Booking gigs may be the primary objective of some performing artists who attend the FARM Gathering, and many presenters and folk DJs do scout out new artists and those whom they have not previously heard and seen in perform live. However, the conference experience is much more than that; it’s really about forging connections, building community, and attending workshops and panel discussions to learn about options to further their careers, promote the music, and attract audiences and listeners

This year’s conference also includes a Presenter Summit for the first time. It will feature a full track of programming designed specifically for venues, festivals and other concert presenters to learn from experts in accounting, audience development, community engagement, marketing, and production.

Taking center stage during this year’s FARM Gathering will be 14 artists/acts selected by a panel of judges to each perform a short set of just shy of 20 minutes, with full sound Showcasing their talents on Friday night will be Mac and Cheese, Dennis Warner, Weary Ramblers, Andy Baker, Stone & Snow, Amy Speace, and Paula Boggs Band. Saturday’s official showcase lineup features Warren & Flick, The Twangtown Paramours, Sam Robbins, Maggie’s Wake, Dave Moore, Bruce Henry & Dean Magraw, and Abigail Stauffer and the Wisdom. Unplugged private showcases follow from 10:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. each evening.

On the docket for Thursday night is a barn dance, followed by a folk DJ showcase featuring performances by Friction Farm, Gia Dagenhart, Chris Walz, Matt Watroba, The Springtails, Helene Cronin, Senior Infants, Bobbie Lancaster, Rees Shad, Mark Jewett, The Thorntons, and Dandelion Delivery Service. Following that showcase, attendees also will shuffle between a number of rooms to enjoy private showcases.

“In addition to the great performances and showcases we have lined up, I am very excited to welcome some special guests to this year’s conference who will speak to the issues affecting our country and our local music communities right now, including our keynote speaker Nicky Mehta.” said Ellen Stanley, the conference director. “Although best known for being a member of the Canadian folk band The Wailin’ Jennys, she is also an activist and will talk about how artists can stay true to their artistic vision and the causes they believe in.” She also mentioned Spencer LaJoye, a winner of the prestigious Kerrville New Folk Competition, who will give a spotlight talk ahead of the keynote about telling their truth as a queer artist

Daytime programming includes a wide array of workshops and panel discussions and peer group conversations addressing timely topics. “”We’re going to talk about the issues that we’re all worried about, and we hope to provide a welcoming space for everyone to share their stories and learn from others as we do our best to navigate these challenging times, Stanley told AcousticMusicScene.com.

Song swapping and jamming, speed mentoring sessions, open mics, and FARM’s popular Performance Lane series of 10-minute mini-showcases that take place simultaneously in several rooms are also part of the daytime mix. Special events on Friday include a 30-minute Chicago Celtic Spotlight featuring Reverie Road and a folk DJ meet & greet. Marilyn Rea Beyer, who hosts the nationally syndicated weekly radio program “The Midnight Special” from the studios of Chicago’s WFMT, will host a Wisdom Across the Ages panel discussion featuring artists and activists from different generations: Amy Speace, Paula Boggs, Katie Dahl, and Sam Robbins. Also on the docket for Saturday afternoon is a Celtic jam, as well as the spotlight and keynote talks. FARM’s 2025 Lantern Bearer Awards will be presented following dinner that evening to two individuals who have made significant contributions to the folk community locally and/or regionally. This year’s recipients are Charlie Mosbrook (a musician, former FARM board president, and current vice president of Folk Alliance International) and Lilli Kuzma, a veteran folk DJ at WDCB Public Radio in Glen Ellyn, Illinois).

AcousticMusicScene.com Hosts Two Nights of Private Showcases

Although AcousticMusicScene.com has hosted primarily song swap-style private showcases at Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA), Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA), and Southwest Regional Folk Alliance (SWRFA) conferences, and its editor & publisher has also participated in Folk Alliance Region-West (FAR-West) conference, this year marks the first time that two nights of private showcases will be held under its banner at a FARM Gathering. The AcousticMusicScene.com Showcase lineup follows.

Thursday Overnight in Muddy Waters (Conference 3) Room

10:30  Ben Bedford & Vanessa Lively, Jim Patton & Sherry Brokus

11:00  Erin Eades, Rob Lytle

11:30  The Shandies, another artist TBA ?

12:00  Julie Grower, Lucy Isabel

12:30  Tony DiCorpo, Doug Harsch

1:00    Josh Harty, Josh Rose

1:30    Patty & Craig, The Raven & The Remedy

2:00    Beth Bombara

Friday Overnight in Childress/Saxton (Oak/Green) Room

10:30  Two from Texas: Lynn Crossett, Tipps & Obermiller

11:00  A Trio of Duos: Ruth & Max Bloomquist, Dan & Faith, Tom & Barb Webber

12:00  Mixed Bag: Sue Horowitz, Miles & Mafale, Mike Ward

1:00    Chris Farrell, Jim Gary

1:30    Gina Forsyth, Karen Mal & David Stoddard

2:00    Rick Vines, Joshua Vorvick

FARM is one of five North American regional affiliates of Folk Alliance International (folk.org), a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion. Although folks from throughout North America attend its annual Gathering, FARM (farmfolk.org) serves Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Manitoba, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Nunavut, Ohio, Saskatchewan, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. The 2026 FARM Gathering is set for October 22-25 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. FAR-West and SWRFA held their annual conferences earlier this fall, while NERFA’s is slated for Nov. 6-9 in Albany, New York.

Editor’s Note: In addition to curating and hosting two nights of private showcases, I look forward to sharing information and insights gleaned from my many years as public relations and strategic communications professional, as well as a concert and former festival presenter with conference attendees. I will join Elexa Dawson and Joy Zimmerman as part of a Promoting Your Event panel discussion and will offer a series of one-on-one speed mentoring sessions. A past president of NERFA and former board member of Folk Alliance International, I am excited to be attending my first in-person FARM Gathering.

The Wind Will Change Again is the fourth album released by The Twangtown Paramours (Mike T. Lewis and MaryBeth Zamer), who met in 2009 while working on their own individual musical projects, started dating, and released their debut recording as a duo the following year. Not easily musically pigeonholed by genre, The Twangtown Paramours perform a mix of Americana, folk and blues. However, The Wind Will Change Again reflects the duo’s acoustic folk roots.

Mike T. Lewis, who began learning classical and jazz guitar as a youngster growing up in New York City, has also occasionally played upright bass with Jimmie Dale Gilmore. MaryBeth Zamer, who was born in Washington, DC and raised on a mix of opera and American Songbook-style music, credits the late Eva Cassidy — in whose band (Method Actor) she was a backup vocalist — as a major influence on her singing style. The Twangtown Paramours have been two-time finalists in the prestigious Kerrville New Folk Competition and winners in Wildflower! Performing Songwriter Contest in Richardson, TX.

“Field of Stars” is the title track of the 45th album produced and released by John McCutcheon during a career that has spanned more than 50 years and shows no signs of slowing down. A prolific songwriter, master of the hammered dulcimer (among other instruments), and frequent presence on the folk radio charts, McCutcheon was the most-played artist of 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2022. He had both the top album (To Everyone in All the World: A Celebration of Pete Seeger) and the top song (“Well May the World Go”) on folk radio during 2019. A number of his other previous albums and songs have topped the monthly charts in recent years, while McCutcheon’s classic “Christmas in the Trenches” has been among the most-played songs on folk radio during the holiday season for years.

[Here’s a link to enjoy listening to John McCutcheon’s “Field of Stars”: link]

The January 2025 top albums, songs and artists charts are based on 11, 601 airplays reported on 387 playlists submitted by 107 different folk DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses.

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. Its annual conference takes place in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, February 19-23.

Top Albums of January 2025

1. The Wind Will Change Again by The Twangtown Paramours (150)
2. Field of Stars by John McCutcheon (137)
3. Reclamation by Crys Matthews (61)
4. Gold in Your Pocket by Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms (54)
5. Songs to a Wild God by Mallory Chipman (49)
6. Glimmer by Carol Crittenden (41)
7. Ride in the Light by Cindy Kallet (39)
8. Hydra by Nuala Kennedy and Eamon O’Leary (30)
9. A Complete Unknown (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by
Timothee Chalamet (28)
9. Woodland by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings (28)
11. Up From the Mud by Diane Coll (25)
12. Deep Feeler by Liv Greene (24)
13. Look Up by Ringo Starr (23)
14. Looking for the Thread by Mary Chapin Carpenter, Julie Fowlis,
Karine Polwart (22)
14. Wildfire by House of Hamill (22)
16. “Earl Jam by Tony Trischka (21)
17. “The Silence of the Stars by Linda Marks (20)
17. “Trail of Flowers by Sierra Ferrell (20)
17. If the Sky Fell by Michael Henchman (20)
20. Things Done Changed by Jerron Paxton (19)
20. Last Leaf on the Tree by Willie Nelson (19)
22. The American Dream by Amy Speace (18)
23. In the Real World by Eric Bibb (17)
23. Willie Watson by Willie Watson (17)
23. Highway Prayers by Billy Strings (17)
26. Thirteen by Colin O’Brien (16)
26. Hear My Call by Cristina Vane (16)
26. Polaroid Lovers by Sarah Jarosz (16)
26. Live at the Raven Gallery by Josh White Jr (16)
30. Parallel Lives by David Mallett (15)
30. From China to Appalachia by Cathy Fink, Marcy Marxer and Chao Tian (15)
32. Ten Good Sermons by Eugene Ruffolo (14)
32. Turning Over Stones by Bett Padgett (14)
32. Now, O Now by Rakish (14)
35. Ravens and the Roses by Cris Williamson (13)
35. This Hen’s Gonna Crow by Colleen Kattau (13)
35. The Very Best of Peter, Paul and Mary by Paul and Mary Peter (13)
35. Who We Are by Dan and Faith (13)
35. Trees by Laurie Lewis (13)
35. Roadmap by Roy Zimmerman (13)
35. Boarding Windows in Paradise by Rebecca Frazier (13)
35. Into the Wild” by Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway (13)
43. Golden by Genevieve Racette (12)
43. Beacons by Nefesh Mountain (12)
43. Cortelia Clark by Josh White Jr (12)
43. With a Guitar and a Pen by Tish Hinojosa (12)
47. Waiting for Inspiration by Socks in the Frying Pan (11)
47. Around the Campfire by Paul and Mary Peter (11)
47. Fever Longing Still by Paul Kelly (11)
47. Reach by Becky Buller (11)
47. Manos Panamericanos by Larry and Joe (11)
47. Still Troubled by Mike Ward (11)
47. Snappy Comeback by L.A. Moore (11)

Top Songs of January 2025

1. “Field of Stars” by John McCutcheon (30)
2. “The Wind Will Change Again” by The Twangtown Paramours (25)
3. “Old Friends” by The Twangtown Paramours (21)
4. “A Room in Bordeaux” by The Twangtown Paramours (19)
5. “Sincerely Yours No More” by The Twangtown Paramours (18)
6. “A Heart That Never Closes” by Mary Chapin Carpenter, Julie Fowlis,
Karine Polwart (17)
7. “Tonight I Think I’m Gonna Go Downtown” by The Twangtown Paramours (16)
8. “Hopeful Hearts” by Judy Kass and Sloan Wainwright (15)
9. “Stars Without a Heaven” by The Twangtown Paramours (14)
10. “When Winter Comes to Call” by Bett Padgett (13)
11. “Big Sky Country” by Mallory Chipman (12)
11. “The Goodwill Store” by The Twangtown Paramours (12)
11. “None” by The Twangtown Paramours (12)
11. “That Thing You Do” by The Twangtown Paramours (12)
11. “Waiting for the Moon” by John McCutcheon (12)
11. “Here” by John McCutcheon (12)
17. “Peace Can Be Louder Than War” by Merry Hell (11)
17. “Wild Geese” by Liv Greene (11)
17. “The Garden” by The Twangtown Paramours (11)
17. “Too Old to Die Young” by John McCutcheon (11)
21. “Tikkun Olam” by John McCutcheon (10)
21. “Immigration Nation” by Mike Ward (10)
21. “Only Ones Dancing” by John McCutcheon (10)
21. “Garden Song” by David Mallett (10)
21. “Empty Trainload of Sky” by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings (10)
21. “Ms St. Louis” by John McCutcheon (10)
21. “Luckier Than Most” by Jon Shain (10)
21. “Mercury & Mars” by Christine Lavin (10)
21. “Sing Me Home” by Mallory Chipman (10)
21. “Sleeves Up” by Crys Matthews (10)

Top Artists of January 2025

1. John McCutcheon (157)
2. The Twangtown Paramours (153)
3. David Mallett (92)
4. Paul and Mary Peter (88)
5. Crys Matthews (82)
6. Bob Dylan (67)
7. Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms (54)
8. Josh White Jr (52)
9. Mallory Chipman (49)
9. Cindy Kallet (49)
11. Carol Crittenden (41)
12. The Band (37)
13. Pete Seeger (35)
14. Willie Nelson (34)
15. Peter Paul and Mary (32)
15. Timothee Chalamet (32)
17. Nuala Kennedy and Eamon O’Leary (30)
18. Gillian Welch and David Rawlings (29)
18. Peter Yarrow (29)
20. Mary Chapin Carpenter, Julie Fowlis, Karine Polwart (28)
21. Billy Strings (26)
21. House of Hamill (26)
21. Tony Trischka (26)
24. Sarah Jarosz (25)
24. Diane Coll (25)
26. Iris Dement (24)
26. Ringo Starr (24)
26. Liv Greene (24)
29. John Gorka (23)
29. Sierra Ferrell (23)
31. Stan Rogers (22)
31. Bett Padgett (22)
33. Amy Speace (21)
33. Michael Henchman (21)
33. Tom Paxton (21)
33. Eric Bibb (21)
37. Linda Marks (20)
37. Joan Baez (20)
37. Nanci Griffith (20)
40. Becky Buller (19)
40. Jerron Paxton (19)
40. Colleen Kattau (19)
40. Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway (19)