land by Ashley and Simpson (242)
31. Tim O’Brien Band by Tim O’Brien (240)
32. Dedicated to the Proposition by Spook Handy (238)
33. Rearrange My Heart by Che Apalache (235)
34. October in the Railroad Earth by Tom Russell (234)
35. The Bull Moose Party by Jackson Grimm (228)
36. The Butcher Shoppe EP by Della Mae (226)
37. Conspirators by Guy Forsyth and Jeska Bailey (221)
38. Tall Fiddler by Michael Cleveland (217)
39. Slow It Down by Crowes Pasture (214)
40. In Sevens by Kora Feder (212)
41. Rings Around Saturn by Marion Halliday (211)
42. What if This Is All There Is by Rj Cowdery (209)
42. Chasing the Sun by Bobtown (209)
42. North Country by Danny Burns (209)
45. In My Pocket by Brooksie Wells (207)
46. A List of Name” by Karyn Oliver (206)
47. Pseudomyopia by Rachael Sage (203)
48. Me and the Ghost of Charlemagne by Amy Speace (202)
49. Ride Me Back Home by Willie Nelson (193)
49. Wildwood by Katie Dahl (193)
51. Legacy of Love by Ellen Bukstel (192)
52. Greening the Dark by Debra Cowan (191)
53. Acorns by Ben Winship (189)
54. Hummingbird by John Smith (186)
54. Best of the Rest by Si Kahn (186)
56. Talk to a Human by Terri Hendrix (181)
56. There Is No Other by Rhiannon Giddens (181)
58. Making Life Sweet by The Early Risers (178)
58. Adobe Road by Cej (178)
60. When They Fall by Annie and Rod Capps (177)
61. Valley of the Bones by Jane Kramer (174)
61. Every Trip Around the Sun by Sharon Goldman (174)
63. Easy Money by Old Man Luedecke (173)
64. Ten: The Errant Night by Runa (171)
65. Paws of a Bear by Sofia Talvik (168)
66. Back to Shore by Shari Ulrich (167)
66. Every Single Star by Dori Freeman (167)
68. Dirigo Attitude by Sara Trunzo (163)
68. Mint Condition by Caroline Spence (163)
70. Common Chords by Robert Jones and Matt Watroba (162)

Top Songs of 2019

[Here’s a link to view the official video for Molly Tuttle’s “Take the Journey”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADiwd_AjjEA]

Top Artists of 2019

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 a children’s concert, informative panel discussions and workshops, one-on-one mentoring and peer group sessions, communal meals, awards presentations, an exhibit hall, a community meeting with NERFA’s volunteer board of directors, a community sing, a welcoming party, a 25th anniversary celebration, and lots of opportunities for schmoozing and networking. Singer-songwriter Noel Paul Stookey (of Peter, Paul & Mary fame) will be the conference’s keynote speaker.

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 their professional and personal lives.

Workshops and Panel Discussions Abound

The conference’s programming committee, under the leadership of Ethan Baird, NERFA’s board secretary, has arranged a diverse array of workshops and panel discussions. Recognizing the popularity of its On the Griddle instant critique sessions during which a panel of folk DJs and presenters listen to the first 60 seconds of a number of songs and provides snap feedback, NERFA will offer two new panels inspired by them and focusing on artist blurbs/bios and videos.

Among some two-dozen other scheduled workshops and panel discussions are A-OK: Mental Health & Well-Being for Working Artists, A Dynamic Duo! – Artists & Venues Working Together to Create Unforgettable Shows, F rom Cents to Sense: Smart Financial Planning for the Independent Artist, Gold Records! – Learn from he Masters & Produce Dynamic Audio Projects that Shimmer & Shine, Good Vibrations: Your Voice, Singing & Powerful Vocal Techniques, Home Sweet Home: Best-Laid Plans to Create Magical & Successful House Concerts, The Insider’s Guide to Music Management, The Jack Hardy Songwriter’s Method, Start a Creative Revolution! – Using the Arts to Start Creative Change, Vance Gilbert’s Famous Performance Critique, and Women in Folk: A Multigenerational Reflection. 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; this time it will feature veteran folk DJs Wanda Fischer, John Platt and Rich Warren. Yoga sessions also will be offered each morning, while MusiCares will be on site again to fit folks for custom earplugs.

Noel Paul Stookey Keynotes the Conference on Saturday Night

Today, Noel still performs occasionally with Peter Yarrow (Mary passed away in 2009), as well as doing solo shows in which he continually introduces new songs that deal specifically with major issues facing us in these times. He also invests time and energy in his national nonprofit organization, Music to Life, founded with his daughter, Liz Stookey Sunde, which connects activist artists of all genres with the resources they need to revitalize their communities through music. In reference to the well-known Chinese curse: ‘May you live in interesting times,’ Noel laughs: “Well baby, we are there. We communicate
these days through social media about those.

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 – with each to perform a 15-minute formal showcase set on Friday and Saturday nights – the most coveted performance opportunity at the conference. Friday night’s lineup includes (in order of appearance) The New Students, Meghan Cary, Tui, Corey Laitman Trio, Les Royal Pickles, Roger Street Friedman, and Megan Burtt. Slated to showcase their talents on Saturday night are Damn Tall Buildings, Annie Sumi, Alastair Moock, Sophie Buskin, Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem, Alisa Amador, and Matt Nakoa Trio.

Following the formal showcases, attendees will shuffle between three conference ballrooms in close proximity to one another to catch short sets by 30 additional artists/acts who also were selected by the judges. Performing in these semi-formal showcases on Friday night are (in alphabetical order) Marc Berger, Blue Plate Special, The Bombadils, Katie Dahl, Marion Halliday, Lily Henley, JANTURAN, Mara Levine, James Maddock, Jeffrey Martin, Peter Mulvey, Kalyna Rakel, Martin Swinger, Tragedy Ann, and Rupert Wates. Saturday’s semi-formal showcase artists include Jeremy Aaron, Cricket Blue, Kala Farnham, Kora Feder, Matt Harlan, Lynne Hanson, Diana Jones, MOSA, David Newland with Siqiniup Qilauta/Sunsdrum, Ordinary Elephant, Birch Pereira & the Gin Joints, Piper & Carson, Benjamin Dakota Rogers, Katherine Rondeau, and Ken Tizzard. Like the formal showcases that immediately precede them, nothing else is allowed to compete with the semi-formal showcases during the conference.

On Thursday evening, the conference’s opening night, the Suzi Wollenberg Folk DJ Showcase will feature short performances by 16 artists/acts chosen by DJs. Listed in order of appearance, they are The Scooches, Kalyna Rakel, Willa Mamet, The Promise Is Hope, Scot Krokoff, Mark & Jill, Nico Padden, John John Brown, Heather Mae, Robinson & Rohe, Eli Smith, Kathleen Healy, Dan Whitener, Jenner Fox, Carol Crittenden, and Mark Stepakoff.

Judges for this year’s official juried showcases were Sarah Craig (Caffe Lena), Dan Gottfried (Voices in the Heights), Joe Mercadante (Steeple Coffeehouse), Ron Olesko (Folk Music Notebook), Jess Razzi (Razzi Entertainment), Kimberly Sinclair (SpinCount), and Matt Smith (Passim).

Following the juried and folk DJ showcases each evening, AcousticMusicScene.com will join dozens of presenters, performers and others in hosting guerilla showcases in their hotel rooms that extend through the early morning hours. Some guerilla showcases also are slated for Friday and Saturday afternoons. Musicians also may well stake out other areas of the hotel and jam.


AcousticMusicScene.com Midnight Hoot Features Nearly 50 Artists and Singing Folk DJs


An overflow crowd will likely descend on the AcousticMusicScene.com suite (2031) on Thursday overnight for its popular Midnight Hoot. Extending from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m., this hoot is a pre-arranged, round-robin song swap featuring several singing folk DJs (Wanda Fischer, Ellen Stanley and Jon Stein) and some 45 artists/acts – each performing one song.

Now in its 13th year, the Midnight Hoot is intended to shine a spotlight on several folk DJs who also enjoy singing, while providing them, presenters and others with an opportunity to get a small sampling of the music of a lot of artists in a short period of time. A house band comprised of Bob Beach (harmonica), Mark Dann (bass), Genevieve (keyboards), Lily Henley (fiddle), ad Nick Russo (banjo and other instruments) will be there for anyone who desires accompaniment.

While Michael Kornfeld, AcousticMusicScene.com’s editor & publisher, hosts the Thursday-Saturday overnight showcases, his friends Mira Shapiro and Hank Stone will serve as guest hosts on Friday afternoon. A series of song swaps on Friday overnight will be topped off by a Long Island Sounds celebration featuring performances by nearly a dozen LI-based artists. As in recent years, the musical festivities in the AcousticMusicScene.com suite will wrap up on Saturday overnight with an extended “O Canada” song swap. Carrying their instruments and the maple leaf, a number of talented Canadian artists and acts will march into the room at 2 a.m. singing their national anthem.

Schedules for the AcousticMusicScene.com showcases appear below.

AcousticMusicScene.com Midnight Hoot (Room 2031)

Thursday Night 11 p.m. – 2:30 a.m.

(One song per artist/act and folk DJ, not listed in order of appearance.)

Host: Michael Kornfeld

Artists: Jeremy Aaron, Andy & Judy, Jordi Baizan, Bob Beach, Carol Crittenden, Alyssa Dann, Amy Dee, Neale Eckstein, Jane Fallon, Lindsay Foote, Gina Forsyth, Jenner Fox, Freebo, Gathering Time, Genevieve, Claudia Gibson, Kyle Hancharick, Matt Harlan, Gerry Hazel, Lily Henley, Gina Holsopple, Alice Howe, Brian Kalinec, Fiora Laina, Corey Laitman, Peter Lehndorf, Mara Levine, Rob Lytle, Kipyn Martin, Mosa, Mother Banjo, Dan Navarro, The Promise Is Hope, The Rix, Stephen Robinson, Tina Ross, Rachael Sage, Eric Schwartz, The Scooches, Hank Stone, Garret Swayne, Kristina Vaughn, Rupert Wates, Dan Whitener & Blue Plate Special, Billy Woodward

Folk DJs: Wanda Fischer, Ellen Stanley, Jon Stein

House Band: Bob Beach (harmonica), Mark Dann (bass), Genevieve (keyboards), Lily Henley (fiddle), Nick Russo (banjo & other instruments)

Hosts: Mira Shapiro and Hank Stone

2:00 Marc Berger
]2:15 Nathans & Ronstadt
2:30 Lily Henley
2:45 Connor Garvey
3:00 The Rix
3:15 Lea Morris
3:30 Steve Robinson and Hank Stone
4:00 Alice Howe
4:15 Rob Lytle
4:30 The Malvinas
4:45 Freebo

Friday Night

Host: Michael Kornfeld

11:45 MMM Good Music: Meghan Cary, Gathering Time, Marion Halliday, Mara Levine

12:30 Texas Troubadours: Jordi Baizan, Matt Harlan, Brian Kalinec

1:00 A Trio of Duos: Gathering Sparks, The Levins, The Promise Is Hope

1:30 British New Yorkers: James Maddock, Rupert Wates

2:00 Long Island Sounds: Roger Street Friedman, Scott Krokoff, Ray Lambiase, Nico Padden, Matt Ponsot, Quarter Horse, Steve Robinson, Nick Russell, Hank Stone, Linda Sussman, Christine Sweeney

Saturday Night

Host: Michael Kornfeld

11:45 All Keyed Up: Genevieve, Matt Nakoa, Rachael Sage, Eric Schwartz

12:30 A Pair of Duos: The Early Risers, Ordinary Elephant

1:00 Banjocentric: Banjo Nickaru & The Scooches, Mother Banjo, Dan Whitener

1:30 Women’s Voices: Abbie Gardner, Sharon Goldman, Grace Pettis

2:00 O Canada: Noah Derksen, Ken Dunn, Gathering Sparks, James Gordon, Lynne Hanson, Graham Lindsey, John Muirhead, David Newland, Piper & Carson, Kalyna Rakel, Benjamin Dakota Rogers, Saffron A, Angela Saini, Siqniup Qilauta/Sunsdrum, Greg Smith, Annie Sumi, Ken Tizzard

“I hope that attendees will share a meal and/or a song with new friends they don’t yet know, embrace the spirit of community that NERFA represents, and have a great conference experience,” said Michael Kornfeld, president of NERFA’s board of directors and editor and publisher of AcousticMusicScene.com. He expressed thanks to Courtney Rodland, who assumed the role of interim conference director one year ago when Dianne Tankle, NERFA’s founder and conference director since its inception, stepped down. “Aided by a core group of key volunteers, Courtney has sought to create a conference that builds upon what has been successful in the past, while moving NERFA into our second quarter-century,” he said.

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

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

Editor’s Note: My thanks to Hank Stone for his assistance in setting up the AcousticMusicScene.com showcase room and for guest-hosting Friday afternoon song swaps, along with Mira Shapiro — and to Amy Blake, Arpie Maros and Sybil Moser for the loan of folding chairs.

In addition to hosting the AcousticMusicScene.com Midnight Hoot and other showcases and leading a community meeting with the NERFA board of directors as its president, I will moderate a workshop entitled Write It Right, Alright? – Blurbs On The Griddle and participate in a panel discussion on self-promoting your project to the Folk DJ Chart. New this year, I also was among a small group of people offering pre-conference mentoring sessions via phone for conference attendees. Mine focused on strategic communications and public relations topics for artists, as well as how to get the most out of the conference.

With only 14 artists/acts chosen for 15-minute slots on Friday and Saturday nights, the Formal Showcase is the premiere and most coveted performance opportunity at the conference. Featured in these showcases will be (listed in alphabetical order by last name or group name) Alisa Amador, Megan Burtt, Sophie Buskin, Meghan Cary, Damn Tall Buildings, Roger Street Friedman, Corey Laitman Trio, Alastair Moock, Matt Nakoa Trio, The New Students, Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem, Les Royal Pickles, Annie Sumi, and Tui. Named as alternates were Diana Alvarez, Susan Cattaneo and Kipyn Martin.

Immediately following the Formal Showcases on Friday and Saturday nights, conference attendees will shuffle between three rooms in close proximity to one another to enjoy juried 15-minute Semi-Formal Showcases (formerly known as tricentrics and quadcentrics). Artists selected for these showcases include Jeremy Aaron, Marc Berger, The Bombadils, Blue Plate Special, Cricket Blue, Katie Dahl, Kala Farnham, Kora Feder, Marion Halliday, Lynne Hanson & The Good Intentions, Matt Harlan, Lily Henley, JANTURAN, Diana Jones, Mara Levine, James Maddock, Jeffrey Martin, Mosa, Peter Mulvey, David Newland with Siqniup Qilauta/Sunsdrum, Ordinary Elephant, Birch Pereira & the Gin Joints, Kalyna Rakel, Jessica Rhaye & the Ramshackle Parade, Benjamin Dakota Rogers, Katherine Rondeau, Martin Swinger, Ken Tizzard, Tragedy Ann, and Rupert Wates. Named as alternates were Eliza Edens, The Levins and Piper & Carson. Like the Formal Showcases that precede them, nothing else is allowed to compete with the Semi-Formal Showcases during the conference.

Judges for this year’s official juried showcases were Sarah Craig (Caffe Lena), Dan Gottfried (Voices in the Heights), Joe Mercadante (Steeple Coffeehouse), Ron Olesko (Folk Music Notebook), Jess Razzi (Razzi Entertainment), Kimberly Sinclair (SpinCount), and Matt Smith (Passim).

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

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

As in years past, besides several jam-packed days and nights of music, the NERFA conference also will feature informative panel discussions and workshops, one-on-one mentoring and peer group sessions, communal meals, a large trade show-like exhibit hall, a welcoming party, and lots of opportunities for schmoozing and networking. Courtney Rodland, NERFA’s interim conference director, also is working with the programming committee to develop special features in recognition of the conference’s silver anniversary.

NERFA is a regional affiliate of Folk Alliance International — a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion. Serving FAI members from the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC to the provinces of eastern Canada, NERFA attracts more than 700 performing artists, presenters, promoters, agents, managers, folk DJs, and others engaged more than peripherally in contemporary and traditional folk music to its annual conference. The event is designed to help them forge connections, build community, and learn things that can help enhance and enrich their professional and personal lives.

The conference early-bird registration rate extends through Aug. 15, after which registration prices rise by $50 each month. More information on the conference and on NERFA itself can be found online at www.nerfa.org.

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

Ordinary Elephant has been earning awards, accolades and critical acclaim over the past couple of years. The duo was named 2017 Artist of the Year in the 2018 International Folk Music Awards presented by Folk Alliance International. Ordinary Elephant secured a coveted Official Showcase during the 2018 Folk Alliance International Conference and also had official showcases during the conferences of three of FAI’s regional affiliates (FARM, SERFA and SWRFA) in 2017 and participated I that year’s Grassy Hill Emerging Artists Showcase at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival. Ordinary Elephant also took the Gold Award (first place) in the Folk/Acoustic category in the 33rd annual Mid-Atlantic Song Contest presented by the Songwriters Association of Washington. Crystal (acoustic guitar and lead vocals) and Pete (claw hammer banjo and harmony vocals) cite Gillian Welch, Guy Clark and Anais Mitchell among their influences).

The May 2019 Top Albums, Songs and Artists charts are based on 15,198 airplays reported on 579 playlists submitted by 127 different DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses. The charts are compiled by 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.

The monthly top albums and songs charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com, with permission.

Top Albums of May 2019

1. Honest by Ordinary Elephant (110)
2. Rose Avenue by Joel Rafael (101)
3. The Storyteller’s Suitcase by Ellis Paul (80)
4. To Everyone in All the World by John McCutcheon (76)
5. Visions by Alice Howe (71)
6. Songs of Our Native Daughters by Our Native Daughters (66)
7. Even the Sparrow by Kelly Hunt (63)
8. The Great Irish Songbook by Dervish (57)
9. Caravan of Dawn by Levins (56)
10. Standard Deviation by Danny Schmidt (55)
11. When You’re Ready by Molly Tuttle (53)
11. What Will We Do by Lula Wiles (53)
13. Patty Griffin by Patty Griffin (50)
13. Let’s Be Brave by Rain Perry (50)
15. In Sevens by Kora Feder (47)
16. The Butcher Shoppe EP by Della Mae (46)
16. Allison De Groot and Tatiana Hargreaves by Allison De Groot and Tatiana Hargreaves (46)
18. Dreams on Hold by Sarah Eide (44)
18. Tim O’Brien Band by Tim O’Brien (44)
20. Smoke and Ashes by Lonely Heartstring Band (42)
21. Pete, Woody and Me, Vol 2 by Spook Handy (40)
22. Dedicated to the Proposition by Spook Handy (39)
22. Hummingbird by John Smith (39)
24. The Point of Arrival by Carrie Newcomer (37)
25. Ten: The Errant Night by Runa (36)
25. Who I Am by Andrew Adkins (36)
27. Once a Day by April Verch (33)
27. Closing the Gap by Molsky’s Mountain Drifters (33)
27. It’s a Hard Life by Ruby Lovett (33)
30. Mint Condition by Caroline Spence (32)
30. Facets of Folk by Mara Levine (32)
30. Easy Money by Old Man Luedecke (32)
33. Right Before Our Eyes by Steve Eriksson (31)
33. Dirigo Attitude by Sara Trunzo (31)
35. Autumn of the World by Resonant Rogues (30)
35. The Bull Moose Party by Jackson Grimm (30)
37. Front Porch by Joy Williams (29)
37. Heartache Town by Eric Lee (29)
39. Rise Sun by Infamous Stringdusters (27)
39. Live in ’65 by Pete Seeger (27)
39. The Smithsonian Folkways Collection by Pete Seeger (27)
39. October in the Railroad Earth by Tom Russell (27)
43. Hide and Hair by Trials of Cato (26)
43. The Question by Anna Tivel (26)
45. Assiniboine and the Red by Small Glories (25)
45. What if This Is All There Is by Rj Cowdery (25)
45. Tides of a Teardrop by Mandolin Orange (25)
45. Unfortunate Point of View by Katherine Rondeau (25)
49. Monroe Bus by Andy Statman (24)
49. Riverland by Eric Brace, Peter Cooper, Thomm Jutz (24)
49. Pseudomyopia by Rachael Sage (24)
52. Better by Now by Benjamin Dakota Rogers (23)
52. Off to Here Land by Ashley and Simpson (23)
52. Yumpatiddly Bee by Princes of Serendip (23)
55. Starlight on the Rails by Utah Phillips (22)
55. The Hard Way by Dale Ann Bradley (22)
55. Pictures of Us by Braden Gates (22)
55. Caffeine and Nicotine by David Glaser (22)
59. No Water, No Flowers by Genevieve Racette (21)
59. Guy by Steve Earle and the Dukes (21)
59. Headlines and Footnotes by Pete Seeger (21)
62. The Long Road by Beth Wood (20)
62. Baked Not Fried by Paul Chet and the Whiskey Chickens (20)
62. Reasons by Grace Morrison (20)
62. North Country by Danny Burns (20)
66. Anything but Ordinary by Jan Aldridge Clark (19)
66. The Songs of Mother Jones in Heaven by Vivian Nesbitt and John Dillon (19)
66. Ride Me Back Home by Willie Nelson (19)
69. Driver by Michael Braunfeld (18)
69. When the Sun Goes Down by Kieran Kane and Rayna Gellert (18)
69. Cash Cabin Sessions, Vol 3 by Todd Snider (18)
69. Leylines by Rising Appalachia (18)
69. Reflections by Andy and Judy (18)
69. Grenades by Kaia Kater (18)
69. Caught on a Wire by Evie Ladin Band (18)

Top Songs of May 2019

Here’s a link to the official video for “The War” by Ordinary Elephant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OF5Jvf7LA2o

Top Artists of May 2019

Slated to perform in the hotel’s ballroom on Friday, Sept. 29, from 7:30-10 p.m., are The Whispering Tree, George Ensle, Angela Parrish, Andy Corwin, Cosy Sheridan, Hardened and Tempered, Winona Wilde, and Ordinary Elephant.

Saturday night’s lineup features Heather Pierson Acoustic Trio, Bethel Steele, Daniel Pelletier, Laura Zucker, Warren Hood, Terry Klein, American Dreamer, and Emily Herring & the FM Trio.

Rich Warren, host of the nationally syndicated “The Midnight Special” radio show that emanates from Chicago’s WFMT-FM, emcees both nights. In addition to conference registrants, the official showcases will be open to the public for a $15 cover charge each night.

Following a popular pool party and open mic hosted by singer-songwriter Butch Morgan on Thursday night, Charlie Stewart of Handshake Management will emcee the Official Alternates Showcase in the hotel’s Elm Room. Set to perform short sets beginning at 10:30 p.m. are Jaime Michaels, Kalinec & Kj, The Keller Sisters, Letitita Van Sant, Mia Rose Lynne, The Cowboy Way, Doug Gill, and Ben Shannon.

Besides the official showcases, the SWRFA Conference will feature open mics, in-room showcases extending into the early morning hours, and daytime panel discussions and seminars that address many facets of the music business, according to Dalis Allen, who produces the conference, as well as the annual Kerrville Folk Festival. “We eat meals together, form wonderful new relationships and renew old ones,” she notes. “And we are certain to have fun.”

Conference registration is $195 for Folk Alliance International members and $225 for non-members if paid by Sept. 17 and rises by $30 after then. Included with registration are five meals and a cocktail party.

SWRFA is a regional affiliate of Folk Alliance International, a nonprofit organization that aims to nurture, engage and empower the international folk music community — traditional and contemporary, amateur and professional — through education, advocacy and performance. SWRFA includes the southwestern United States and Mexico. Its 18th annual conference is expected to draw performing artists, presenters, managers, agents and others engaged more than peripherally in the world of folk and acoustic music. For more information, visit www.swfolkalliance.org.

As previously reported on AcousticMusicScene.com, official showcase artists also have been selected for three other regional affiliates of Folk Alliance International that hold their annual conferences in the fall – Folk Alliance Region – West (FAR-West), Folk Alliance Region Midwest (FARM) and Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA). Here’s a link to that article: https://acousticmusicscene.com/2017/07/23/official-showcase-artists-named-for-2017-far-west-farm-and-nerfa-conferences/

Semi-Formal Showcase Artists Selected for NERFA Conference in November

Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) also recently named 40 artists and acts to perform in its newly renamed Semi-Formal Showcases (formerly tricentrics and quadcentrics) during its 23rd annual conference in Stamford, CT, Nov. 9-12. Listed alphabetically by group or last name, they are Clint Alphin, Lisa Bastoni, The Beck Sisters, Bethlehem and Sad Patrick, The Black Feathers, The Boxcar Lilies, Sophie Buskin, Meghan Cary, Shawna Caspi, Dave Curley, Dunham Shoe Factory, Frances Luke Accord, Friction Farm, Abbie Gardner, Vance Gilbert, Sharon Goldman, Hoot and Holler, Alice Howe, Greg Klyma, Erika Kulnys, Abigail Lapell, Rod MacDonald, Austin MacRae, Mama’s Broke, Mike McKenna Jr., Paddy Mills, Zoe Mulford, Emily Mure, Musique a bouches, No Good Sister, NUA, Piedmont Bluz, Poor Man’s Gambit, Elaine Romanelli, The Small Glories, Christine Sweeney, Robinson Treacher, Ernest Troost, Josh White Jr., and Brad Yoder Duo.

The juried Semi-Formal Showcases immediately follow NERFA’s coveted juried Formal Showcases. Half of these artists will showcase their talents on Friday night, Nov. 10, while the other half will do so on Saturday night, Nov. 11.

Named as Alternates for the Semi-Formal showcases are Banjo Nickaru & Western Scooches, Emily Barnes, Meaghan Blanchard, Gabrielle Louise, The Malvinas, Alastair Moock, and Katherine Rondeau and the Show.

Dave Curley, Rod MacDonald (with Mark Dann) and Mama’s Broke were offered Semi-Formal Showcases slots having been selected as alternates for the Formal Showcases that precede them.

Editor’s Note: Although I serve as president of the NERFA board of directors and as a board member of Folk Alliance International, I am not involved in showcase judging for any of the conferences.

The regional events provide useful and enjoyable learning and networking opportunities, not to mention plenty of listening and performing opportunities for artists, presenters, agents and managers, DJs, and others engaged in the folk music field. Booking gigs is a primary objective of some performers who attend these annual conferences, while many presenters and folk DJs come primarily to scout out new artists and those who they have not previously heard and seen in live performance. However, along with other Folk Alliance International regional conferences, the Folk Alliance Region-West (FAR-West), Folk Alliance Region Midwest (FARM) and Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) conferences are much more than that – they are really about forging connections and building community.

12 Artists/Acts Selected to Showcase at FAR-West Conference

A dozen artists/acts have been selected to perform in Official Showcases during the 14th annual FAR-West Conference at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Bellevue, Washington, on Friday, Oct. 6 and Saturday, Oct. 7. Six artists/acts will showcase their talents during 20-minute sets each night. Listed alphabetically –not in order of appearance — they are Follow The Stranger, Reggie Garrett, Honey Don’t, Cary Morin, Larry Murante, Radio Stranger, The Singer and The Songwriter, Nathaniel Talbot, The Talbott Brothers, The Wardens, and Dennis Warner. Named as alternates are Alice Howe and Rupert Wates.
The FAR-West Conference opens Oct. 5 with a Venues’ Choice Concert and extends through Sunday afternoon, Oct. 8.

FARM Gathering to Feature 14 Official Showcase Artists/Acts

The 14 artists/acts slated to perform during Official Showcases at the FARM 2017 Gathering on the evenings of Oct. 20 and 21 at the Sheraton and Hotel Vetro in Iowa City, Iowa are (listed alphabetically by last name or group name) Mari Black and her World Fiddle Ensemble, Shawna Caspi, Julie Christensen, Johnny Coull, Mark Dvorak, Escaping Pavement, LGS, The Matchsellers, The OK Factor, Ordinary Elephant, Diane Perry & Todd Dennison, Pushing Chain, Ryanhood, and The Talbott Brothers. Named as alternates are Robin Bienemann, Ambre McLean, Lynn O’Brien, Route 358, and Sky Smeed. The FARM Gathering extends from Oct. 18-22.

NERFA Taps 14 Artists/Acts for Its Formal Showcases

NERFA, which draws the largest number of people to its conferences of any FAI region, has named 14 artists/acts to perform 15-minute Formal Showcases. Half of them will perform on Friday night, Nov. 10, while the other half will do so Saturday night, Nov. 11, during NERFA’s 23rd annual four-day conference, Nov. 9-12, at the Crowne Plaza in Stamford, Connecticut – a location to which the event moved last year after many years in New York’s Catskill Mountains region.

NERFA’s Formal Showcase artists (in alphabetical order) are Bettman & Halpin, Mari Black and The World Fiddle Ensemble, The Andrew Collins Trio, Elage Diouf, The Early Mays, Emma’s Revolution, The End of America, Martin Kerr, Kirsten Maxwell, David Roth, Ryanhood, Sloan Wainwright, Dan Weber, and Beth Wood. Named as alternates are Dave Curley, Rod MacDonald & Mark Dann, and Mama’s Broke.

Immediately following the Formals, conference attendees will shuffle between several rooms to enjoy juried 15-minute Semi-Formal Showcases – 15-20 of which will be scheduled each night. Artists selected by a separate jury for these newly renamed showcases (formerly known as tricentrics and quadcentrics) will be announced in mid-August.

More information on each of these regional conferences may be found on the nonprofit organizations’ respective websites: www.far-west.org, www.farmfolk.org and www.nerfa.org. Artists had until July 15 to apply for Official Showcases during the Southwest Regional Folk Alliance (SWRFA) Conference that is set for Sept. 27-Oct. 1 in Austin, Texas – and the selections have not yet been announced. The Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA) holds its annual conference in May at the Montreat Conference Center nestled in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains.

Folk Alliance International (www.folk.org) — which hosts its 30th annual conference, music camp and fair in February — is a Kansas City-based nonprofit organization that aims to nurture, engage and empower the international folk music community – traditional and contemporary, amateur and professional – through education, advocacy and performance.

Editor’s Note: I serve as president of the NERFA board of directors and am also an elected board member of Folk Alliance International. I have been a workshop presenter, moderator and mentor at FAI, FAR-West, NERFA and SERFA conferences. I am not involved is the selection of juried showcase artists, although I host guerilla showcases under the banner of AcousticMusicScene.com at NERFA and SERFA conferences.

The Falcon Ridge/Grassy Hill 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 next year to participate in a Most Wanted Song Swap. This year’s Most Wanted Song Swap will feature Bettman & Halpin (Denver, CO), Kipyn Martin (Columbia, MD) and Kirsten Maxwell (Huntington, NY).

Among the Northeast’s most popular music festivals, the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, now in its 29th year, takes place August 4-6 at Dodds Farm on Route 7D in Hillsdale, New York, located in the foothills of the Berkshires near the tri-state corner of New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts. The festival features dozens of artists performing on several stages, a dance tent, children’s music and activities, and a wide array of crafts, food and other vendors. A Pre-Fest Tastings Day & Farm Market is slated for Thursday, Aug. 3, featuring 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 presented by Tribal Mischief Productions.

This year’s artist lineup includes Adam Ezra Group, Eric Andersen, Michael Braunfeld, Brother Sun, Buddy System, Jim & Madeline Christensen, Joe Crookston, Sawyer Fredericks, Abbie Gardner, The Gaslight Tinkers, Great Bear, Hoopoe, Kalliope Jones, David Massengill, Rod MacDonald, Will Mentor, Beth Molaro, Patti O’Brien Melita, Nerissa & Katryna Nields, Rani Arbo & Daisy Mayhem, Paul Rosenberg, The Russet Trio, The Slambovian Circus of Dreams (always a highlight at the dance tent), The Storycrafters, Still – The Homegrown Band, Tempest, Upstate Rubdown, Vishten, Kathryn Wedderburn, Annie Wenz, and Zydegroove. The Falcon Ridge House Band — featuring Rad Lorkovic, Mark Dann and Eric Lee –also will be on hand to accompany a number of other artists.

Those camping at Falcon Ridge and staying up through the early morning hours can enjoy an array of informal jams, mini-showcases and after-hours song circles that help foster a sense of “folk” community and a different kind of festival experience at the Big Orange Tarp, Budgiedome, Pirate Camp and elsewhere. Singer-songwriters Terry Kitchen and Tony Kearney host the Nite Owl Swap and Nite Owl Hoot.

Three-day festival tickets are $165 with camping or $125 without camping through July 10 and rise by $25 after then. Single -day tickets also are available, as are discounted tickets for teenagers (ages 13-18). Gates open for campers on Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 3. More information on the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival can be found at www.falconridgefolk.com.

Editor’s Note: Although I enjoyed arranging and hosting late-night song swaps at Falcon Ridge under the banner of AcousticMusicScene.com for nearly a decade – in partnership with Tribes Hill and, more recently, Pirate Camp, I’m taking a break from doing so this year. I enjoyed visiting various campsites and checking out a number of artists who were new to me last year and plan to do so again. I’m coordinating the free, daylong Huntington Folk Festival on Long Island, NY on the Saturday prior to Falcon Ridge.

Established in 1972 at the urging of Peter Yarrow, the Kerrville New Folk Concerts have become a highlight of the annual festival that is geared towards singer-songwriters of various musical styles and is the longest continuously running festival of its kind in North America. Being named as a New Folk Winner is regarded as a very prestigious honor.

“It’s a great honor to be selected — first as a finalist and then as one of the six winners of this year’s contest,” said Kilgour. “Some of my favorite songwriters of all time have been New Folk finalists and winners, It’s pretty incredible to be included in that long and impressive list. I’m grateful for the time spent here at Kerrville amongst folks who share the deep love of a good song.”

Amy Speace, who served as one of the judges, along with fellow singer-songwriters Dan Navarro and Jeff Black, reflected on her experience of being both a two-time New Folk judge and a former finalist in the competition:

“Although those of us creating the art can wax negative on these things — ‘songwriting for sport, ick’ — in the end, the truth is without these contests many of us would not be here. New Folk at Kerrville is a beautiful example of integrating a ‘contest’ with a welcoming key to a kingdom of community. As a former New Folk Finalist who has judged twice, I can see if from both sides. I was thrilled to be a finalist. I was disappointed to not win, but a year later I was playing the Main Stage and realized I wouldn’t have been offered the gig without being seen in the contest, win or lose.

As a judge, I met Robby Hecht who has become a friend and a cowriter; maybe of one of my favorite songs I’ve ever had the pleasure of being a part of – ‘The Sea & The Shore.’ And one of my co-Finalists in 2006 (who won) was Jud Caswell, who co-wrote ‘The Weight of the World’ with me. So I may have lost the contest, but I think what I won far outweighs that disappointment. Kerrville keeps giving gifts and they get deeper each time I return.”

In impromptu remarks at a gathering of New Folk Finalists and Winners at the Rouse House New Folk Camp, where many of the finalists stayed in tents and shared songs over bagels on the two mornings preceding their showcase performances, Speace lauded hosts Lindsay Lee and Deb Rouse for being so welcoming to New Folk Finalists over the years. “They have set up New Folk Central — creating a space for these 32 to create family, so that the experience is less competitive and more collaborative.”

Speace also reflected on how, as festival producer Dalis Allen gave the New Folk Finalists a pep talk prior to their taking the stage, she observed that while it was a songwriting contest on the surface, it “was really a wide-swinging gate of entry into a communion with Tribe and an invitation to Mission.” She recalled standing next to her fellow judges – “veterans of song and stage and the art of creating a living out of music, feeling the rumbles of Spirit move through me, the beginnings of new songs and the rekindling love of Why I Do This.” Looking into the eager and nervous eyes of the finalists, she remembered her own jitters 11 years ago, and said she was moved to tears.

“I am deeply grateful to have spent this past weekend listening to 64 songs sung by 32 songwriters. I am re-inspired, humbled and honored to have shared the experience with my fellow judges who pored over every verse and chorus with cradling care and consideration of the deep importance of this small thing we do. And I am grateful for Dalis, for getting to see her big wide smile so often in the last few days, for dancing with her backstage, and for her thoughtfulness and care taking of an extraordinary place where, every May and June, for 18 days, people of all shapes, sizes, ages, religions, nationalities, genders, coffee preferences, and late night temperaments gather in Kerrville Texas in the simple and beautiful belief that a song could change the world.”

The 46th annual Kerrville Folk Festival extends through Sunday, June 12. In addition to concerts each evening, Kerrville features “Ballad Tree” song-sharing sessions, late-night and afternoon song circles and jam sessions at various campsites, concerts and activities for children, organized canoe trips on the Guadelupe River and Hill Country bike rides, a professional development program for teachers, as well as a three-day songwriters school and instrumental workshops. For more information, visit www.kerrville-music.com.

Editor’s Note: Although I have been writing about the Grassy Hill New Folk Competition since the inception of AcousticMusicScene.com in 2007, I was a first-time attendee at the Kerrville Folk festival last month and am so glad that my five days with this wonderful community included two afternoons of performances by the New Folk Finalists, as well as a bittersweet but beautiful musical tribute to Jimmy LaFave, who was to have been a festival headliner but passed away shortly before it started. I’m delighted to have been able to hear, meet and re-connect with so many talented singer-songwriters. I also express my appreciation to Dalis, Lindsay and Deb, as well as to Ken Gaines, who welcomed me to pitch my tent at Camp Stupid and to my friends Brian and Pam Kalinec for their gracious hospitality during my extended visit to Texas.

A listing of all of this year’s New Folk Finalists was included in a previously posted article. In addition to the winners mentioned in the article above, the finalists included Andy Baker (Gobles, MI), Emily Barnes (Johnsonburg, NJ), Arlon Bennett (Tappan, NY), Robin Bienemann (Oak Park, IL), Mary Bragg (Nashville, TN), John John Brown (Winter Garden, FL), Lyndy Butler (Hurricane, UT), Shawn Byrne (Nashville, TN), Jefferson Clay (San Antonio, TX), Wendy Colonna (Buda, TX), Teresa Eggerston Cooke (Park City, UT), Teghan Devon (Myersville, MD), Kelly Hoppenjans (Nashville, TN), Isaac Hoskins (Denton, TX), Hadley Kennary (Nashville, TN), Martin Kerr (Edmonton, Alberta), Eleanor Kleiner & Elie Brangbour – The Whispering Tree (Beacon, NY), Rich Krueger (Evergreen Park, IL), Catherine Miles & Jay Mafale – The YaYas (Centerport, NY), ordinary elephant (Livingston, TX), Angela Parrish (North Hollywood, CA), Chris Petersen (Cedar City, UT), Brian Pounds (Austin, TX), Ben Shannon (Pittsburgh, PA), and Dana Sipos (Guelph, Ontario).