The festival will feature more than 50 musical artists and acts performing daily from 11 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Sunday. Seven stages –including the shady, family-oriented Dulcimer Grove — will offer a diverse array of international, regional and hyper-local performers, daytime workshops, in-the-round sets featuring several artists/acts, and more. As in years past, many artisans will display and sell their crafts, while a wide array of food and beverages will be available for purchase.

This year’s festival headliners are, Gangstagrass (a group whose innovative sound is a fusion of bluegrass and hip hop) John Oates (formerly of the popular Philadelphia-based pop-soul duo Hall & Oates), and virtuosic banjo player Tony Trischka’s EarlJam – A Tribute to Earl Scruggs (in which the acclaimed bluegrass artist and backing band trace the musical story of the American bluegrass legend known for popularizing a three-finger banjo picking style).

Among the other notable artists slated to perform during the festival are Adam Ezra Group, Calvin Arsenia, Cajun band Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet, Craig Bickhardt with Aislann Bickhardt, Johnathan Byrd, Ellis Paul, The Faux Paws, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer, Dom Flemons, John Flynn, John Gallagher, Jr., The Great Groove Band, Alice Howe & Freebo, Jess Klein, A.J. Lee & Blue Summit, Crys Matthews, Pete Muller and the Kindred Souls, Aaron Nathans & Michael G. Ronstadt, Celtic roots ensemble RUNA, The Secret Sisters, Shanna in a Dress, Alexis P. Suter Band, Stephen Wade, Nigel Wearne, and Windborne. A number of talented Canadian artists are on the bill – including Angelique Francis Band, Cassie & Maggie, J.P. Cormier, Dave Gunning, Miss Emily, and Genevieve Racette.

John Flynn, a Delaware-based singer-songwriter and social justice activist & troubadour, has been a frequent performer at the festival and closes it out this year on the Main Stage. “When people ask me how I’m doing I often say ‘better than I deserve.’ They always think I’m joking but I’m really not,” he told AcousticMusicScene.com. “I am so grateful for the chances I’ve been given in this life and that’s kind of how I feel about the Philadelphia Folk Festival. These folks have supported my music from the very beginning, and it’s a real honor to be getting a chance to appear with so many wonderful artists on the final night of this year’s fest.”

Artists Affiliated with Music Artists Cooperative (MAC) and Xtreme Folk Scene Also Slated to Perform

The Philadelphia Folk Festival also will feature performances by members of the Philadelphia Folksong Society’s Musical Artists Cooperative (MAC) and from The Xtreme Folk Scene, a Philadelphia-based music community dedicated to supporting dynamic and innovative folk music that pushes the boundaries of tradition and celebrates the fusion of various genres.

The Musical Artists Cooperative (MAC) is an initiative designed to support professional musicians who perform regularly in the local area, with many touring nationally as well. Slated to perform on the Lobby Stage on Friday, Aug, 16, between 1-5:30 p.m. are Last Chance, CubiZm, Jefferson Berry & the UAC, Bethlehem and Sad Patrick, Jersey Corn Pickers, Kicking Down Doors, The Hoppin Boxcars, and Meghan Cary. On Saturday morning, Aug. 17, Mara Levine and Gathering Time will perform on the Craft Stage from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., and on Sunday morning, Aug. 18, The Honey Badgers and The Edgehill Rounders play the Tank Stage from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Other MAC-affiliated artists set to perform during the festival include Emily Drinker, Aaron Nathans, David C. Perry, Jackson Pines, and Two of a Kind.

The Xtreme Folk Showcase, entitled “Anger, Hope, and Outrage,” will feature performances by Sug Daniels, Anarkkhipov, Persistent Resonators, A Day Without Love, and Matt Pless on the Tank Stage on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Xtreme Folk Scene also presents Xfest, an annual music festival featuring some of the edgiest folk artists in the greater Philadelphia area.

There’s also a festival within the festival for those who opt to camp onsite and enjoy some late-night musical revelry. The 40-acre campground – chock-a-block with tents – is home to a unique late-night scene, with singing by campfires and jamming into the early morning hours, as well as a Thursday night Camp Stage kickoff performance for campers only.

For more information about the Philadelphia Folk Festival – including stage schedules — and to order tickets, visit folkfest.org.

Adam Ezra Group, Alison Brown, Joe Crookston The Mammals, Mustard’s Retreat, The Nields, Joan Osborne, Shanna in a Dress, The Slambovian Circus of Dreams, Uprooted Band, and Susan Werner are among the artists slated to appear. Also showcasing their talents will be Allison Leah, John John Brown, Ian Campbell (the festival’s artistic director), Riley Cotton, The Currys, Nick Depuy & The Big Fly, Deirdre Flint, Girl Blue, Phil Henry, Kirsten Maxwell, The Midnight Anthem, Adelaide Punkin & Something Simple, Tall Travis, Shawn Taylor, Tracy Walton, Sierra West, and more. A number of artists will also conduct workshops.

“I’m excited for this year. We feel like we are just making this space for others to bring their magic,” said Ian Campbell, who has curated the festival since its inception in 2018. “We are so excited to see how many things are growing organically in the festival … jam tents are doing so many great things … “the “art” part of the festival has a life of its own … so many things to do, and people just keep ‘bringing it’ more than the year before … It’s like we have a space where a community is being built, and it’s beautiful.”

Although still relatively small, the festival has grown each year – with new elements and layers being added to it. In addition to dozens of musical acts on several stages, hour-long Sunset Song Swaps will take place each evening, while daytime classes and workshops are also on the festival schedule. Workshops will focus on such topics as photography, busking, jamming, ukulele, songwriting, hand-drumming, stories and art, and studio pre-production, guitar maintenance and set-up. “We’ll also have a bunch of art workshops – ranging from painting, to prints and book prints, to “immortal jellyfish umbrella” making (conducted by Tink from The Slambovian Circus of Dreams), to pumpkin carving, and more,” said Campbell. Shanna in a Dress leads a songwriting workshop, while John John Brown hosts one on Stories and Art: Lessons from Strangers, and Joe Crookston leads a special print workshop. “Ace Hardware is creating a very cool lounge, and there will also be games and hula hoops and carnival acts,” Campbell added.

“What is most exciting for me is that people are taking it upon themselves to simply make this event cooler, warmer, nicer, kinder,” he said. “We are all making a beautiful community that we get to live in and enjoy, even if just for a few days.”

For his part, Walton, a multi-instrumentalist who also owns a recording studio near Goshen, told AcousticMusicScene.com last year “Black Bear has quickly become one of my favorite festivals in New England.” He performed as half of the duo Belle of the Fall during the festival’s inaugural year (2018), returned to perform a solo set, participate in a songwriters’ round, and lead a workshop last year. In addition to showcasing his own talents again this year, he looks forward to seeing performances by West and Cotton, two of the artists whom he has recorded and played with.

Festivalgoers who opt to camp at Goshen Fairgrounds can also enjoy late-night musical revelry in the campgrounds.

After coming to the Black Bear Americana Music Fest for the first time last year, Alan Rowoth will again host unplugged, late-night song circles under the Big Orange Tarp beginning after the music ends on the main stage on Friday and Saturday nights, as well as one on Thursday night preceding the annual start of the festival.
Inspired by the late-night song circles that he experienced at the Kerrville Folk Festival in the Texas Hill Country, Rowoth has sought to replicate what he calls “the incredibly intimate nature of this listening experience” at other festivals. His Big Orange Tarp has been a late-night staple at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival (which now also takes place at the Goshen Fairgrounds) and at Planet Bluegrass-sponsored festivals in Colorado.

Stuart Kabak, an upstate New York-based singer-songwriter, who has curated and hosted late-night music at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival for years, brings Pirate Camp’s large canopy tent and its esprit de corps to Black Bear for the first time this fall. The less-structured, more informal Jubilee Jam Tent also returns this year, while singer-songwriter Adelaide Punkin hosts a jam area during the festival as well.

For Tickets and More Information on the Festival

Day tickets and multi-day camping tickets for the Black Bear Americana Music Festival may be purchased online at blackbearmusicfest.com, where you will also find more information on the festival – including the complete artist lineup and schedule.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Panel Discussions and Workshops Explore a Variety of Topics

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

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

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

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

Adam Ezra Group, Shawn Colvin, Vance Gilbert, Martin Sexton, and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams are among the artists slated to appear. Also showcasing their talents will be Allison Leah, John John Brown, Ian Campbell (the festival’s artistic director), Bruce T. Carroll, Scott Cook with Pamela Mae, KJ Denhert, Kala Farnham, Deidre Flint, Abbie Gardner, Goodnight Moonshine, Kyle Hancharick, Phil Henry, Mike Horyczun, The McKrells, The Meadows Brothers, Matt Nakoa, Shanna in a Dress, Victor Wainwright and the Train, Tracy Walton, and more. Artists will also conduct workshops.

Ian Campbell, who curates the festival, said that Black Bear Americana Music Fest was borne out a conversation with his now partner, Beth, who told him that she was thinking of creating a festival and asked if , with his experience in the music business, would he be interest. “She called another friend, Evan Dobos, who mis a whiz at web design and branding – and then I called some old friends who I knew from 1984 when they were a small DJ company,” he said, noting that “the now huge” Powerstation Events partnered with them in producing the festival.

He acknowledged that the festival drew a “pretty scant attendance” its first year. “We tease that all six people who were there had an amazing time,” Campbell said. “Artists like Vance Gilbert and Joe Crookston stood on the stage and told the small crowd: ‘You can say you were here in the beginning of what is going to be a huge festival.’”

From its humble beginnings, the festival has grown each year. Although still relatively small, Campbell and his team keep adding new elements and layers to the festival. “This year will have 50+ acts, all kinds of workshops – from songwriting and studio pre-production to guitar, open tuning, ukulele and hand drums all the way to [making] bourbon-candied bacon and Slambovian jellyfish umbrellas,” he noted. “We have showcase and jam tents, and just all kinds of things going on all the time. There won’t be a dull moment, if you don’t’ want one. Then again, you can kick back at your campsite with a fire and have all the dull moments you want,” Campbell added. Participating artists appear to share his enthusiasm for the festival.

Performing Songwriters Share Their Reflections on the Festival

A studio owner, as well as performing songwriter, Walton is also pleased to see a number of artists who he is currently recording are part of this year’s festival lineup. “Sierra West is really amazing, and the Meadows Brothers have been favorites of mine for years, so getting to produce them has been special,” he said. “Seeing acts like Shawn Colvin and Martin Sexton headlining this year is super exciting,” he added.

Calling Litchfield County “one of the prettiest places on the planet in the fall,” Walton maintains “it’s the perfect setting for what should be an amazing weekend. It feels like this is going to be the year that Black Bear really arrives as a big player on the festival circuit.”

Kyle Hancharick, an upstate New York-based singer-songwriter, is also “excited” to be returning to the festival. Like Walton, Hancharick performed at the first festival in 2018, while he came as a listener and participated in a few workshops that he called “incredible” last year. “It’s such a supportive environment with incredible talent,” he said. “Ian Campbell and his team have grown this festival in the very best of ways,” he noted, while also expressing appreciate for the audience it draws. “The festival has grown since its beginnings but it still has that intimate feel between performers and listeners. They’re true folk fans,” he added.

“I love Black Bear Fest – with the exception of the temperature making my stage name a little more difficult to execute,” she said. Besides showcasing her performance and songwriting chops that have earned her accolades as a winner of the prestigious Kerrville New Folk Competition and the Great River Folk Fest Song Competition in 2020, as well as of the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Songwriter Showcase in August, Shanna will lead songwriting workshops including Let’s Write a Funny Song.

Late-Night Song Circles to Take Place Under the Big Orange Tarp

New to the Black Bear Americana Music Fest this year will be unplugged, late-night song circles under the Big Orange Tarp hosted on the campgrounds by Alan Rowoth beginning after the music ends on the main stage on Friday and Saturday nights, as well as a housewarming circle on Thursday night preceding the actual start of the festival.

Inspired by the late-night song circles that he experienced at the Kerrville Folk Festival in the Texas Hill Country beginning in 1992, Rowoth sought to replicate what he calls “the incredibly intimate nature of this listening experience” at other festivals.” Noting that campground music was virtually unheard of at other folk festivals around the country at the time, Rowoth decided “to try to spread the germ” by taking his Big Orange Tarp to campgrounds at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival (which now also takes place at the Goshen Fairgrounds), Planet Bluegrass in Colorado, Sonoma Valley in California, and other spots. “I honed the performer quality and fine-tuned the circle format to maximize the listener experience to try and stimulate interest in the house concert scene that was just beginning to take off. Audience response was incredible. Other festival camps began to emulate us.”

Having engaged in this labor of love for more than 30 years now as he seeks to create opportunities for musicians by connecting them with listeners and presenters, Rowoth is pleased to bring the Big Orange Tarp to Goshen, CT this year. “Black Bear is a great fit for us,” he said. “Ian Campbell’s love of music and the community festival experience is exactly what the Big Orange Tarp is all about. We could not be more excited about partnering with Ian.”

As at Falcon Ridge, Rowoth plans to start each night with established performers — including some who are part of the official festival lineup and others who are not — and eventually transition to an open circle. “We have no scheduled closing time; it ends when everyone leaves,” he added. Although Rowoth often livestreams performances from the Big Orange Tarp via his Facebook page to create even greater accessibility, he believes that “Nothing feels as good as being there in person.”

For Tickets and More Information on the Festival

Day tickets and multi-day camping tickets for the Black Bear Americana Music Festival may be purchased online at blackbearmusicfest.com, where you will also find more information on the festival – including the complete artist lineup and schedule.

“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 really fun part about it [the Songwriter Showcase] for me was that I was faced with the decision ‘be myself and have fun or play to win,’ Shanna told AcousticMusicScene.com. “I’ve been myself in song contests in the past and been discounted for being too quirky or talking to the audience too much. This time I told myself I’m going to get to play this stage eventually no matter what the results of the contest are, so I might as well be myself. And it worked.”

She admits to having initially fretted over what two songs to perform in the showcase since you don’t have to play the ones that you entered. While acknowledging that her funny autobiographical song “Wanna Go Out ” is “wordy and too quirky for a song contest,” she performed it anyway –- along with “A Face Like Yours,” a heartbreakingly beautiful song that she notes came to the world in Wildflower Pavilion for a song school open mic performance.

Here’s a link to a video of a live performance of “A Face Like Yours”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK-4BzH9GP8

Shanna credits the song school for changing the trajectory of her life. She has been going to it for six or seven years and considers it her favorite week of the year. A clever wordsmith, she pens smart but accessible and often quirky lyrics that have drawn accolades in recent years. As accurately noted in the bio that appears on her website: In her songs, she says what everyone is thinking but no one else will say, and you’ll get an uncensored journey of clever humor and heartbreak, along with a hefty side of entertainment at her shows that are also noted for her spontaneous banter and playful stage presence. She accompanies herself primarily on guitar but also, occasionally, piano and ukulele.

Here’s a link to a video of Shanna performing “Wanna Go Out”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsTc161GyGI

Shanna in a Dress –- who started her musical career while a student at the University of Virginia — released her crowd-funded debut album, Robot, in May. An avid bicyclist, she biked from Seattle to Boston last summer while music touring on her epic ‘Tour de Dress,’ during which she played more than 60 shows from coast-to-coast and partnered up with Pangaea World Foundation, a global nonprofit organization. In 2020, Shanna was named a winner in the prestigious Kerrville New Folk Competition, as well as the winner of the Great River Folk Fest Song Competition, a finalist in the Songwriter Serenade in Texas, and a Grassy Hill Emerging Artist at the virtual Falcon Ridge Folk Festival.

As accurately noted in the bio that appears on her website: “In her songs, she says what everyone is thinking but no one else will say, and you’ll get an uncensored journey of clever humor and heartbreak, along with a hefty side of entertainment at her shows that are also noted for her spontaneous banter and playful stage presence.” Shanna in a Dress accompanies herself primarily on guitar and also plays piano and ukulele.

Singer-songwriters in Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Songwriter Showcase are judged on the quality of their songs’ composition, vocal delivery, and the overall performance. A nationally recognized annual singer-songwriter competition, it is open to anyone who writes and performs original music and who is not currently signed to a major recording and publishing deal.

The other finalists in this year’s competition — all of whom also received cash awards and were afforded the opportunity to perform songwriter-in-the-round sets over the weekend — were (in alphabetical order) Sienna Christi, Daphne Gale, Sadie Gustafson Zook, Halley Neal, Tim Ostdiek, Carolyn Shulman, May Smith, Taylor Tuke, and Lacey Williams. Hundreds of singer-songwriters submit applications each year.

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 performing artists 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, these conferences are much more than that – they are really about forging connections and building community.

FARM Gathering in Illinois to Feature 14 Official Showcase Artists/Acts

The 14 artists/acts slated to perform during Official Showcases at the 2022 FARM Gathering on the evenings of October 21 and 22 are (listed alphabetically by last name or group name) Basset, Buffalo Rose, Sienna Christie, Djangophonique, Gina Forsyth, Ben Gage, Tim Grimm, House of Hamill, Jordan Hamilton, Donna Herula Trio, Spencer LaJoye, Annie Mack, Steam Machine, and Rupert Wates. Named as alternates were Tret Fure and Kelly Hunt featuring Stas Heaney. They were chosen from among nearly 170 entries. The FARM Gathering extends from October 20-23 at Doubletree Lisle Naperville in Lisle, Illinois -– near Chicago. Conversations and workshops during this year’s gathering will focus around themes of inclusion through song, storytelling, and community building. Grammy Award-winner Dom Flemons, The American Songster, will deliver a keynote address. While last year’s conference took place solely online, the 2022 Gathering will feature a combination of in-person and virtual content. For more information, visit farmfolk.org.

SWRFA Taps 16 Artists/Acts for its Official Showcases in Austin, Texas

SWRFA will host eight official showcases on Friday night, September 23 and another eight on Saturday night, September 24. The showcasing artists are listed below in order of performance (subject to change if needed). Sept. 23: Jean Rohe, David Starr, Karyn Oliver, Noah Zacharin, Deidre McCalla, Grace Morrison, Javier Jara, and Violet Bell. Sept. 24: Vanessa Lively, Erin Ivey, George Ensle, Shanna in a Dress, Abigail Lapell, Catherine Miles & Jay Mafale, Natalie Price, and Justin Farren. The Official Showcases will be held in the ballroom at the Holiday Inn-Midtown in Austin, Texas. In addition, an Alternates Official Showcase featuring Alicia Stockman, Beth//James, Ryan Biter, Leeann Atherton, Jason Erie, and Wild Ponies will take place in another room at the hotel following a pool party on Thursday night, September 22. The 23rd Annual SWRFA Conference extends from September 21-25. For more information, visit swfolkalliance.org.

A Bit About FAI, NERFA and Other Regional Affiliates

Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA.org), which draws the largest number of people to its annual conferences of any FAI region, will announce its juried Formal Showcase artists in August. Its conference is slated for November 10-13 in Asbury Park, New Jersey, with Formal Showcases at the legendary Stone Pony. A hybrid event, much of the NERFA conference will also be livestreamed. Although NERFA is no longer accepting applications for its in-person formal showcases, conference attendees (in-person and virtual) may still apply for virtual showcases until August 15. Artists must be registered for the conference in order to do so.

Folk Alliance Region-West (FAR-West) has opted not to host a conference this year, while Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA) annual conference attendees converged on Black Mountain, North Carolina in May and will again.

Folk Alliance International (folk.org) — which hosts its 35th annual conference, February 1-5, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri — is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen and engage the global folk music community – traditional and contemporary, amateur and professional – through preservation, presentation and promotion. Its conference theme is Facing the Future: Sustainability on Folk Music.

Editor’s Note: I serve on the boards of directors of both Folk Alliance International and NERFA and am a past president of NERFA. I have been a workshop presenter, moderator and/or mentor at FAI, FARM virtual, FAR-West, NERFA and SERFA conferences and will be participating in this year’s SWRFA conference. I am not involved in the selection of juried showcase artists, although I host late-night showcases under the banner of AcousticMusicScene.com at conferences.

Calista Garcia (Arlington, VA), Sadie Gustafson-Zook (Nashville, TN), Javier Jara (Austin, TX), Kyle Rasche (Alto, MI), Jean Rohe (Brooklyn, NY), and R.O. Shapiro (San Diego, CA) will each perform 20-minute sets during a Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Winners concert at the festival on Saturday afternoon, June 4, and will receive cash honorariums and other prizes. They were selected as 2022 New Folk Winners by songwriters Michael Hearne, Tom Kimmel, Kyshona, Chris Pierce, and Shanna in a Dress who served as judges. More than 750 songwriters had initially submitted entries.

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. It is the longest continuously running festival of its kind in North America.

Now celebrating its 50th year, the Kerrville Folk Festival extends through Sunday, June 12. Besides 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 and kayak trips on the Guadelupe River and Hill Country bike rides, a professional development program for teachers, as well as a songwriters school and instrumental workshops. For more information, visit kerrvillefolkfestival.org. A listing of all of this year’s New Folk Finalists was included in a previously posted article: https://acousticmusicscene.com/2022/04/19/2022-kerrville-new-folk-finalists-announced/

“Being part of the Songwriter Serenade was an absolutely unforgettable experience,” said Buist. “Beyond the contest itself, I met so many incredible artists and songwriters from all over the country and learned of their stories, and through their songs, their hearts. Music has always felt like the introvert’s fast track to friendship, and I feel like that friendships that were made here, through the share d experience of art, are lifelong.”

“At the same time,” she continued, “the sheer experience of being there, in this wide expanse of nature and rolling hills and clods so big they leave shadows that you can’t see the end of on the plains … the beauty of the ranch, and the community that occupies it and keeps it a safe haven for musicians and artists to share their craft, is equally invigorating and inspiring.” Built said she has already written more since she returned home, much of it inspired by what she saw.

“Add on the generosity of so, so many people – most notably, Tom and Pat McDaniel, who not only put on the event and hosted us at their ranch, but also doubled the prize money to soften the blow that COVID-19 left upon most musicians’ incomes – and you get the true picture of what Songwriter Serenade is all about – the love and appreciation of performance and song,” Buist continued.

A violin, viola, bass, upright bass, guitar and mandolin player, Buist has also provided strings accompaniment for other artists’ recordings. She and her bandmate Katie Larson (a cellist) also write and arrange for orchestras and symphonies, commercial sync, and movie scores. With her bandmates (who also include percussionist Michael Dause), she hosts and leads workshops across the U.S. as part of an effort to help inspire other young musicians. Buist has also written a manual on live streaming. As the daughter of a multi-instrumentalist father and a R&B vocalist mother, Buist developed an early interest in music and had become an arranger, composer, multi-instrumentalist, performer and session player by the time she was 16. She cites songwriters Neko Case and Kim Richey among those who have inspired her own craft.

Taking second through a seventh-place tie, respectively, in this year’s Songwriter Serenade were Grace Morrison (Rochester, MA), Sarah Peacock (Ashland City, TN), Daniel Neihoff (Paducah, KY), Shawnee Kilgore (Austin, TX), Sam Robbins (Nashville, TN), Campbell Davis (Nashville, TN), and Shanna in a Dress (Nashville, TN).

Prize monies were awarded to all of the finalists, while Buist was also afforded the opportunity to perform as the opening act during the judges’ show at the TR Ranch in Halletsville in the evening following the songwriter competition. The finalists and seven other semifinalists were chosen from among nearly 130 entrants spanning 29 states and Canada.

There were no fees to enter the annual competition that was established in 2007 to provide performing songwriters with a platform to showcase their skills before their peers, a panel of esteemed judges, and an appreciative audience of Americana, folk and roots music lovers.

“Everyone is a winner in more ways than one just by getting the opportunity to be there,” said Buist. “But if that wasn’t enough, the mentorship and guidance of the judges – Walt Wilkins, Susan Gibson, Sam Baker, and Josh Grider – was something we all had a chance to experience once the contest had concluded and we had some time to talk one-on-one with each of them at the ranch. Being able to play my songs before these incredible writers – the judges, fellow contestants, and many other musicians (and audience members) who comprise the Songwriter Serenade community – was an honor and a privilege.”

Ryan Biter (Flagstaff, AZ), Sav Buist (Nashville, TN), Campbell Davis (Nashville, TN), Jackson Grimm (Asheville, NC), Shawnee Kilgore ((Austin, TX), Grace Morrison (Rochester, MA), Daniel Neihof (Paducah, KY), Sarah Peacock (Ashland City, TN), Michelle Rivers (Eureka, MT), Sam Robbins (Nashville, TN), Abrielle Scharff (Brooklyn, NY), Shanna in a Dress ((Nashville, TN), Erin Ash Sullivan (Harvard, MA), Glenn Thomas (Nashville, TN), and David Tribble (Fort Worth, TX) were selected as semifinalists by a panel of judges comprised of Susan Gibson, Josh Grider and Walt Wilkins (who will also lead a songwriting workshop for the semifinalists on May 8). The semifinalists were chosen from among nearly 130 entrants spanning 29 states and Canada.

There were no fees to enter the annual competition that was established in 2007 to provide performing songwriters with a platform to showcase their skills before their peers, a panel of esteemed judges and an appreciative audience of Americana, folk and roots music lovers. Songwriters had to submit four songs in mp3 format that were written and/or copyrighted within the last three years. They were evaluated based on lyrics (imagery, story, creativity, and originality), melody (structure, phrasing and rhythm), and performing ability (vocals, musicianship). Stage presence/audience rapport will also be taken into consideration. During the semifinals and finals.

Each of the 15 semifinalists will perform two songs before the judges and an audience from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Following an hour-long lunch break, seven selected finalists will perform one different original song between 3 and 4 p.m. Prize money will be awarded to all participants immediately after the finals, while an awards ceremony is slated for 4:30 p.m. Ken Gaines, an award-winning Texas singer-songwriter and longtime host of a songwriters’ series at Houston’s famed Anderson Fair, will be the event’s emcee. Public tickets are available for $15 and may be purchased online at songwriterserenade.com, where more information also may be found. For the first time in its history, the Songwriter Serenade will also be livestreamed.

In addition to prize money, he first-place winner will open a concert featuring the three judges that evening at the TR Ranch in Halletsville, TX. Tickets for that may also be purchased online.

As previously reported on AcousticMusicScene.com, Beth Snapp, a folk-pop singer-songwriter who hails from northeast Tennessee, took top honors during last year’s 14th annual Songwriter Serenade.