Song of the Year honors went to Dan Navarro and Janiva Magness’ recording of “$20 Bill (for George Floyd) by the late singer-songwriter Tom Prasada-Rao. In accepting the award, Navarro (a singer-songwriter and voice actor perhaps best known for co-writing the hit song “We Belong”) noted that more than 100 artists recorded a version of Prasada-Rao’s song in 2020 “but because of the impact and the challenges of the pandemic, it never really had a proper release and we decided we would do something about that.“ Dedicating the award to Prasado-Rao, who died last year, Navarro said: “This is not just the song of the year; it’s the song of the century and the song of a lifetime.”

Here’s a link to view a video of Dan Navarro and Janiva Magness performing “$20 Bill (for George Floyd)”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeHdq817B7Y

Susan Werner’s Halfway to Houston was named Album of the Year. A prolific and versatile singer-songwriter who accompanies herself on both guitar and piano and is known for her sassy wit and classy Midwest charm, Werner was unable to be in Montreal to accept the award and sent a short video, while fellow singer-songwriter Dar Williams picked up the award on her behalf.

In addition to these FAI member-voted awards – which were open to recordings released between October 1, 2023 and September 30, 2024 – a number of special awards and honors were presented.

The People’s Voice Award recognizing an artist who embraces social and political commentary in his/her songs was presented to Gina Chavez, an Austin, Texas-based singer-songwriter who has helped to amplify the voices of the marginalized.

The River Roads Festival received The Clearwater Award, honoring a festival that — like its Pete Seeger-founded namesake –- exhibits sound leadership in environmental stewardship and sustainable event production. A one-day event presented by Dar Williams and held in Easthampton, Massachusetts for the past two years, the next River Roads Festival is set for July 5 at Heuser Park in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. Williams said that she was “so excited” to accept the award. She noted that, like Seeger was, she is a resident of New York’s Hudson Valley and recalled being on Conan O’Brien’s late-night TV talk show with him in 1998. Said Williams: “Music is an incredible force … The culture around the music can be a powerful vehicle for justice.”

The Rising tide Award, which is bestowed on an emerging artist/act of an age, went to OKAN, a female-led, Afro-Cuban roots and jazz duo.

Spirit of Folk Awards recognizing people and organizations actively engaged in the promotion and preservation of folk music were presented to Annie Capps, Innu Nikamu festival, Tom Power, and Alice Randall. Capps is a Michigan-based singer-songwriter and a longtime leader with Folk Alliance Region Midwest (FARM), who has served as both its board president and conference director. Innu Nikamu is a Quebec-based festival of Indigenous music and culture that has taken place for more than 30 years. Power, best known as the host of CBC Radio One’s Q program, is also a musician who performs and records with The Dardanelles, a Canadian folk band. Randall is a hit-making country music songwriter who has been a trailblazer in folk and country music. She’s also a college lecturer and the author of My Black Country, which she describes as both a memoir and a history.

“I owe my sanity to folk music,” said Randall in accepting the award. “In My Black Country, I tell the story of climbing out of the hell of being raped by holding on to the sound of John Prine singing “Angel From Montgomery.” Prine’s label, Oh Boy! Records, also released a collection of songs entitled My Black Country. Randall noted that her book “is about the Black folk, including Black folk musicians, who made country country.”

2025 Lifetime Achievement Award recipients included the folk-rock duo Indigo Girls (whose eponymous debut album won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Recording 35 years ago), the late Black Appalachian musician Lesley Riddle, and the global roots magazine Songlines. During the awards show, singer-songwriters Rose Cousins and Mary Bragg performed “Galileo,” one of the Indigo Girls’ hit songs, in tribute to the duo, while Black indigenous Canadian singer-songwriter Julian Taylor performed “Red River Blues” in tribute to Riddle.

Accepting the Legacy Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of Riddle, who died in 1980 at age 75, Randall referred to him as a founder of country music and a practitioner of folk who collected and taught the Carter Family a lot of songs. “Tonight, Folk Alliance corrects an almost 100 year-old wrong” by recognizing him.

“We need folk music now more than ever,” said the Indigo Girls’ Emily Saliers in a pre-recorded video. “This Folk Alliance is a group that honors diversity, equity, inclusion, and access for all. Folk music is the music of truth telling. Amy [Ray] and I are, especially in this time, particularly honored to accept this award.” Echoing her sentiments, Ray urged folks to “Please stand up with us and make your voices heard in these times … Day by day, song by song, we can make this world a better place.”

Accepting a Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of Songlines, James Anderson-Hanney, its publisher, said: “I think we’re the last world music magazine on the planet.” The UK-based, glossy bimonthly that comes with CD is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary.Leading Quebecois folk ensemble Le Vent Du Nord, a 2023 Songlines award recipient, performed in honor of the magazine.

Five Inducted Into Folk Radio Hall of Fame

Eight years ago, Folk Alliance International established a Folk Radio Hall of Fame in order to recognize folk DJs and music directors for the vital role that they play by sharing the music with their listeners. Wanda Fischer, Longtime host of The Hudson River Sampler on WAMC Radio in Albany, New York and herself an inductee in the Hall of Fame, recognized this year’s inductees, while a video featuring visuals and information about them was also screened. The 2025 inductees include Taylor Caffery, Matthew Finch, Archie Fisher, MarySue Twohy, and Chuck Wentworth.

Taylor Caffery, a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, has been the host Hootenanny Power of WRKF Public Radio in Baton Rouge, LA since it began airing in 1981. He’s also been recognized with WRKF’s Founder’s Award (2022) and with the Kari Estrin Founding President’s Award during the 2024 Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA) Conference.

Matthew Finch, who left our world unexpectedly in July 2024, was a beloved figure in New Mexico’s music scene, who devoted more than 20 years to KUNM in Albuquerque as its music director, and as a tireless advocate for local musicians. Through the programs Ear to the Ground and Studio 55, he created platforms for regional artists to share their music, showcasing live performances and celebrating the diversity of the state’s music community.

Archie Fisher hosted BBC Radio Scotland’s award-winning Traveling Folk program for 27 years – promoting artists and musicians of the folksong revival throughout the British Isles. A talented artist in his own right, he also hosted studio sessions and interviews with such notable American and Canadian artists as Joan Baez, Judy Collins, David Francey, and James Keelaghan. Queen Elizabeth II presented him with a MBE in 2006 for his services to music.

MarySue Twohy is a program director at SiriusXM, who currently manages The Village, its folk channel, among others. She conducts artist interviews and produces a wide array of radio programs. Formerly an artist herself, she moved into broadcasting by hosting a two-hour program 20 years ago and quickly rose to PD. She also served on the FAI board of directors for seven years and continues to serve on national music committees, and to participate in conference panels and as a songwriting contest judge.

Chuck Wentworth, who passed away last year, was a revered figure on the New England music scene – best known for his long-standing contributions as both a radio show host and a festival producer. He began hosting a folk radio show on WRIU-FM, the college radio station at the University of Rhode Island, while he was a student and Traditions aired for 38 years. He also served as the station’s folk and roots music director and expanded its folk programming from one show to five nights a week. Wentworth was also the founder and producer of the Rhythm & Roots Festival, a three-day music and dance festival in Rhode Island.

[Here’s a link to view the International Folk Music Awards Show, which also was livestreamed via YouTube and was available for viewing via Folk Alley and NPR Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVE29BZ6fBg

The International Folk Music Awards was just one part, albeit an important one, of the 37th annual Folk Alliance International Conference that extended from February 19-23 and drew nearly 2,500 attendees. In addition to more than 2,700 showcases featuring more than 700 acts (including 183 juried official showcases plus many more showcases extending into the early morning hours), the conference included a keynote conversation with Allison Russell and Ann Powers [see below], Black American Music and International Indigenous Music Summits, a one-day legal summit, 45 panel discussions and workshops, a number of affinity and peer group sessions, six film screenings and discussions, lobby jams, meetings of FAI’s regional affiliates, a town hall meeting on P2 Visas – Working Through Parity at the Canada/US Border, a popular Meet the Folk DJs session, morning yoga, an exhibit hall, agent-presenter speed networking sessions, and lots of other networking opportunities.

Artist & Activist Allison Russell Engages in Keynote Conversation with Music Journalist Anne Powers

Allison Russell — a widely acclaimed singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer and activist –- returned to her hometown to engage in an hour-long keynote conversation with Anne Powers, a critic and correspondent for NPR Music. A soulful, Nashville, Tennessee-based, Montreal-born Scottish Grenadian Canadian, Russell is the recipient of more than a dozen awards. These include a Grammy Award for Best American Roots Music Performance for Eve Was Black,” a single off of her sophomore solo recording, Returner released in September 2023), Juno Awards for Contemporary Album of the Year (for her solo debut, Outside Child – 2022) and Music Video of the Year (for “Demons,” 2024), six UK Americana Music Awards, four Canadian Folk Music Awards, and two Americana Music Honors & Awards. In 2022, Folk Alliance International members voted Russell’s solo debut as Album of the Year and her as Artist of the Year. Outside Child was also named Contemporary album of the Year in the 2022 Canadian Folk Music Awards, while she was named Songwriter of the Year and New/Emerging Artist of the Year in recognition of the emotion-laden album featuring 11 original songs “about resilience and survival, transcendence and the redemptive power of art, community, connection, and chosen family.”

Russell has previously spoken of the abuse and trauma that she faced in her youth and the major role that music has played in helping her to overcome it .In her conversation with Powers, she recalled how, at age 15, while unhoused, she slept in the pews at a church just a few blocks from Le Sheraton Centre.

Asked about her latest album, 2023’s The Returner, she noted how she had been a challenged, broken yet brave girl. “”We come from long, broken lines of survivors. We’re all miracles. We’re all returners. We are all overcoming things.”

Much of her on-stage conversation with Powers focused on her recent portrayal of Persephone in Anais Mitchell’s award-winning Broadway musical, Hadestown. Russell noted that it was her first professional acting role and that she had not acted since performing in a Shakespearean play while in high school.

Sharing her reflections on Hadestown just days after she concluded her 50-week run as Persephone and in keeping with the “Illuminate” theme of the conference, she said: Persephone is Hades’ only source of light, of illumination in the underworld. She was the light in his life.”

Playing a mythic goddess in this time took on new connotations, she acknowledged, citing “the current fear-mongering administration in Washington” and “the bigotry and bias that can really harm communities.”

Referring to herself as “a geriatric millennial,” Russell said: “When I came up 24 years ago, there weren’t too many others who looked liked me.” Acknowledging that “our [folk] community is growing more diverse,” she spoke of being a curator during the 2021 Newport Folk Festival tasked with featuring Black and Black & queer women and their allies in the center of a 90-minute set focused on roots and revolution. ”What could be more beautiful than to be conscious, to be mindful [woke],” said Russell, noting that she’s “a queer woman who somehow married a white man with a guitar.”

Prior to embarking on her solo career, Russell was a co-founder of Our Native Daughters and Birds of Chicago and was part of Po’ Girl.

[Here’s a link to view a video recording of the keynote conversation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_ne2-baY8g.]

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

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.

A number of booking agencies whose rosters include such artists were among the more than 300 exhibitors in the large EXPO Hall. The conference also featured networking opportunities galore, streamlined array of professional development workshops, peer group sessions, and networking opportunities galore.

Since the last in-person APAP conference in NYC in January 2020, the impacts of the pandemic; calls for racial equity, diversity and inclusion; and a shifting economy and workforce continue to have a major impact on the performing arts industry as it seeks to recover and reimagine itself.

For Lisa Richards Toney, who joined APAP as its president and CEO in 2020, the 2023 gathering also marked the first in-person conference of her tenure. As she noted in an email to members and colleagues last November, the conference has evolved to meet the shifting nature of the field and the times we live in. “None of this has been easy. In fact,it’s been downright hard,” she acknowledged during the conference’s opening plenary session. In welcoming people to what she called “the creative capital of the world,” Richards Toney said “We are a resilient community of colleagues from all across North America” and expressed excitement at “the feverish fury to reignite business [in the performing arts].”

APAP embraced the ‘less is more’ philosophy — with considerably fewer professional development sessions during the 2023 conference than in previous years in light of its increased year-round programming. This afforded attendees — more than one-third of whom were first-timers — more time to connect and network with colleagues, visit the exhibit halls, enjoy showcases, and just breathe.

For the first time, APAP did not produce a printed conference program and other printed materials (or a tote bag in which to carry them), relying instead on an online platform called Swapcard that was also available as an app.

Showcases of Note Took Place at the Host Hotel and at Venues Around NYC

Showcases took place both at the New York Hilton Midtown, the conference hotel, and at venues throughout Manhattan. A few also were set in other New York City boroughs and beyond.

“When I talk to presenters, I sometimes tell them I always strive for events that are win/win/win and are successful for the attendees, for the host organization and its community, and for myself and anyone joining me;” Waldman told AcousticMusic Scene.com.

So once I had my mini-preview set to open the evening with Fairbanks native and super fiddler, Caitlin Warbelow, and I playing my ‘Fairbanks Cabin Waltz’ composition, then joined by Ilan Moss on banjo and Jefferson Hammer on guitar, I had my own successful time of it. And, later, I had my couple of tunes, with poems, joined by Ilan. Fun, too, for me, and I heard positive things afterwards… I got very positive feedback from my troupe of musicians and from Danielle, so that all checked the box of ‘me and anyone joining me’.”

Waldman, who has been attending, exhibiting and mentoring at APAP conferences since 2007 and began hosting a Friday night roots music variety show three years later, said that also received very positive feedback from attendees. “One attendee emailed me during the evening to say how much they were enjoying it. Another told me later how inspired they were from being introduced to such a wide range of musicians that were different, yet all fit together.” However, he said that his favorite response came from someone who arrived the earliest, said they were tired and would probably only stay for a half hour, and stayed for the whole three hours (later informing him that they passed word about the evening to their venue’s artistic director). “A number of people stopped me through the week to either say they were there and thoroughly enjoyed it, or weren’t there but heard it was fantastic. With proper follow-up and any luck at all I’ll get work I probably wouldn’t have gotten otherwise– and I hope some also goes to the artists I invited and to Danielle’s artists.”

“The evening had a beautiful range of artists performing that included flamenco, sea shanties, masterful kora playing, jazz manouche, beautiful song and fiddle tunes, poetry … all complementing each other. One of my artists, Tamar Ilana, who was performing with Shelley Thomas on oud, came to me immediately after her opening single-song [and said] that her heart was so full from the experience and was just loving it. The energy in the room was beautiful and felt like a perfect return to an in-person APAP for all involved, I believe.”

So three years later, he returned – having lined up two showcases for his new solo shanty show and planning to reconnect with as many of the people he had met in 2020 as possible. Dagher decided to focus less on the Expo Commons and found that the experience of showcasing changed how he interacted with people and how they interacted with him. “After the first showcase [the roots music variety show], random people came up to me to tell me that they had enjoyed my performance… I suddenly felt like less of a beggar and more of a commodity,” he said.

Dagher considered the showcase at Don’t Tell Mama to be great – “despite and because of being chaotic. I heard lots of great artists and met some fascinating people. According to Danielle Devlin, my agent and co-host of the event, I generated some interest from presenters. The venue was intimate and having the other musos there helped create a great atmosphere.”

Folquebec Shines Spotlight on Artists from the Canadian Province

Dagher also performed a short set during a Folquebec Spotlight showcase at the host hotel that he described as “an entirely different, though no-less enjoyable experience.” Comparing it to showcases he had seen and participated in at other conferences, he noted that the hotel room “had a colder feel and the lights made it hared to connect with the public, but I still had fun playing for and with them. The loud altercation between the lighting tech and the maintenance guy during my set actually helped put me at ease. Again, I felt like people were treating me with a little more respect than when I was just a delegate. I hope that I get a lot of work out of the conference, and I will definitely go back next year.”

Garand previously informed AcousticMusicScene.com that Folquebec’s formation stemmed from conversations at a Folk Alliance conference in 2000 and that he views APAP and other conferences as “opportunities to share our knowledge and contribute to the concept of cultural reciprocity among artists. Through its participation in such conferences, Folquebec “looks forward to developing an ongoing partnership with leaders of North American cultural organizations to bring together our strengths, our resources, our complementaries in the advancement of the performing arts sector, and music in particular, of the broad cultural diversity of human expression through the arts,” he said.

The quartet’s Clay Ross (who also fronts both Matuto and Ranky Tanky) joined with composer, banjoist and producer Jayme Stone — with whom he has previously co-produced Global Routes Music Showcases — to also present an interactive, multi-part Composing Your Career professional development series of workshops for artists. [Editor’s Note: As someone who is often retained by artists and others to write bios for them, I sat in on part of one of their workshops, Tell a Better Story, Book Better Gigs and found that the information and insights that they shared pretty much conformed with mine.]

Among the other folk and roots artists who showcased their talents during the conference were two-time IBMA Entertainers of the Year Balsam Range, Colorado-based folk and Americana duo Bettman & Halpin, Colombian-Panamanian roots duo Calle Sur, bluesician Eli Cook, singer-songwriter and pianist Annie Moscow and her trio, New York-based progressive bluegrass band Nefesh Mountain, Mali Obamsawin Sextet (whose music is a blend of blues, jazz, hymns, folk songs, and native cultures), ebullient New York-based jig-rockers The Prodigals, 2022 International Blues Challenge Winner Eric Ramsey (whose fingerpicking and bottleneck slide playing really impressed this writer), and The Scooches (a band whose spirited and joyful music features an eclectic mix of Roaring ‘20s, global folk, blues, gospel, New Orleans jazz, Americana, and more). Americana-cowboy country outfit Bill & the Belles, banjoist Nora Brown with Stephanie Coleman, and balladeer Phoebe Hunt shared a Concerted Efforts Presents bill at Rockwood Music Hall during the conference. Susan Werner, a very witty and versatile singer-songwriter who accompanies herself on both guitar and piano, played Iridium, a Manhattan nightclub that primarily features jazz artists. There were also musical tributes to such artists as Joni Mitchell and Van Morrison, while Darrah Carr Dance presented “Celidh“ Irish Music & Dance and Allan Harris and others shared excerpts from Cross The River — a musical by him and Pat Harris that relates the story of an escaped slave named Blue who journeys to Texas and becomes one of the first Black Cowboys. Artists in various other musical genres also showcased their talents, while comedy, dance and theatrical showcases also were part of the mix.

About the Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP)

Based in Washington, DC, APAP (apap365.org) is a nonprofit national service, advocacy and membership organization dedicated to developing and supporting robust performing arts presenting field and the professionals who work within it.

“For more than two decades, the New Bedford Folk Festival has been enjoyed by both locals and visitors who love food, music and artisan markets, so it was very much missed during the pandemic,” said Rosemary Gill, executive director of the Zeiterion PAC, the festival’s presenter since 2016.

The festival schedule includes a plethora of talented artists and acts — 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 walking briskly 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 “Meet the Performer” area at the historic Seamen’s Bethel (which figures In Herman Melville’s classic novel, Moby Dick) and the National Park Garden Stage to the majestic 1200-seat Zeiterion Performing Arts Center. Besides nearly 75 musical performances on those stages, there will be non-ticketed areas open to the public – including six blocks of craft vendors, a gourmet food court & beer garden, and a Southcoast Stage featuring local performers.

“We continue to attract high-caliber musicians who are the best in their genre,” maintains Alan Korolenko, who originated the festival as New Bedford Summerfest in 1996 and currently serves as its artistic director, along with his wife Helene. “Our loyal audience look forward to the artists they know, as well as those they haven’t yet experienced, like at the workshops [featuring three of four artists/acts on stage at the same time] that match unlikely musicians,” he said. “These unique performances have helped New Bedford Folk Festival to become the gem it is today.” This summer’s song swap-style workshops include “A Change is Gonna Come: Topical Songs Then and Now,” “The Great American Songbook: What’s In It, What Should Be In It,” and “Now I Long for Yesterday: Songs I Wish I had Written.”

Local artists Back Porch, Butch McCarthy, Chuck Williams, Dori Rubbicco, Eric Kilburn, Fourteen Strings, Gary Fish and Red Fish, Jeff Angeley and the Pebbles of Rain, Joanne Doherty, MaryBeth Soares and Dave Perreira, Mike Laureanno, Molly O’Leary, New Bedford Harbor Sea Chantey Chorus, Putnam Murdock, Sacred Harp with The Beans, The Harper and The Minstrel, and The Jethros will showcase their talents on the Southcoast stage, the only stage open to the public without tickets.

Besides the music, many artisans and crafts makers will set up booths along the cobblestoned streets between the performance tents and venues. Among them will be jewelers, instrument makers, tie dyeers, local honey purveyors, ceramic artists, vendors selling handmade health and beauty products, and more.

Admission to the festival is quite affordable at $50 for the weekend or $40 for one-day. Weekend and single-day passes are available for purchase at Zeiterion.org, by calling 508-994-2900, or in person at the box office at 684 Purchase Street. Children under 12 will be admitted free with an adult.

For more information and to see complete schedules for the weekend, visit newbedfordfolkfestival.com.

Marking its usual calendar spot and Brigadoon-like appearance, the fest will be shorter & sweeter yet still brimming with love, talent, community spirit and, of course, still accessible and ASL-interpreted, according to Anne Saunders, the festival’s artistic director. She noted that this year’s festival will seek to be as contact-free as possible and advises attendees to bring and use only their own chairs. There will be no on-site camping.

A Day of Falcon Ridge — for which advance ticket sales end by July 28 — will feature eight acts on two stages, along with more limited food and crafts and the ever-present community vibe. Slated to perform are festival stalwarts Vance Gilbert, Nerissa & Katryna Nields, the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, and Susan Werner.

Over the span of more than 30 years, the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival has drawn thousands of music lovers to a farm in Hillsdale, New York — located in the foothills of the Berkshires near the tri-state corner of NY, Connecticut and Massachusetts — where the multi-day event usually takes place. The festival generally features dozens of artists performing on several stages, children’s music and activities, and a wide array of crafts, food and other vendors. In recent years, it has been preceded by a Pre-Fest Tastings Day & Farm Market featuring locally grown food, drink and artisanal items, along with performances by a number of artists on The Lounge Stage curated by Tribal Mischief Productions. Those camping at Falcon Ridge and staying up through the early morning hours have enjoyed an array of informal jams, mini-showcases and after-hours song circles that help foster a sense of “folk” community.

Saunders expressed hope that Falcon Ridge can return to its previous incarnation next year. “But this year, amid the pandemic, we’re following state and federal guidelines and exhibiting an abundance of caution out of concern for the health and safety of our community,” she said.

The festival usually features dozens of artists performing on several stages (including a dance tent), children’s music and activities, and a wide array of crafts, food and other vendors. For the past several years, a Pre-Fest Tastings Day & Farm Market has taken place on Thursday and featured locally grown food, drink and artisanal items, along with performances by a number of artists from the late afternoon through the evening on the Lounge Stage curated by Tribal Mischief. Those camping at Falcon Ridge and staying up through the early morning hours have enjoyed an array of informal jams, mini-showcases and after-hours song circles that help foster a sense of “folk” community. This year’s virtual festival will be quite a different experience to be enjoyed from the comfort of your own home.

The Falcon Ridge 2020 Share & Shelter In Place Fest will be shown on the festival’s Facebook and YouTube pages: facebook.com/FalconRidgeFest and http://youtube.com/channel/UCgoYgzUgfFhTc_EXhNeC_ng? from 1:30-4:30 p.m. each day and will also be archived for replay and future viewing. The audio stream from the virtual festival may also be heard on FolkMusic Notebook.com, the 24/7 online music channel.Live streams from virtual camps, song swaps and mini-showcases — including The Lounge Stage on Thursday night (see details below), Big Orange Tarp, Dave Carter Song Circle, Night Owl Song Swap, Pirate Camp and more will also be shared at later times via various online platforms.

Evocative archival footage from past festivals and special messages from previous festival artists, longtime vendors, radio sponsors, dancers, campers, and others in the festival commUNITY will be interspersed among performance videos by 30 confirmed participating artists/acts and an abbreviated Grassy Hill Emerging Artist Showcase.

Scott Cook (a Canadian prairie roots balladeer), Zoe Mulford (a transatlantic singer-songwriter) and South For The Winter (a Nashville-based, genre-bending trio) were the artists who were voted “Most Wanted” to return by festival attendees following last year’s Grassy Hill Emerging Artist Showcase.

More information on Cook and the other Most Wanted artists, as well as video links, may be found in an article that was published in February and may be found at https://acousticmusicscene.com/2020/02/12/falcon-ridge-most-wanted-artists-named-2/.

Although 24 artists/acts usually showcase their talents on Friday afternoon, this year’s abbreviated edition of the Emerging Artist Showcase includes 11: Andy Baker, John Beacher, Randy Lewis Brown, Buffalo Rose, Kala Farnham, Lynne Hanson, Indian Summer Jars, Karyn Ann, The Levins, The Real Sarahs, and Shanna in a Dress. The Emerging Artists Showcase is not a contest, and artists won’t be judged per se, although the audience is surveyed as to which showcase artists they’d like to see return the following year to participate in a Most Wanted Song Swap.

Lounge Stage at Falcon Ridge Streams Via Twitch on Thursday, July 30

Another highlight of the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival has been The Lounge Stage. For the past 10 years, many festivalgoers have flocked to it on Thursdays for an early musical fix before the festival formally gets underway on Friday.

Curated by Tribal Mischief (the brainchild of Ethan Baird and Jake Bush, who are also the mainstays of the band Pesky J. Nixon) with tech support by Scott Jones, what began as a special event on the festival’s campgrounds now customarily takes place in the Dance Tent. This year, The Lounge Stage will stream live on Thursday evening, July 30, from 7p.m.-12 a.m. EST at http://twitch.tv/tribalmischief.

Artists slated to perform, in order of appearance, include Pete Mancine, Izzy Heltai, Zoe Mulford, Brian and Katie (We’re About 9), Mya Byrne, Kirsten Maxwell, Dinty Child, Sol y Canto, Mike McKenna Jr., Annie Sumi, Tragedy Ann, Rachael Kilgour, Crys Matthews, Heather Mae, and Vance Gilbert.

Baird noted that the Lounge Stage at Falcon Ridge was launched to afford the weeklong attendees at the festival and select artists an opportunity to more intimately engage with each other when the festival was forced to shorten its schedule after a couple of really challenging years due to weather. Over the last decade, the Lounge Stage has presented more than 200 artists. “This year, the stage has really been split into two entities,” said Baird. “ One run by Scott Jones — our initial partner in putting the Lounge Stage together as the technical director and master of lighting, sound, and recording – will feature a retrospective of the last 10 years of material from the Lounge Stage’s evolution from hillside show to a festival mainstay. Jake and I are taking what we have built with the Tribal Mischief network of conversational programming and music presentation and are hoping to present the best amalgamation of virtual and live events.

Baird acknowledged that while multiple musicians can share a stage via the platform that Tribal Mischief is using, current technology won’t allow for them to play together live simultaneously. “However,’ he added, “they can cheer for each other, comment, speak, and interact. That interaction has always been the principle on which the Lounge Stage was built, and to be able to facilitate that means a lot to us.”

Baird noted that “Tribal Mischief is in the middle of a high-risk experiment in which we are betting on technologies and online tools that the folk community hasn’t really embraced as of yet — namely YouTube and Twitch. There are millions of people out there on these platforms actively and desperately looking for good content, for something different. We are betting that this is something that the remarkable creators in our community may not have realized they were missing.”

In addition, but of equal importance, according to Baird, “both of these platforms offer creators the opportunity to earn money passively through advertising.” He said that “while we welcome the subscriptions of our fans and want to encourage community building and engagement, we are trying to move away from a fundraising mechanism that is 100% reliant on donations. We hope to be able to build that through efforts like this.” Accordingly, this will be the first Lounge Stage for which donations will be accepted. It will also be the first one for which all the participating artists will be paid, while 20 percent of the funds raised will go to help ensure that the continuation of the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival.

“We won’t take a penny raised through this show – making sure that the artist community has an opportunity to make some money this year –considering all the shows and performances that have been lost is really important to us, “ Baird added.

Tribal Mischief (http://tribalmischief.com) seeks to assist worthy causes and build community through music. Baird and Bush host weekly conversational broadcasts with music makers and others in the music industry each Sunday on Tribal Mischief’s Twitch channel.

To stream or download past Lounge Stage performances, visit http://theloungestage.com.

Although there is no cost the stream the Falcon Ridge 2020 Share & Shelter in Place Festival, Saunders noted that donations — via paypal.me/FalconRiidgeFolkFest or venmo.com/FalconRidgeFolks or from the venmo app: @FalconRidgeFolks –will be much appreciated.”One of our goals in presenting this virtual fest, as far as contributions raised,is to come as close as we can to paying all of our confirmed artists their entire fee for this year because, for many of them, it may be the only fee they will get for a very long time,” she said. “Along with that, we hope to give something substantial to Dodds Farm [where the festival usually takes place] so that they can continue to hold on as well.”

Scott Cook, a Canadian prairie roots balladeer, was the top choice “with an amazing 49% of voters in his corner,” according to Anne Saunders, the festival’s artistic director. An internationally touring Edmonton, Alberta-based troubadour, Cook has been playing an average of more than 150 shows and a dozen festivals annually since 2007. His sixth album, Further Down the Line (2017), is packaged in a 132-page softcover book that features a look back, in words and pictures, on his first decade of near-incessant rambling. A straight-talking, keenly observant singer-songwriter, Cook delves in folk, roots, blues, soul and country, and accompanies himself on fingerstyle guitar and clawhammer banjo.

Here’s a link to a video by JB Nuttle of Cook performing “Fellas Get Out The Way”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Q3iGNvkPM8praie

Zoe Mulford, a transatlantic singer-songwriter, is, perhaps, best-known as the writer of “The President Sang Amazing Grace,” which was covered by Joan Baez on her 2018 album Whistle Down the Wind and was named Song of the Year in the 2018 International Folk Music Awards presented by Folk Alliance International. Baez’s recording was the most-played song on folk radio during March 2018, while Mulford’s own rendition of it appears on her 2017 release Small Brown Birds that was the most-played album on folk radio in February of that year, according to the Folk DJ Charts.

Here’s a link to view a video by JB Nuttle of Zoe Mulford performing the song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qdB1EypJFU

Mulford, who originally hails from Pennsylvania, has released five albums on the cooperative Azalea City Recordings label. She now lives in the North of England and tours on both sides of the Atlantic.

South for Winter is a genre-bending Nashville, Tennessee-based trio whose music fuses folk, blues, classical, jazz and rock elements. Band members cite The Civil Wars and The Lone Bellow among their influences. Initially a duo featuring Colorado singer-songwriter Dani Cichon and New Zealand musician Nick Stone who met while doing volunteer work in Peru in 2014, South for Winter became a trio with the addition of Michigan cellist Alex Stradal in 2017. The group released its debut EP in January 2018 and a follow-up EP that August before embarking on its first national tour. The band has since toured Canada as well.

Here’s a link to view the official video for South for Winter’s song “All We Have”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnjwe7k6Mp4

Popular Festival is Set for July 31-August 2, 2020

Although many of the festival’s participating artists are still to be announced, its popular Friday Night Summer’s Eve Song Swap will feature Vance Gilbert, Matt Nakoa, Susan Werner and one more TBA. Longtime festival favorites Katryna and Nerissa Nields and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams also have been confirmed for the weekend.

Apply Now for Falcon Ridge/Grassy Hill Emerging Artist Showcase

Applications also are now being accepted for this year’s Falcon Ridge/Grassy Hill Emerging Artist Showcase. From among all entries received by May 10, 24 artists/acts will be selected for two song/10-minute spots on the main stage on Friday afternoon, July 31, during the festival.

An opportunity to be seen and heard in a large amphitheater setting, with hundreds of folk fans, presenters, agents, media and other music industry professionals in attendance, the showcase is open to all performing artists who have not previously showcased their talents at Falcon Ridge in the last two years and who will not be appearing on its stages in any other capacity this year. In evaluating submissions, a panel of three judges will look for high-quality performances of interesting, well-crafted, acoustic-based material that need not be original.

Selected artists, to be notified by June 15, will be assisted by a stage and sound crew and may have their mailing lists, CDs and other merchandise available in the festival’s sales tent. Their names will also appear in the festival program book. Although there is no compensation for showcasing artists, each will receive full admission, on-site camping and meals for the festival, plus one guest pass per act. There is a $20 showcase application fee. Artists may submit materials online via Submittable: https://showcasefalconridgefolkfestival.submittable.com.

As in years past, this year’s schedule includes a number of talented artists and acts — many 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 scrambling 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 “Meet the Performer” area at the historic Seamen’s Bethel (which figures In Herman Melville’s classic novel, Moby Dick) and the National Park Garden Stage to the majestic 1200-seat Zeiterion Theater, the event’s presenter.

Besides the music, more than 90-juried artisans and crafts makers will set up booths along the cobblestoned streets between the performance tents and venues. Among them will be jewelers, instrument makers, tie dyeers, local honey purveyors, ceramic artists, vendors selling handmade health and beauty products, and more.

While in New Bedford, you also can enjoy fresh seafood and sample tasty cuisine at one of the whaling city’s many Portuguese restaurants. A food court and beer garden also will fill two blocks of Purchase Street in front of The Zeiterion Performing Arts Center and near the SouthCoast Stage, where a number of local artists are slated to perform.

Admission to the festival is quite affordable at $40 for the weekend or $30 for one-day, while a premium weekend pass is $140. Tickets are available for purchase at https://zeiterion.org/nb-folk-festival-2019/, by calling 508-994-2900, or in person at the box office at 684 Purchase Street. Children under 12 will be admitted free with an adult.

For more information and to see complete schedules for the weekend, visit www.newbedfordfolkfestival.com.

A number of booking agencies whose rosters include folk and roots artists were among the more than 300 exhibitors in the large EXPO Hall. The conference also featured networking opportunities galore, daily plenary sessions and keynote speakers, an awards ceremony, a town hall on the artist as activist, and a wide array of professional development workshops and forums.

The theme for 2019 was The Power of WE and highlighted the collective strength and the influence of the performing arts in the world. As Mario Garcia Durham, APAP’s president and CEO, noted in welcoming conference attendees: “At APAP, we celebrate both the impact of our work and the opportunity for each one of us to draw energy, ideas and inspiration from it. Our strength as an industry comes from the everyday efforts of individuals in this field, and our collective power – The Power of WE – that fuels us as performing arts professionals.”

Showcases of Note Took Place at the Host Hotel and at Venues Around New York City

More than 1,000 showcases (music, dance, theater, comedy, and more) took place both at the New York Hilton Midtown, the conference hotel, and at venues throughout Manhattan. A few also were set in other New York City boroughs.

January 4: As he has for the last two years, composer, banjoist and producer Jayme Stone curated an eclectic roots music showcase at the host hotel that extended from the late afternoon into the evening. Called the Secret Agents APAP Showcase, it featured a number of notable, primarily self-managed touring artists. As Stone told AcousticMusicScene.com last January, he sought “to create a space for independent roots/world music artists to have their music heard by performing arts center directors and festival programmers. My goal was to make the cost slightly more affordable for artists and to create an opportunity for underrepresented artists to have a seat at the table. Most of the artists at our showcase do not have agents, which is rare at this conference.”

Kicking off the musical festivities was Eleanor Dubinsky, a soulful NYC-based singer songwriter, and her ensemble. Although I’d seen and previously been impressed by Dubinsky’s singing and song stylings in solo and duo performances, having an ensemble backing her added a whole new dimension to her performance. Next up, Stone debuted his New Art-Pop Project. Among the artists joining him on that was Moira Smiley, herself a gifted songwriter and vocalist, who, accompanied by her group, VOCO, had her own short showcase immediately afterwards entitled The Voice is a Traveler.

“2019 was my first time at Wavelengths, and that was a revelation to experience the small, fierce like-minded group of people interested in traditional arts,” she said, expressing appreciation to the pre-conference’s organizers for screening her promo video for her The Voice Is A Traveler show. In my view, it was the best of a number of short videos and video clips screened. As for the Secret Agents Showcase, Smiley said: “I love [them] for their absolute weirdness of variety. It reminds you how many worlds of entertainment here are – some intersecting not-one-bit with your own! Yet we’re all here making our dough with these sights and sounds.”

Also part of the Secret Agents Showcase were Taarka, a Colorado-based adventurous Americana trio whose sound is a blend of bluegrass, folk, gypsy jazz, and soul; American samba band Os Clavelitos; the energetic Northeastern Brazilian party music of accordionist Rob Curto’s Forro For All; and the joyous Brazilian bluegrass sounds of Matuto (fronted by Clay Ross), among others.

The evening’s musical gumbo also included the jazzy Brazilian Americana sounds of Max Hatt & Edda Glass; Hen’s Teeth, a cross-continental duo with Janie Rothfield (Staunton, VA) and Nathan Bontrager (Cologne, Germany); DuoDuo Quartet comprised of percussive dancer Nic Gareiss with harpist Maeve Glichrist, plus cellist Natalie Haas (who frequently performs with Alasdair Fraser) with her husband-guitarist Yann Falquet (from the Quebecois folk group Genticorum) – all of whom have toured internationally for years; Jenna Moynihan & Mairi Chaimbeaul, a fiddle and harp duo; and Mark Kilianski & Nate Sabat featuring a guitarist and songwriter from the duo Hoot & Holler and the bassist and songwriter from Mile Twelve, a Boston-based bluegrass band. Each of the preceding artists (with the exception of Simien) also joined Waldman in kicking-off the evening’s musical festivities with renditions of “Cluck Old Hen.” A welcome and unexpected highlight of the evening was Waldman’s pairing of harpists Gilchrist and Chaimbeaul for a tune as a twin-harp interlude between sets.

Although some parts of the roots music variety show’s format have remained the same, “it’s always evolving, sometimes in subtle ways, sometimes a little more dramatically,” Waldman noted. “O stage, I’ll sometimes mention a quote I’ve learned as a writer: no surprise to writer, no surprise to reader, which means if a writer is surprised what he or she is writing, which happens, it’s almost guaranteed the reader will be surprised. I think that’s a good thing. It means extra energy. I try to bring that mindset to the show, and have actively encouraged collaborations, which brings an element of the unknown. If the musicians are not 100% sure what’s going to happen next, the audience won’t know either.”

The same lineup of artists who performed at Don’t Tell Mama also showcased their talents the previous night at Brooklyn’s Jalopy Theater. “One of the evolutions in the show was [that] we began booking Thursday night at the Jalopy Theater in Red Hook, which served not only as a public event (on Friday we only market to APAP attendees), but also as a run-through for Friday,” said Waldman.

While I was enjoying the music at Don’t Tell Mama, the Americana Music Association sponsored a showcase concert at Rockwood Music Hall on the Lower East Side featuring singer-songwriter Caitlin Canty with special guests Oshima Brothers, while Smithsonian Folkways recording artists Anna & Elizabeth (who have previously been part of Waldman’s roots music variety shows) shared their innovative, modern arrangements of old-time Appalachian music at Joe’s Pub; The Klezmatics played Irridium, a midtown jazz club; and the Seamus Egan Project (featuring one of the most influential artists in contemporary Irish music) showcased at the New York Hilton, as did Switchback, the Celtic and Americana duo of Brian Fitzgerald and Martin McCormick. A multimedia concert by Seamus Egan’s seminal band Solas was a highlight of a previous APAP Conference.

January 5: My Saturday afternoon is traditionally filled with Celtic showcases at the hotel, and it would have been this year had I not opted to remain on Long Island to emcee a concert that I’d helped to arrange. Among the artists who showcased their talents at the New York Hilton Midtown that day were ebullient New York-based jig-rockers The Prodigals and their alter egos Acoustic Micks; Cherish The Ladies, the all-female Irish band fronted by Joannie Madden; Philadelphia-based Celtic roots band RUNA; and the young Irish trad trio Socks in the Frying Pan (from County Clare), whom I saw the next day.

Also showcasing their talents at the hotel on Saturday afternoon were Banjo Nickaru & Western Scooches and Sam Reider & Human Hands. Natalia Zukerman performed excerpts from The Women Who Rode Away, a multimedia show melding her talents as a songwriter, painter and storyteller. William Florian, formerly of The New Christy Minstrels, presented a taste of Those Were The Days: The Spirit and the Songs of the 1960s.

Tamara Kater of Toronto, Ontario- based Mavens Music Management reports that the showcase was well attended, with more than 100 people in the audience – about half of whom had APAP connections. “APAP is always rewarding, especially with the concurrent content of Wavelengths and GlobalFEST,” said Kater. “It’s inspiring and rewarding to meet such an array of presenters and artists all in one place, within a few days. Seeing the venues of New York and so many performances in such a compact amount of time is always a brilliant way to start off the new year.”

Also that evening, booking agency Madison House hosted a showcase at City Winery featuring Canadian singer-songwriter Rose Cousins, American singer-songwriter Willie Nile, and Madagascar-born singer-songwriter ad environmental activist Razia Said. Down at Rockwood Music Hall, The Blue Dahlia featuring Dahlia Dumont, a Brooklyn gal now living in Paris, who pens and sings songs in both English and French, appeared. Among the artists who showcased their talents at New York Hilton were Emmet Cahill (star of PBS’ Celtic Thunder) and the Jen Chapin Trio featuring the soulful urban folk singer-songwriter, her husband Stephan Crump on acoustic bass, and Jamie Fox on electric guitar.

January 6: Isle of Klezbos, a swinging all-female Klezmer sextet shared a bill and some members with the octet Metropolitan Klezmer (now celebrating its silver anniversary) as they performed some vintage instrumentals and Yiddish songs during Sunday brunch at City Winery. Although I enjoyed this last year, I skipped it this time. I also missed singer-songwriter Ellis Paul’s short early morning “Hero In You” showcase, during which he presented 15-minutes of excerpts from an award-winning educational program for children based on his CD and book of the same name that inspires youngsters to dream big.

I enjoyed several showcases that were part of Celebrate Our FOLK at Connolly’s Pub – Restaurant (Connolly’s Klub 45). The highlights were Kaia Kater and Kittel & Co.

Fronted by Jeremy Kittel — a virtuosic violinist, fiddler and composer — Kittel & Co. is an acoustic trio/string band with folk and jazz sensibilities whose sound also has Celtic, bluegrass and classical influences. Its recent release, Whorls, debuted at #1 on the Billboard bluegrass chart, while Kittel’s piece “Chrysalis” is among the nominees for a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition.

Also on the bill were singer-songwriter Ashley Davis, Making Movies (a Kansas City, MO-based band whose music defies easy categorization and whose set I missed, although I’ve previously seen the band at a Folk Alliance International conference held in its hometown), and the previously mentioned Socks in the Frying Pan.

Later in the evening, Kater shared a bill at Rockwood Music Hall as part of Quicksilver Productions, Lost Buffalo Artists & Smithsonian Folkways Present: The Women of Folkways with label mates The Bright Siders (featuring singer-songwriter and percussive dancer Kristin Andreassen – formerly of Uncle Earl – and Brooklyn-based child psychiatrist Dr. Kari Groff who create music that helps children and families have meaningful conversations about emotions) and Lula Wiles (a Boston–based, harmonious trio made up of Isa Burke, Eleanor Buckland, and Mali Obamsawin, whose Smithsonian Folkways debut, What Will We Do, is released Jan. 25 and who I had the pleasure of introducing at a couple of festivals).

Among the artists showcasing their talents at the New York Hilton in the evening were The Everly Set: Sean Altman and Jack Skuller Celebrate The Everly Brothers and Sultans of String, award-winning genre-bending world music instrumentalists from Toronto. Vanaver Caravan, a troupe of dancers and musicians, presented nearly half an hour of excerpts from Turn Turn Turn Turn, a show featuring more than 20 of Pete Seeger’s most celebrated songs and timed to coincide with the centenary of the late folk icon’s birth. Li, who describes his music as urban folk, did not impress this writer, while a Folk Legends showcase featuring two former members of The Kingston Trio was cancelled due to illness.

Also during the conference, Sage Artists shared excerpts of Call Mr. Robeson: A Life, With Songs, while cast members from Lonesome Traveler: The Concert performed short musical excerpts from the show, along with narration that helps tell the story of American folk and folk-rock music from Woody Guthrie to Bob Dylan and beyond. Artists in various other musical genres also showcased their talents, while comedy, dance and theatrical showcases also were part of the mix.

Since there were no folk or roots music showcases of note on January 7, and the conference closed with a plenary session on the morning of January 8, I did not venture into NYC those days.

About the Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP)

Based in Washington, DC, APAP is a nonprofit national service, advocacy and membership organization dedicated to developing and supporting a robust performing arts presenting field and the professionals who work within it. The next APAP Conference is set for Jan. 10-14, 2020 in New York City. More information on the organization may be found on its website: www.apap365.org.

More than 100 artists and acts are slated to perform during the festival. These include David Amram, Eric Andersen, Baile An Salsa, Sam Baker, Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams, Laura Cortese & The Dance Cards, Cry Cry Cry (featuring Lucy Kaplansky, Richard Shindell and Dar Williams), Skip Denenberg, Brian Dunne, Samantha Fish, John Flynn, Bella Hardy, Sierra Hull, The Infamous Stringdusters, David Jacobs-Strain & Bob Beach, The Kennedys, Laura Love Duo, Heather Maloney, John McCutcheon, Tift Merritt, Molsky’s Mountain Drifters, Graham Nash, Old Crow Medicine Show, Corin Raymond, RUNA, Son of Town Hall, Spirit Wing, Spuyten Duyvil, Taj Mo: The Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’ Band, Ken Tizzard, Susan Werner, and Toronto-based duo The Young Novelists.

Among the notable up-and-coming local touring artists who will showcase their talents during the festival are Ben Arnold and the 48 Hour Orchestra, Michael Braunfeld, The End of America, Ladybird, Man About A Horse, Mist Covered Mountains, Andrea Nardello, No Good Sister, and Katherine Rondeau & The Show.

As the names above suggest, the Philadelphia Folk Festival features an eclectic mix of traditional and contemporary music that stretches the boundaries of folk, helping to broaden its appeal and reach a new generation of listeners. Both notable national and international touring artists and emerging ones are on the bill.

In partnership with the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA), a regional affiliate of Folk Alliance International, the festival will also showcase the talents of three up-and-coming young artists — Jeremy Aaron, Quentin Callewaert and Sara Chodak — during a NERFA Presents Young Folk song swap on Saturday morning. (Aaron also plays fiddle with the Hudson Valley, New York-based Americana-roots band, Spuyten Duyvil, during the festival.)

In addition to musical performances and workshops on eight stages – including contradancing with Groovemama, a Martin Guitar Jam and an old time & bluegrass jam — there will be an array of children’s activities in the shady Dulcimer Grove – including craft-making and performances by The Give & Take Jugglers and such children- and family-oriented artists as the husband-and-wife duo Two of a Kind. As in years past, many artisans will display and sell their creations in an open-air juried crafts 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. David Dye, host of the syndicated World Café radio program, will host a special Thursday night concert on the Camp Stage –featuring Kentucky-based singer-songwriter Joan Shelley, Brooklyn, NY’s The National Reserve, and Toronto rock duo Whitehorse — exclusively for all-festival camping ticket holders.

Both day and full-festival passes are available, with ticket prices starting at $65 for a single-day. Children under 12 will be admitted free with an adult, while discounted tickets are available for youth, ages 12-17.

For more information about the Philadelphia Folk Festival and to order tickets, visit
www.pfs.org//Philadelphia-folk-festival/. A festival app also has been developed for use on smartphones before and during the festival.

Editor’s Note: As president of the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) board of directors, I have the honor and pleasure of hosting the “NERFA Presents Young Folk” showcase on Saturday morning, Aug. 19, at 11 a.m. Cheryl Prashker, my predecessor at NERFA and percussionist with the Celtic roots group Runa, will join me.