Although the virtual festival is free, with the option of making a donation to support it, advance registration is required to view the Winterfolk streams. Private credentials — including login data and a password — will be sent via email to those who register online at winterfolk.com/get-stream/.

The Event’s Producer and Participating Artists Share Some Thoughts

Graham Lindsey is playing a major role in bringing Winterfolk to screens (as the virtual producer, recording some performances, editing, and then streaming the festival itself), as well as performing in it as a composer and multi-instrumentalist. “It’s a tough time for many, on a whole lot of fronts, but Winterfolk is a great way to kick off 2022 from a performer’s perspective and as a virtual event producer,” he said.

“I treat virtual shows as a new way of getting music out there, and it’s an exciting way to reach new audiences and people,” said Lindsey, an Ottawa, Ontario-based video producer for nearly three decades, who has been involved in streaming video since 1998. “We’d all love to be in a time when we could safely get together with other people. Listen to music, and enjoy life as we used to … but I think of all the people who wouldn’t be able to join us: people far away, folks who are unable to get out of their homes, people who are economically unable to afford a ticket,” he continued. “The era of virtual shows has really allowed people to pay what they can, to donate to festivals if they’re able, to contribute a little … or nothing if they’re unable. Festivals like Winterfolk have been able to push forward with great looking and sounding productions that are pushing the boundaries of what we’re able to accomplish with the restrictions we have … and we are bringing music to the people!”

“Playing Winterfolk signals the start of 2022 and a path out of only playing virtual shows across the country. Celebrating the 20th anniversary of a well-established folk festival is the perfect first stop on my 2022 tour that will take me to Canada’s East Coast and out to the West Coast as well,” he continued. “ I’m excited to play everywhere between, with a focus [on] being accessible online and in-person – allowing people at all levels of ability (economic, mobility, etc.) have music in their lives.”

Among the other artists who will showcase their talents during Winterfolk is Lucy Kaplansky. “It’s wonderful to be performing for a Toronto festival,” she told AcousticMusicScene.com. The acclaimed New York City-based contemporary folk singer-songwriter noted that’s where her dad grew up and where his entire family lived for decades. “So I have lots of cousins there and lots of history,” she continued. Kaplansky, whose solo recordings have topped folk and Americana charts over the years and who was part of the folk supergroup Cry Cry Cry, said that she will perform old and new songs, as well as an unrecorded one, and talk about how she wrote them. “I’ve performed in Canada a few times — including Toronto, Montreal, and a couple of festivals,” she added. “So glad to be back, even if virtually.”

Winterfolk seeks to entertain, educate and enlighten audiences about the various folk music styles — including roots, blues, folk, and more – and to engage and support the music community.

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

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

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

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

NITO’s founding members and the more than 50 others who have since joined the organization “need and want to be assured that our voices are heard in Washington.” Its 14 founding small independent businesses (Entourage Talent, Ground Control Touring, High Road Touring, Leave Home Booking, Madison House, Mongrel Music, New Frontier Touring, Panache Booking, Partisan Arts, Pinnacle Entertainment, Sound Talent Group, Skyline Artists Agency, TKO, and The Kurland Agency) alone currently represent approximately 2,000 artists, according to the news release. “In 2019, collectively, more than 40,000 concerts were booked by NITO’s members across the U.S. with over 12.5 million tickets sold, generating in excess of half-a-billion dollars in gross ticket sales annually. The additional financial impact of these performances on surrounding communities is over $1 billion.”

“As owners of our individual entertainment businesses, we have given our all and more to our firms,” says Nadia Prescher, co-founder of Madison House, an artist management and booking agency. “Our small businesses are self-funded and independent, but nonetheless have a significant economic impact on the many who rely on our work. My fellow NITO co-founders and members are calling on the independent human spirit that all like-minded self-starters can get behind. We are focused on government support and reform during this economic crisis, while building an environment where entertainment entrepreneurs can discuss their common goals and stand together in unity.”

Among the artists on Madison House’s roster are 10,000 Maniacs, The Alternate Routes, Matt Andersen, Brooke Annibale, Chris Barron, Carbon Leaf, Jesse Cook, Laura Cortese & The Dance Cards, Alan Doyle, The East Pointers, Eddie From Ohio, Dom Flemons, Freddy & Francine, Katie Herzig, Lucy Kaplansky, Stephen Kellogg, Terra Lightfoot, Ryan Montbleau, Willie Nile, Glen Phillips, Steve Poltz, Willy Porter, Rainbow Girls, Rising Appalachia, Richard Shindell, and Vienna Teng.

Talent agents who represent artists and negotiate the live performance aspect of their careers are NITO’s primary focus. However, the organization “welcomes a broader coalition of the live music ecosystem beyond independent talent agencies — including U.S.-based small businesses and majority owner-operated independent management companies,’ according to its news release. U.S.-based artists, crew, and others engaged in live touring also are welcome to join as non-dues-paying associate members.

“NITO stands with the artists and all of those who make up the world of live performances,” says Frank Riley, founder of High Road Touring. “It’s a fully integrated world, that is reliant on and supportive of one another, as no one can productively and successfully navigate this environment on their own. When all things come together in the best way, these shows and this music bring joy and happiness in an otherwise troublesome and dangerous world.”

High Road Touring books such artists as Alabama Shakes, Sam Amidon, Joan Baez, Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams, Hayes Carll, Cowboy Junkies, The Deep Dark Woods, Jerry Douglas, The Earls of Leicester, Tommy Emmanuel, Jay Farrar, Mary Gauthier, Patty Griffin, The Handsome Family, Emmylou Harris, Joe Henry, Indigo Girls, Pokey LaFarge, The Low Anthem, Aimee Mann, James McMurtry, Tift Merritt, Michaela Anne, Buddy Miller, Parker Millsap, John Moreland, Shawn Mullins, Graham Nash, Over The Rhine, Nathaniel Rateliff, Shovels & Rope, They Might Be Giants, Richard Thompson, Jeff Tweedy, Suzanne Vega, Violent Femmes, Wilco, Lucinda Williams, and George Winston.

“Artists were among the first to suffer from the results of the pandemic and will be among the last to recover,” maintains Harvey Mason, Jr., chairman and interim president/CEO of The Recording Academy. “As citizens turn to music during these troubled times, it demonstrates that music makers must survive and thrive. We look forward to working with NITO as partners in improving the lives of artists.”

New Bedford Folk Festival
In and around Whaling National Historic Park
New Bedford, MA
www.newbedfordfolkfestival.com

The New Bedford Folk Festival, formerly known as the Greater New Bedford Summerfest, is one of the Northeast’s most pleasant, refined and enjoyable music festivals. Slated for the Fourth of July weekend in New Bedford, the family-oriented festival, now marking its 20th anniversary, takes over the cobblestoned streets of this historic New England port city –- which is part of the Whaling National Historic Park. Visitors will soak in the area’s rich maritime history as they stroll its streets while listening to world-class contemporary and traditional acoustic performers under tents set up along them and in the air-conditioned comfort of the fabulous New Bedford Whaling Museum’s auditorium and the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center — where the popular Celtic Extravaganza closes out the festival on Sunday night.

As in years past, this year’s schedule includes a wealth of talented performers, many of them performing in song-swap style workshops with folks whom they may have never even met, making for unique musical pairings. It also poses a dilemma of choices that may have some attendees running from one stage to another nearby to catch certain artists.

There will be continuous music from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on seven sound stages, ranging from the intimate National Park Garden Stage to the 1200-seat Zeiterion Theatre. Among the more than 70 featured performers are Benoit Bourque, The Boxcar Lilies, Calan, Catie Curtis, Jeff Davis, Beppe Gambetta, Vance Gilbert, Seth Glier, Raymond Gonzalez, John Hammond, Kim and Reggie Harris, David Jacobs-Strain, James Keelaghan, The Kennedys, Jeremy Kittel, Yves Lambert Trio, Patty Larkin, Jez Lowe, Troy MacGilluray & Kimberley Fraser, Danielle Miraglia, Peter Mulvey, Mustard’s Retreat, Nerissa & Katryna Nields, Jane Rothfield & Allan Carr, Tom Rush, Claudia Russell, Art Tebbetts, Hiroya Tsukomoto, and Susan Werner. In addition, a number of local artists will play the Southcoast Stage.

Besides the music, there will be some 90-artisans and arts and crafts vendors. While in New Bedford, you can also enjoy fresh seafood and sample tasty cuisine at one of the whaling city’s many Portuguese restaurants. Parking is free at the municipal garage.

Admission to the festival is quite affordable at $25 for the weekend or $20 for one-day.

Green River Festival
Greenfield Community College
(I-91, Exit 26)
Greenfield, MA
www.greenriverfestival.com

Launched as a balloon festival in 1986, the Pioneer Valley’s largest outdoor festival has expanded over the years to include lots of musical entertainment.

In addition to three stages of music throughout the weekend, balloon illuminations and hot air balloon rides (weather permitting), the Green River Festival also features artisans exhibiting their original work, dancing, plenty of food vendors, and an array of children’s activities.

Independent recording label Signature Sounds, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary and whose roster features some of the most talented artists on today’s acoustic and roots music scene, has played a major part in the festival for years and took over management of it last year.

Among the artists slated to perform over the weekend are Antibalas, Kris Delmhorst, Steve Earle & The Dukes, Elephant Revival, Eilen Jewell, Langhorne Slim & The Law, Heather Maloney, Milk Carton Kids, Parker Millsap, Pine Hill Project (featuring Richard Shindell and Lucy Kaplansky), Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Joe Pug, Punch Brothers, Hayley Reardon, Red Baraat, The Stray Birds, Twisted Pine, Valerie June, and The Wood Brothers.

Discounted three-day passes may be purchased in advance for $99.99, while day tickets are also available. There is a fee for parking. As is the case with the New Bedford Folk Festival, there is no on-site camping associated with this festival.

Now in its 46th year, Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival is slated for Saturday-Sunday, June 20-21, at Croton Point Park in Croton-on-Hudson in New York’s Hudson Valley. A wide array of music, dance, storytelling and family-oriented programming will take place on seven sustainably powered stages.

Produced by and benefiting the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc., a nonprofit member-supported organization launched by Pete Seeger and others to preserve and protect the Hudson River and its tributaries, the festival celebrates environmental activism and education and supports its efforts on behalf of the environment and social justice and keeping the sloop Clearwater afloat. Besides lots of music, the festival features a Green Living Expo, riverfront activities, environmental workshops and exhibits, and booths run by educational and activist organizations. For an extra fee, visitors will be afforded opportunities to sail the Hudson on the Clearwater, a world-renowned floating classroom and symbol of effective grassroots action. A juried Handcrafters’ Village and a participatory Circle of Song are also on the docket. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.clearwaterfestival.org.

The 35th Annual Old Songs Festival takes place June 26-28 at Altamont Fairgrounds in Altamont, approximately 10 miles west of Albany. Produced by Old Songs, Inc., a nonprofit organization based in the New York State Capitol Region that seeks to keep traditional music and dance alive through the festival, as well as monthly concerts, dances and educational programs, this festival features a variety of folk, Celtic and world music.

A very participatory event, the Old Songs Festival includes more than 120 workshops, classes, sessions and performances. Attendees also are afforded opportunities to take part in “sacred harp” or shape-note singing, choral harmony singing and open mics, as well as lots of festival performer-led and impromptu jam sessions. The relaxed, family-friendly festival also features a dedicated children’s area, as well as a wide array of artisans, vendors and food.

Individual day tickets and all-festival tickets (with or without camping) are available at the gate. For more information, visit www.oldsongs.org/festival.

Lucinda Williams will headline the fifth annual American Roots Music Festival at Caramoor, a family friendly celebration of acoustic music, on Saturday, June 27. Set on 90 acres of gardens and Italianate architecture in Katonah, Westchester County, NY – 40 miles northeast of New York City — the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts is well known for its summer music festivals. AcousticMusicScene.com is delighted to again be a Cultural Partner of the festival and will have a presence there.

Opening for Williams in the evening program beginning at 7:30 p.m. will up-and-coming Oklahoma-based singer-songwriter Parker Millsap. Artists slated to perform during the afternoon (12-6 p.m.) include Kristin Andreassen Band, Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams, Jessy Carolina & The Hot Mess, Mason Porter, Cole Quest and the City Pickers, Spuyten Duyvil, Matt Turk, and Walkabout Clearwater Chorus. Also scheduled is a social music hour — an old-time music workshop featuring some of the artists mentioned above and patterned after one that Spuyten Duyvil’s Mark Miller has led here and at other music festivals. Folks attending it are encouraged to bring their instruments or just gather round to learn about several old-time musicians and sing their songs.

“Caramoor is a nature paradise and the music takes place in several locations on the grounds so that folks can experience some of the environmental beauty as well,” says Maggi Landau, the festival organizer. She notes that during the daytime artists will be performing acoustic, unplugged sets in the Sunken Garden – “a quiet grove with the audience sitting on the ground literally at the feet of the artist” – as well as on the larger Friends Field. The evening concert featuring Lucinda Williams will take place inside the Venetian Theater for which there is reserved seating.

Daytime only tickets (excluding the evening performances) and full-festival tickets, (including reserved seating for the evening concert) may be ordered by calling (914) 232-1252 or visiting www.caramoor.org.

Attendees are advised to bring their own chairs/blankets for the daytime performances. Although limited food and beverages will be available for purchase, folks also can bring their own and enjoy picnicking on Caramoor’s spacious lawns.

The second annual Rockland-Bergen Music Festival takes place Saturday-Sunday, June 27 -28, at German Masonic Park, 120 Western Highway in Tappan. Gates open at 10 a.m., while music extends from 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m. each night, rain or shine. Artists slated to perform over the weekend include Aztec Two-Step, Arlon Bennett Band, Bluebirds of Paradise, Jen Chapin, Tom Chapin Trio, Shawn Colvin, Guy Davis with Professor Louie, KJ Denhert, festival presenter Joe D’Urso & Stone Caravan, John Eddie, Steve Forbert Jeffrey Gaines, Spook Handy, Garland Jeffreys, David Johansen, The Levins, James Maddock, Willie Nile, John Sebastian, Frank Tedesso, The The Band Band, and many others. For more information, visit www.rocklandmusicfestival.com.

AcousticMusicScene.com Hosts Mid-Summer Song Swaps at Huntington, Falcon Ridge Folk Festivals

And mark your calendars for these two upcoming festivals at which AcousticMusicScene.com will host pre-arranged unplugged song swaps: Huntington Folk Festival (Sunday, July 26 in Huntington) and Falcon Ridge Folk Festival (July 31-Aug. 2, with a pre-fest day July 30 in Hillsdale).

The free event, co-presented by the Folk Music Society of Huntington and the Huntington Arts Council, is part of the 50th Annual Huntington Summer Arts Festival produced by the town of Huntington, presented by the Huntington Arts Council, and sponsored in part by the New York State Council for the arts, the County of Suffolk and Canon U.S.A. More information, including a detailed schedule, will be posted on AcousticMusicScene.com next month, as well as on www.fmsh.org.

AcousticMusicScene.com will also host late-night song swaps under a big tent at Pirate Camp during the 27th Annual Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, July 31-Aug. 2 (with a music-filled pre-fest day on July 30). One of the Northeast’s most popular music festivals, Falcon Ridge takes place at Dodd’s Farm on Route 7D in Hillsdale, NY, located in the foothills of the Berkshires, near the tri-state corner of New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Falcon Ridge 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. Among the artists performing this year will be Ray Bonneville, Brother Sun, Judy Collins, The Duhks, Ellis, IlyAIMY, Martyn Joseph, Jay Mankita, Nerissa & Katrina Nields, Pesky J. Nixon, Jim Photoglo, June Rich, Garnet Rogers, Roosevelt Dime, The Slambovian Circus of Dreams, Ralph Sweet, Annie Wenz, Susan Werner, George Marshall with Wild Asparagus, and the 2014 Emerging Artists Showcase performers voted “Most Wanted to Return”: Caitlyn Canty, Matt Nakoa, Hayley Reardon and Jean Rohe.

One of the true highlights of the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival – for those who opt to camp on-site and stay up through the early morning hours – are the impromptu jams, after-hours song circles and unplugged mini-showcases that help foster a sense of “folk” community and provide a different kind of festival experience.

2015 marks the fourth year that AcousticMusicScene.com will partner with Pirate Camp, which was informally launched by Stuart Kabak and the late Jack Hardy more than a decade ago to provide a warm and welcoming haven for sharing music, food and camaraderie. Prior to 2012, AcousticMusicScene.com had for many years joined with Tribes Hill, a lower Hudson Valley-based nonprofit organization uniting musicians and their patrons, in hosting late-night music under a big white tent.

More information about Falcon Ridge and the AcousticMusicScene.com tent @ Pirate Camp will be posted in coming weeks.

The theme for the 2015 conference is “Together,” and it is one that arts professionals will be threaded through the plenary sessions and professional development tracks aimed at expanding the reach and relevance of the presenting field through collective action. Key industry trends and issues to be addressed include targeting untapped and more diverse audiences, working with artists to better draw, engage and sustain those audiences, and using performance to make a social or humanitarian impact on individuals and their communities. Sessions will highlight case examples of programs and projects where APAP members have successfully collaborated with their peers and other partners, in addition to innovative business strategies and tools that are critical to thriving in the business of performing arts presenting.

“Our plenary sessions bring together performing arts professionals to hear from some of the most inspiring thought leaders and creative artists from around the world who influence our field and our future,” said Mario Garcia Durham, president and CEO of APAP. “This year we take that opportunity to honor and champion the creativity, collaboration and reciprocity that effects important change in the communities we serve together.”


Free Live Streaming of Select Sessions Makes Its APAP Conference Debut

Among the conference’s featured speakers will be Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, activist and humanitarian Angelique Kidjo; Inuit throat singer and Polaris Music Prize winner Tanya Tagaq, who also was honored for Pushing the Boundaries during the recent 2014 Canadian Folk Music Awards; and Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, whose 2014 release, The River & The Thread, has drawn much critical acclaim and was the most-played album on Americana radio during 2014 according to the Americana Music Association.

Along with other members of the Content Creators Coalition (c3), an artists advocacy group, Cash will participate in a special session on Monday morning, Jan. 12, entitled “The Music Business and the Digital Age.” Panelists will explore fair compensation for creators in the digital age, how this affects arts presenters, and how to help support the artists whose livelihoods are interwoven with those of presenters.

Tagaq will be part of a keynote plenary on “The Arts as Levelers of Experience” on Saturday afternoon, Jan. 10, from 12-1:30 p.m. EST. Kidjo will close the conference on Tuesday morning, Jan. 13, from 10-11 a.m. with her inspirational perspective on arts and humanity. Both Tagaq’s and Kidjo‘s plenary sessions will stream live, as will several other plenary and professional development sessions during the conference. Those wishing to listen-in online must complete a sign-up form that appears, along with information abut the live streaming sessions, in a drop-down menu under Programs and Events on the conference website – apapnyc.org.

Folk and Roots Artists to Showcase Their Talents

Dozens of performers from the folk, roots and singer-songwriter communities in the U.S., Canada and several other countries will showcase their talents during the conference. Among them will be Acoustic Eidolon, Mike Aiken, The Amigos Band, Balsam Range, Barnya, Beausoleil avec Michel Doucet, Rory Block, Allison Brown, Calle Sur, Caravan of Thieves, Tom Chapin, Cherish The Ladies, Dala, Danu, Guy Davis, KJ Denhert, Dom Flemons, Julie Fowlis, Vicki Genfan, Seth Glier, The High Kings, The Jammin Divas, The Klezmatics, The Kruger Brothers, Claire Lynch Band, Kate MacLeod, Matuto, Mike & Ruthy, Miss Tess & the Talkbacks, Mr. Sun (new American string music featuring noted violinist Darol Anger), Ellis Paul, The Pine Hill Project (Lucy Kaplansky and Richard Shindell), The Prodigals, Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem, Red Molly, Steve Riley & Mamou Playboys, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, Sultans of String, Taarka, Vienna Teng, April Verch, Susan Werner and David Wilcox. Alaska-based fiddler and poet Ken Waldman presents roots music variety showcases featuring a number of acts at Brooklyn’s Jalopy Theatre on Thursday night and at the Manhattan nightclub Don’t Tell Mama on Friday.

As in years past, conference exhibition halls will teem with booking agents and presenters eager to speak with them, and there’ll be a whole lot of networking opportunities.

Several pre-conference forums also are slated. These include a two-day World Music Pre-conference (Jan. 8-9) featuring workshops and panel discussions arranged by music PR firm Rock Paper Scissors. Thursday’s programming focuses on best practices and technology for artists and labels, while Friday’s sessions are geared more towards presenters, agents and managers.

A Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, APAP is a national service, advocacy and membership organization dedicated to developing and supporting a robust performing arts presenters field and the professionals who work within it.

Editor’s Note: As I have since 2007, I will be attending the APAP Conference and reporting on select highlights afterwards.