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

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

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

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

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

Juried Showcases Slated for Friday and Saturday Nights      

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

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

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

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

Here’s the AcousticMusicScene.com Showcase lineup:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NERFA Leaders Share Their Thoughts on the Conference

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

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

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

NERFA is one of five North American regional affiliates of Folk Alliance International (folk.org), a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion. Although folks from throughout North America attend its annual conference, NERFA’s geographic boundaries extend from the eastern provinces of Canada south to the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. More extensive information on the organization and its annual conference may be found online at www.nerfa.org and www.nerfaconference.org. The four other North American regions – Folk Alliance Region Midwest (FARM), Folk Alliance Region – West (FAR-West), Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA), and Southwest Regional Folk Alliance (SWRFA) already held their 2025 conferences. Folk Alliance International’s next conference is set for January — — in New Orleans, Louisiana.

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

Since its inception, the festival has ben a combination of a music fest, family reunion, community gathering, and weekend musical retreat, according to its organizers. Among this year’s performing artists – in addition to a number of Florida-based ones — are Vermont-based singer-songwriter Jason Butler, Hawaii’s Jason Colannino, Massachusetts-based husband & wife duo Crowes Pasture, Pennsylvania-based folksinger-songwriter Anne Hills, California—based duo Jack & the Vox (featuring Jack Maher and Victoria Vox), Illinois-based singer-songwriter Joe Jencks, South Carolina-based guitarist and singer-songwriter Jacob Johnson, Connecticut-based genre-bending trio Mad Agnes, Tennessee-based husband & wife duo Mare Wakefield & Nomad, Kentucky-based singer-songwriter Daniel Neihoff, Massachusetts-based singer-songwriter David Roth, prolific New York-based alt-pop artist Rachael Sage, Colorado-based multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Carla Sciaky, New Jersey-based comedic singer-songwriter Carla Ulbrich, and West Texas-based Americana singer-songwriter Hank Woji.

Singer-Songwriter Competition to Feature 12 Artists

The twelve finalists in the South Florida Folk & Acoustic Music Festival’s singer-songwriter competition — selected from among more than 40 entrants — will each perform two songs on Saturday. They are Rebecca Berlin, Janet Buehler, Jesse James DeConto (The Pinkerton Raid), Kala Farnham, Jacob George, Sue Horowitz, Lynn Holyfield, Roger Mason, Charlie Pace, Arielle Silver, Sara Trunzo, and Ezra Vancil.

Three winners selected by a panel of three judges (Bob Lind, Susan Mos and Michael Stock) will each receive a cash prize and an invitation to perform at next year’s festival. Last year’s winners were Lynn Biddick (LaCrosse, Wisconsin), Jane Fallon (Dunedin, Florida) and Sarah McCulloch (Davie, Florida).

A Wide Array of Jam Sessions and Workshops are Slated

A variety of jam sessions are slated. Among others, New Hampshire-based husband & wife duo Dan & Faith present “Telling Stories That Matter: Songs For Our Times;” Florida-based folk roots band Killbillies host “a “Traditional Irish Jam;” Rachael Sage invites people to “Share Your Original Songs;” Carla Ulbrich leads a “Funny Song Jam;’ Victoria Vox hosts a “Ukelele Hootenanny;” and Hank Woji leads a “Social and Political Consciousness and Activism Jam.” Ten workshops are also slated over the weekend to be led by such noted singer-songwriters as Joe Jencks, Rod MacDonald, David Roth, and Jack Williams, among others.

A festival schedule including bios of all of the artists slated to perform — along with performance times and links to their websites and to listen to them online – may be found at https://sffolk.org/festival-2025-schedule/. Tickets may be purchased online at https://sffolk.org/general-information/festival-tickets/.

The South Florida Folk & Acoustic Music Club (formerly the Broward Folk Club), which presents the festival, is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to promote folk & acoustic music and to provide a community for people who share a love for it.

“Gathering in person after two years of making connections though our online events is going to be so lovely,” said Dalis Allen, SWRFA’s executive director and longtime conference coordinator. “Everyone is so excited! We have many new folks attending – joining our team of folks that have continued to make our SWRFA conference the welcoming event that it is.”

Prior to the official start of the conference on Thursday, folks will converge on Austin’s NeWorlDeli on Wednesday night for a party and meet & greet during which many registered artists will e afforded an opportunity to perform a song. Similarly, there will be an open mic during a pool party at the Holiday Inn-Midtown, the conference’s host hotel, on Thursday night, along with a meal courtesy of Berkalin Records. Prior to the pool party, there will be several panels during the mid-late afternoon.

Performing Artists Will Have Lots of Opportunities to Showcase Their Talents; Official Showcases are Open to the Public on Friday and Saturday Nights

A number of unplugged in-room showcases will follow the Official Showcases on Friday and Saturday overnight from 10:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. AcousticMusicScene.com’s in-room showcase on Saturday overnight will feature a Midnight Hoot preceded by several song swaps. Although the online publication for the folk, roots and singer-songwriter communities has hosted showcases at Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) and Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA) conferences for many years, this marks the first time it is doing so during a SWRFA conference. A popular annual event at NERFA conferences since 2007, the AcousticMusicScene.com Midnight Hoot at the SWRFA conference will feature two-dozen artists/acts — each performing one song between midnight and 2 a.m. A house band is available to accompany any artists on request.

Here’s the AcousticMusicScene.com showcase schedule:

10:30 Song Swap: Catherine Miles & Jay Mafale, Shanna in a Dress

11:00 Song Swap: George Ensle, Tim Grimm

11:30 Texas Troubadours: Brian Kalinec, Randy Palmer, Joel White

12:00 AcousticMusicScene.com Midnight Hoot – Part 1
(One song per artist/act; order subject to change.)

Taylor Pie, Nancy K. Dillon, Michael Henchman, Libby Koch, Ken Gaines, Karyn Oliver, Jake Farr, Grace Morrison, Sarah Pierce, Kacey & Jenna, Roxi Copland, Erin Ivey

House Band: Merel Bregante (percussion), John Inman and Brian Kalinec (guitars)

1:00 AcousticMusicScene.com Midnight Hoot – Part 2
(One song per artist/act; order subject to change.)

Ryan Biter, Deidre McCalla, Carl Solomon, Carla Ulbrich, Vanessa Lively & Ben Bedford, Claudia Gibson, Alicia Stockman, Natalie Price, Carolyn Shulman, Dan Weber, Lynn McCracken

House Band: Merel Bregante (percussion), John Inman and Brian Kalinec (guitars)

The conference wraps up with an extended Sunday brunch during which songwriters who drew a random song assignment/topic upon picking up their credentials at the outset of the conference, will share the songs that they wrote over the weekend. “Getting to listen to the songs written during the conference from a prompt is still one of my very favorite things I do all year,” said Allen. Many artists and other conference attendees share her sentiments and have made the song-sharing event a longtime conference highlight.

SWRFA (swfolkalliance.org) 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. SWRFA includes the southwestern United States and Mexico.

Editor’s Note: Besides hosting a late-night song swaps and a midnight hoot during the SWRFA conference, I will assist PuffBunny Records (an indie label for which I provide PR counsel and services) with its in-room showcase and Taylor Pie with a Q & A following the screening of Nobody Famous, an award-winning documentary about her and the 1960s folk-pop trio Pozo Seco Singers of which she was the lead singer and a founding member (along with Don Williams and Lofton Kline). I also will take part in a panel discussion on showcasing and offer some mentoring sessions on various PR, social media and strategic communications topics. I am a board member of Folk Alliance International and NERFA.

The NERFA Conference – being held in Stamford for the first time after outgrowing its previous location in The Catskills of upstate New York — will feature several jam-packed days and nights of music showcases, song swaps/in-the-rounds, an open mic, informal jam sessions, informative panel discussions and workshops, a keynote by singer-songwriter Christine Lavin, mentoring sessions, a large trade show-like exhibit hall, communal meals in the dining room, a welcoming party and happy hours, and lots of informal conversation and networking.

Booking gigs may be the primary objective of some performers who attend the NERFA 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 attending workshops and seminars to learn about options to further careers, promote the music, and attract audiences and listeners.

Among the more than 30 workshops slated during the conference are a two-hour songwriting session with Tom Paxton; a Wisdom of the Elders panel featuring Nora Guthrie, Tom Rush and Noel Paul Stookey, and a panel discussion on The Folk Revival of the ‘60s moderated by AcousticMusicScene.com’s Michael Kornfeld and interspersed with performances of songs from the era by panelists David Amram and Paxton. Rush also will participate in a short Q &A session following the screening of the documentary “Tom Rush – No Regrets.” By popular demand, there will be two fast-paced 90-minute “On the Griddle” instant critique sessions. Sarah Craig will explore “The Rebirth of Caffe Lena: How We Saved America’s Longest-Running Folk Club,” while Nora Guthrie, daughter of the legendary American folksinger and songwriter, will discuss Holy Ground: Woody Guthrie’s Yiddish Connection.” During other workshops and panel discussion, attendees will learn how to build a loyal audience for their venues, spruce up their online image, strengthen their bios and news releases, make a radio-ready recording, listen for that sideman, prepare contracts, and stay healthy on the road. Singer-Songwriters Amy Soucy and Karyn Oliver will lead morning yoga sessions, while MusiCares will fit folks for custom earplugs.

Juried and Guerrilla Showcases Abound

After the formal showcases, attendees will shuffle between three conference ballrooms to catch short sets by 30 additional artists who were selected by a different set of judges. Performing in tricentric showcases on Friday night are The Brother Brothers, Cricket Blue, The Doll Sisters, Ian Foster, The Gaslight Tinkers, Manitoba Hal, Louise Mosrie, Red Tail Ring, Monica Rizzio, Ryanhood, Putnam Smith with April Reed-Cox, Carolann Solebello, Suzie Vinnick, Rupert Wates, and Dan Weber. Saturday’s Tricentric Showcase artists include Cliff Eberhardt, Freebo, Tret Fure, Connor Garvey, Dave Gunning, Heather Mae, Phil Henry Acoustic Trio, Tish Hinojosa, Kirsten Maxwell, Linda McRae, Heather Pierson Acoustic Trio, Tom Rush, Bethel Steele, Noel Paul Stookey, and Heather Styka.

Following the juried showcases each evening (as well as on Friday and Saturday afternoons), 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. Community sings, open mics, informal jam sessions, private showcases, thematic song circles and round-robin song swaps round out the musical mix. Musicians also are apt to stake out other areas of the hotel and jam until 4 or 5 a.m.


AcousticMusicScene.com Midnight Hoot Features 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. Following the Suzi Wollenberg Folk DJ Showcase and extending from 11:45 p.m. to 3 a.m., the AcousticMusicScene.com Midnight Hoot is a pre-arranged, round robin song swap featuring several singing folk DJs (Barbara and Graham Dean, Wanda Fischer and Jon Stein) and some 40 artists/acts – each performing one song.

Now in its 10th 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 Mark Dann (bass), Efrat (violin), Eric Lee (violin), Marshal Rosenberg (percussion), and Nick Russo (banjo) also will be there for anyone who desires accompaniment.

As in recent years, the musical festivities in the AcousticMusicScene.com room 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 will march into the room at 2 a.m. singing their national anthem.

Schedules for the AcousticMusicScene.com showcases appear below.

Thursday Night

11:45 p.m. – 3 a.m.

AcousticMusicScene.com Midnight Hoot

Featuring one song by each of the following (not listed in order of appearance)

Folk DJs: Graham & Barbara Dean, Wanda Fischer, Jon Stein

Artists: Jeremy Aaron, Antonio Andrade, Banjo Nickaru & Western Scooches, The Belle Hollows, Jim Bizer & Jan Krist, Sophie Buskin, Rob Carlson, Meghan Cary: Sing Louder, Shawna Caspi, Greg Cornell and the Cornell Brothers, Cricket Blue, Vincent Cross, Crowes Pasture, Efrat, Freebo, Friction Farm, Gathering Sparks, Gathering Time, Generations: Mike & Aleksi Glick, Stuart Kabak, Brian Kalinec, Judy Kass, Ladybird, Eric Lee, Mara Levine, Gigi Love, Anna Ludlow, Kirsten Maxwell, Mike McKenna Jr., Emily Mure, Dan Navarro, Kaitlyn Raitz & Ben Plotnick, Red Tail Ring, Bill Scorzari, Hank Stone, Shawn Taylor, The End of America, The Everly Set, Avi Wisnia, The YaYas

Grassy Hill Youth Scholarship Recipients: Sara Chodak, Ayssa Dann

House Band: Mark Dann (bass), Efrat (violin), Eric Lee (violin), Marshal Rosenberg (percussion), Nick Russo (banjo)

Friday Afternoon

2:30 Long Island Sound: Rorie Kelly, Scott Krokoff, Hank Stone

3:00 Keystone Staters: Ladybird, Robert Bobby Duo, The End of America

3:30 Keystone Staters: Meghan Cary: Sing Louder, Mist-Covered Mountains, Aaron Nathans

4:00 Joan & Joni: Allison Shapira & Kipyn Martin

4:30 “I’m From New Jersey”: Sharon Goldman, Dennis McDoNoUgh!, John Sonntag

Friday Late Night

11:45 CT State Troubadours: Kate Callahan, Kristen Graves, Lara Herscovitch

12:15 Rob Carlson and Benefit Street

12:30 Funny Folk: Lois Morton, Carla Ulbrich

1:00 Strings & Songs: Banjo Nickaru & Western Scooches, Efrat

1:30 Roots-Americana – Greg Cornell & the Cornell Brothers, He-Bird, She-Bird, Pluck & Rail

2:00 Mass. Appeal – Stephanie Corby, Neale Eckstein, Eric Lee, Steven Pelland, Monica Rizzio, Jim Trick

Note: Mass. Appeal will extend until 3 a.m.

Saturday Afternoon

2:00 Maine Event: Connor Garvey, Putnam Smith (with April Reed-Cox), Sorcha, Ashley Storrow,

3:00 Pirate Camp: Generations: Mike & Aleksi Glick, Diane Perry, Hank Stone

3:30 Pirate Camp: Jacob Johnson, Elaine Romanelli. The Whispering Tree

4:00 Pirate Camp: Susan Kane, Judy Kass

4:30 Pirate Camp: Freebo, Stuart Kabak, Heather Pierson Acoustic Trio

11:45 Pesky J. Nixon

12:00 Harmonic Convergence: Mike Agranoff, Gathering Time, Mara Levine

12:30 Female Folk: Kate Copeland, Rachael Kilgour, Kirsten Maxwell

1:00 Two Trios: The Boxcar Lilies, Cole, Nakoa & Treacher

1:30 The Belle Hollows and Friction Farm

2:00 O Canada: Shawna Caspi, Durham County Poets, Ian Foster, Gathering Sparks, Irish Mythen, Erika Kulnys, Anna Ludlow, Manitoba Hal, David Newland, Benjamin Dakota Rogers, Suzie Vinnick, Katherine Wheatley, The Young Novelists (Percussion: Cheryl Prashker)

Note: O Canada will extend until 3:30 a.m. or thereabouts.

One-Day On-Site Conference Registration Available

Special one-day walk-up registration rates have been established for those actively engaged in the folk music community who are unable to attend the entire conference. For $100 on Friday or $120 on Saturday, folks will receive badges entitling them to sit in on workshops and showcases and to visit the exhibit hall. Meals are not included. Workshop descriptions and showcase listings and schedules may be found online at (www.nerfa.org.

NERFA is a regional affiliate of Folk Alliance International, a nonprofit organization that seeks to nurture, engage and empower the international folk music community – traditional and contemporary, amateur and professional – through education, advocacy and performance.

In addition to hosting the AcousticMusicScene.com Midnight Hoot and other showcases during
the NERFA Conference and moderating the Folk Revival panel discussion, I will be promoting a few artists, participating on a panel entitled Strengthening Your Bio and Press Releases, and doing some mentoring. Currently vice president of NERFA’s board of directors. I also serve on the board of Folk Alliance International.

Opening for Cleaves at 8:30 p.m. will be Huntington’s own Kirsten Maxwell, a young singer-songwriter who has been drawing national attention and accolades over the past year.

Prior to the evening concert on the park’s [Harry] Chapin Rainbow Stage, AcousticMusicScene.com and the Folk Music Society of Huntington will host unplugged showcases and song swaps on the lawn featuring artists from five states performing near canopy tents from noon until 6 p.m. An open mic is also set for noon.

Artists slated to perform during the afternoon include Jeremy Aaron, Acoustic Apple, Blair Bodine, Addie Brownlee, Rob Carlson & Benefit Street, Greg Cornell and the Cornell Brothers, Dan and Faith, Bryan Gallo, He-Bird, She-Bird, Josh Joffen, Susan Kane, Judy Kass, Colleen Kattau, Rorie Kelly, Terry Kitchen, Ray Lambiase, Richard Lanahan, Eric Lee, Mara Levine, Dennis McDonough, Lois Morton, My Dad’s Truck, James O’Malley, Steven Pelland, Pluck & Rail, Hank Stone, Aly Tadros, Jessy Tomsko, Carla Ulbrich and Letitia VanSant. The daytime schedules follow and also appear on www.fmsh.org.

AcousticMusicScene.com Tent
(Hosted by Michael Kornfeld)

12:00 LI Artists Spotlight: Ray Lambiase, Richard Lanahan, Hank Stone
12:30 Aly Tadros, Jesse Tomsko
1:00 Fiddlin’ Around: Jeremy Aaron, Eric Lee
1:30 Terry Kitchen, Mara Levine, Dennis McDonough
2:00 Mass. Appeal: Dan & Faith, Steven Pelland
2:30 Kerrville New Folk Winners: Addie Brownlee, Josh Joffen
3:00 Hudson Valley Songsters: Susan Kane, Judy Kass
3:30 Colleen Kattau, James O’Malley
4:00 Blair Bodine, Letitia Van Sant
4:30 Funny Folk: Lois Morton, Carla Ulbrich
5:00 Rob Carlson & Benefit Street
5:15 Roots Round: Greg Cornell, He-Bird, She-Bird, Pluck & Rail

Folk Music Society of Huntington Tent
(Hosted by Lee Ann Rush and Gary Schoenberger)

12:00 Open Mic
1:00 Acoustic Apple
1:15 Bryan Gallo
1:30 Carla Ulbrich
1:45 Richard Lanahan
2:00 Friends On The Journey
(Lora Kendall, Suzanne Ernst & Vincent Crici)
2:15 Letitita VanSant
2:30 Dennis McDonough
2:45 He-Bird, She-Bird
3:00 Hank Stone
3:15 Terry Kitchen & Mara Levine
3:30 Rob Carlson & Benefit Street
3:45 Steven Pelland
4:00 Rorie Kelly
4:15 Greg Cornell & the Cornell Brothers
4:30 James O’Malley
4:45 My Dad’s Truck

Festivalgoers are advised to bring lawn chairs and blankets and a picnic supper (or walk into Huntington Village and enjoy a meal at one of its many restaurants).

The 5ist Annual Huntington Summer Arts Festival is 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

Editor’s Note: I also serve as president of the Folk Music Society of Huntington, an all-volunteer nonprofit presenting organization on Long Island, and coordinate the festival in partnership with the Huntington Arts Council.

Some 800 performing artists, presenters, promoters, agents and managers, folk DJs and others actively engaged in contemporary and traditional folk music will converge on the Hudson Valley Resort in Kerhonkson, New York, Nov. 12-15, 2015, for the 21st Annual Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) Conference. AcousticMusicScene.com will again have a major presence as it hosts afternoon and late-night song swaps, in addition to its popular Midnight Hoot at the close of the conference’s first day.

Booking gigs may be the primary objective of some performers who attend the NERFA 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 attending workshops and seminars to learn about options to further careers, promote the music, and attract audiences and listeners.

Taking center stage during this year’s conference will be 14 artists/acts selected by a panel of judges, each to perform a 15-minute formal showcase set in the resort’s theater on Friday and Saturday nights. Slated to perform on Friday are Jim Gaudet & The Railroad Boys, Mollie O’Brien & Rich Moore, The Young Novelists, Robert Jones & Matt Watroba, Les Poules a Colin, Shun Ng and John Flynn. Saturday’s Formal Showcase lineup features Mile Twelve, Pat Donohue, Sultans of String with Anwhar Kurshid, Yann Falquet & Pascal Gemme, Ken Whiteley & The Beulah Band, Cosy Sheridan, and Don White & Christine Lavin.

After the formal showcases, attendees will shuffle between four conference rooms to catch short sets by 40 additional artists who were selected by a different set of judges. Performing in quad showcases on Friday night are Scott Ainslie, Mari Black, Susan Cattaneo, Cricket Tell the Weather, The Early Mays, Efrat, Friction Farm, Jan Krist and Jim Bizer, David Massengill, Kate McDonnell, Mist Covered Mountains, David Myles, The Nields, Rant Maggie Rant, Dave Rowe, Amy Soucy, Spuyten Duyvil, Jim Trick, Letitia Vansant & the Bonafides, and Dan Weber. Saturday’s Quad Showcase artists include Eric Andersen, Marc Allen Berube, Michael Braunfeld, Meghan Cary, Shawna Caspi, Joe Crookston, Durham County Poets, Angela Easterling, Jane Fallon, Gathering Time, Lynne Hanson, Jacob Johnson, Sharon Katz & the Peace Train, Evie Ladin Band, Mamalama, Aaron Nathans & Michael G. Ronstadt, Heather Pierson Acoustic Trio, Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers & Wendy Ramsay, Lindsay Straw and Carla Ulbrich.

Following the juried showcases each evening (as well as on Friday afternoon), 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. Open mics, informal jam sessions, private showcases, thematic song circles and round-robin song swaps round out the musical mix. It’s not unusual to see musicians staking out other areas of the hotel and jamming until 5 a.m.


AcousticMusicScene.com Midnight Hoot Features Artists and Singing Folk DJs


An overflow crowd will likely again descend on the AcousticMusicScene.com room (1506) on Thursday overnight for its popular Midnight Hoot. Following the Suzi Wollenberg Folk DJ Showcase and extending from 11:45 p.m. to 3 a.m., the AcousticMusicScene.com Midnight Hoot is a pre-arranged, round robin song swap featuring several singing folk DJs (Barbara and Graham Dean, Wanda Fischer and Jon Stein) and some three-dozen artists/acts – each of whom will perform one song.

Now in its ninth 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 Mark Dann (bass), Efrat (violin), Marshal Rosenberg (percussion), Brad Yoder (various instruments) and Jason Rafalak (mandolin) also will be there for anyone who desires accompaniment.

The musical festivities in the AcousticMusicScene.com room 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 will march into the room shortly before 2 a.m. singing their national anthem.

Schedules for the AcousticMusicScene.com showcases appear below. There will be a carpeted wooden platform stage and stage lights courtesy of Stuart Kabak. Blue Point Brewing Company (Patchogue, NY) is providing craft beers.

Thursday Night
11:45 p.m. – 3 a.m. – AcousticMusicScene.com Midnight Hoot

Featuring one song by each of the following (not listed in order of appearance)

Folk DJs: Graham & Barbara Dean, Wanda Fischer and Jon Stein

Artists: Annika Bennett, Marc Douglas Berardo, Chelsea Berry, Mark Allen Berube, Robert Bobby Duo, Meg Braun, Kate Callahan, Greg Cornell and the Cornell Brothers, Pat Donohue, Efrat, Gathering Time, Generations: Mike & Aleksi Glick, Sam Gleaves, Sonya Heller, Jacob Johnson, Stuart Kabak, Rachael Kilgour, Erika Kulnys, Mara Levine, Lowell Levinger (Banana from The Youngbloods), Rob Lytle, Kirsten Maxwell, Dennis McDonough, Emily Mure, Dan Navarro, Hugh O’ Doherty, Jim Photoglo, KJ Reimensnyder-Wagner, The Royal Yard, Ben Shannon, Carolann Solebello, Amy Soucy, Hank Stone, Jim Trick, Mark Wahl, Dan Weber, Emily White, Brad Yoder and Jason Rafalak

House Band: Mark Dann (bass), Efrat (violin), Marshal Rosenberg (percussion), Brad Yoder (various instruments) and Jason Rafalak (mandolin)

Friday Afternoon

12:00 Pirate Camp: The Royal Yard (sea chanteys)

12:15 Pirate Camp: Mya Byrne, Robinlee Garber, Gathering Time, Susan Kane

1:00 Pirate Camp: Stuart Kabak, Keith Kelly, Rachael Kilgour, David Massengill

2:00 Long Island Sounds: He-Bird, She-Bird, Rorie Kelly, Scott Krokoff, Hank Stone, Christine Sweeney, Robinson Treacher

3:00 The Maine Event: Caroline Cotter, Paddy Mills, Dave Rowe, Putnam Smith, Sorcha, Ashley Storrow

4:00 Keystone Staters: Michael Braunfeld, Meghan Cary: Sing Louder, The Early Mays, Mist Covered Mountains, No Good Sister, Brad Yoder & Jason Rafalak

Friday Night

11:45 Blues All Around: Scott Ainslie, Pat Donohue, Generations: Mike & Aleksi Glick, Jon Shain

12:30 A Pair of Duos: The Levins, The YaYas

1:00 Guys of Note: Marc Douglas Berardo, Rob Lytle

1:30 NYC Roots-Americana: Greg Cornell & the Cornell Brothers, Vincent Cross

2:00 Mass. Appeal: Mile Twelve, Matt Nakoa, Pesky J. Nixon, Jim Trick

Saturday Night

11:45 California-centric: Freebo, Dan Navarro, Eric Schwartz

12:30 Powerful Voices: John Flynn and Rachael Kilgour

1:00 Strings & Songs: Efrat, Aaron Nathans & Michael G. Ronstadt

1:30 Harmonic Convergence: Gathering Time, Mara Levine, Kirsten Maxwell

2:00 O Canada: Bob Ardern, Amy & Rachel Beck, Shawna Caspi, Ian Foster, Fraser & Girard, Manitoba Hal, Jory Nash, Rant Maggie Rant, Suzie Vinnick, Ken Whiteley & The Beulah Band, The Young Novelists (Percussion: Cheryl Prashker)

NERFA (www.nerfa.org) is a regional affiliate of Folk Alliance International, a nonprofit organization that seeks to nurture, engage and empower the international folk music community – traditional and contemporary, amateur and professional – through education, advocacy and performance.

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Editor’s Note: My thanks to Stuart Kabak, with whom I partner in hosting pre-arranged late-night song swaps and open song circles under the AcousticMusicScene.com Tent @ Pirate Camp during the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, for providing a carpeted wooden platform stage and stage lights for this year’s AcousticMusicScene.com showcases. Thanks also are due to him, Mira Shapiro and Hank Stone for graciously offering to host afternoon showcases, and to Amy Blake, Sybil Moser and Gary Schoenberger for the loan of folding chairs.

In addition to hosting the AcousticMusicScene.com Midnight Hoot and other showcases during the NERFA
Conference, I will be assisting a few artists and offering a series of 15-minute mentoring sessions focused on artist bios and one-sheets, electronic press kits (EPKs), media relations, social media, website content, and what presenters look for when considering artists for their concert series and festivals. I also serve on the board of directors for both Folk Alliance International and NERFA.

Produced by the Cultural Arts Association of Walton County and now in its second year, the 30A Songwriters Festival takes places at various venues on Scenic Highway 30A along Northwest Florida’s Panhandle Gulf Coast over the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend, Jan. 14-16.

A mix of established touring artists, talented local songwriters and emerging talents are included in the festival’s line-up. Among the dozens of artists slated to perform are such notable singer-songwriters as Randall Bramblett, Susan Cowsill, Rodney Crowell, Ashleigh Flynn, Jen Foster, Mary Gauthier, Madison Violet, Michelle Malone, Laurie McClain (who was among my favorite new discoveries during the 2010 NERFA Conference), Carmel Mikol, Louise Mosrie, Shawn Mullins, David Olney, Gretchen Peters, Vicki Peterson of The Bangles, Suzi Ragsdale, Kim Richardson, Lucy Wainwright Roche, Emily Saliers of Indigo Girls, Vienna Teng, Reed Waddle and Dar Williams. Tickets, priced at $75, can be purchased online at wwww.30aSongwritersFestival.com or at Central Square Records in Seaside, FL.

The Broward Folk Club, a nonprofit organization created more than 20 years ago to promote folk and acoustic music and provide a community for people who share a love for it, hosts the South Florida Folk Fest on Jan. 22. It is slated to run from noon to 6 p.m. in the grand ballroom of the Sunrise Civic Center on West Oakland Park Blvd. in Sunrise, FL. A two-hour open mic will precede the fest.

A variety of factors, ranging from weather to finances, prompted organizers two years ago to scale back what had been a multi-stage festival to a one-day “Round-Up” featuring a number of singer-songwriters who had not previously played South Florida. For 2011, the club is seeking to bring back much of the tradition and essence of the old festival by featuring artists who have been either headliners or singer-songwriter contest winners from 1999 forward. Featured artists, each of whom will perform 40-minute sets, are Nick Annis, Ellen Bukstel, Greg Greenway, Rod MacDonald, Dave Nachmanoff, Carla Ulbrich and Bill Ward. Admission is $35 at the door; $25 for club members, and $5 less in advance. Children 16 and under will be admitted free. More information appears online at www.southfloridafolkfest.net.

Booking gigs is the primary objective of some performers who attend the annual NERFA conference, now in its 15th year, while many presenters and folk DJs come primarily to 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 and building community.

After the formal showcases, attendees will shuffle between three conference rooms to catch short sets by 30 additional artists, pre-selected from among some 170 applicants, in what are known as tricentric showcases. Participating artists on Friday night include Nels Andrews, Carsie Blanton, Ellen Bukstel, Annie & Rod Capps, K.C. Clifford, Anna Dagmar, Ellis, Gathering Time, Lara Herscovitch, Joe Iadanza and His Beautiful Band , Drew Nelson, A.J. Roach, Kevin So and Vanessa Torres. Slated to perform on Saturday night are Lisa Bigwood, Marc Black, Bread and Bones, RJ Cowdery, Beth DeSombre, John Flynn, Matt & Shannon Heaton, Hickory Project, Michael McNevin, Angelo M, The Rhythm Angels, Jude Roberts, BettySoo, Sally Spring Group and Carla Ulbrich.

Following the formal and tricentric showcases, so-called late-night ‘guerilla showcases’ take place in nearly three dozen hotel rooms until the wee hours of the morning, while other musicians stake out corners of the lobby for informal jam sessions that often last until 4 or 5 a.m. A handful of guerilla showcases also are on tap for Friday and Saturday afternoon, following a series of workshops and panel discussions.

AcousticMusicScene.com creator Michael Kornfeld, who also is a longtime communications and public relations strategist and serves on the boards of two presenting organizations and NERFA, will be part of a two-hour panel discussion entitled “Getting the Word Out, Getting the Audience In – PR for Venues.” Singer-songwriter Vance Gilbert conducts his popular performance clinic and critique while Siobahn Quinn leads a voice coaching workshop. Among the other topics to be covered in workshops and panel discussions are folk music for non-folk audiences, humor in songs, house concerts, tips and techniques to maximize grant awards, mastering the art of merchandising, and topical music in a changing world.

A family music track that was added to the schedule for last year’s conference will take place on Friday, with performer showcases and workshops geared for those engaged or interested in children’s and family music. The Funky Mamas, Paul Helou, Paul Kaplan, Erin Lee & Marci, and Vanessa Trien will perform in front of a live audience comprised of children from local schools as well as presenters.

AcousticMusicScene.com Showcases Set for Thursday – Saturday

Artists slated to participate in the AcousticMusicScene.com Midnight Hoot include Marc Black, Meg Braun, Robert Bruey, Buskin & Batteau, K.C. Clifford, Todd Coyle, RJ Cowdery, Wyatt Easterling, John Flynn, Friction Farm, Gathering Time, Jenny Goodspeed, Melissa Greener, Loretta Hagen, Jenee Halstead, Lara Herscovitch, Brendan Hogan, Joe Iadanza, Joe Jencks, Brian Ashley Jones, John Kribs, David LaFleur, Robyn Landis, Layah Jane, Mara Levine, Allison Lickley, Lucky 13, Jaime Michaels, Danielle Miraglia, Kathy Moser, Karyn Oliver, Roger Silverberg, Hank Stone, Joe Stone, Reed Waddle, Shannon Wurst, and Brad Yoder.

Artist lineups for the November 13 and 14 AcousticMusicScene.com showcases follow:

Friday, Nov. 13 (Evening)

Hosted by Michael Kornfeld

11:45 MMM Good Blues: Beaucoup Blue (Adrian & David Mowry), Angelo M,
Danielle Miraglia, Phil Minissale

12:30 Brooklyn in da House: Marc Allen Berube, Meg Braun, Sweet Bitters

1:00 Women of Note: K.C. Clifford, Jenee Halstead, Betty Soo

1:30 Two Duos & a Trio: Annie & Rod Capps, Friction Farm, The YaYas

2:00 A Mix of Styles: Gathering Time, Danny Gotham and John Kribs, Pesky J. Nixon

Saturday, Nov. 14 (Evening)

Hosted by Michael Kornfeld

11:45 Three Jo(h)ns: John Flynn, John Wort Hannam, Jon Vezner

12:30 A Coupla Joes: Joe Crookston, Joe Iadanza

1:00 New England Songbirds: Jenny Goodspeed, Jenee Halstead

1:30 Folk You Should Know: RJ Cowdery, Jaime Michaels, Ken Whiteley

2:00 No Guitars Here: Acoustic Eidolon, David LaFleur, Treasa Levasseur, Putnam Smith

Saturday, Nov. 14 (Afternoon) 2:00 – 4:30 p.m.

AcousticMusicScene.com Long Island Sound Showcase & Wine Tasting
Pairing artists who live on or near the Long Island Sound with fine LI wines courtesy of Martha Clara Vineyards. Whole Foods Market is providing snacks.

Guest Hosts: Joe Iadanza and Karen Finkenberg

2:00 Robert Bruey
2:10 Stuart Markus and Hillary Foxsong of Gathering Time
2:20 Joe Iadanza & His Beautiful Band
2:30 Caroline Doctorow
2:40 Lara Herscovitch
2:50 Hank Stone
3:00 Phil Minissale
3:10 Susan Kane
3:20 Lucky 13
3:30 David Bailey
3:40 Josh Joffen
3:50 My Dad’s Truck
4:00 Roger Silverberg
4:10 Joe Stone
4:20 Spuyten Duyvil

As part of Folk Alliance International, NERFA (www.nerfa.org) aims to foster and promote multicultural, traditional and contemporary folk music, while strengthening and advancing organizational and individual initiatives in folk music and dance through education, networking, advocacy, and professional and field development.