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

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

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

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

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

Juried Showcases Slated for Friday and Saturday Nights      

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

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

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

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

Here’s the AcousticMusicScene.com Showcase lineup:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NERFA Leaders Share Their Thoughts on the Conference

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

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

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

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

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

June 1 is the deadline for performing songwriters to submit applications online via the use of an entry form that can be found at https://solarfest.org/singer-songwriter-showcase-2025/. All entries must include video links to two original songs performed live, a brief bio, and a link to the artist’s website.

Judging will be done prior to the festival. One winner and four finalists will be invited to perform on the festival’s solar-powered main stage on Saturday, August 9. Cash prizes will also be awarded — $300 for the winner and $100 for the finalists. Each will receive two festival tickets as well. The winner and finalists will be notified by July 1.

Launched in 1995, SolarFest aims to connect people, the arts, ideas and technology, fostering partnerships and activism to create a vibrant present and a sustainable future. “In addition to workshops and great information on renewable energy, SolarFest has been the home to diverse and exciting music,” as singer-songwriter Phil Henry, a showcase organizer, previously told AcousticMusicScene.com.

“SolarFest’s Songwriter Showcase was so valuable to me when I was starting out in the world of folk and songwriting,” said Henry, 2005’s SolarFest Songwriter Showcase winner. “And many of our scene’s best have graced that stage – like Lara Herscovitch [a former Connecticut State Troubadour who co-organizes the showcase with him and is also a past winner], Louise Coombe, Connor Garvey, Jessica Smucker, and so many others. It’s a great festival with top-notch sound and an incredible vibe!”

Roots-rockin’ jam band Donna The Buffalo and psychedelic jamgrass band Into The Fog headline the festival. Also slated to perform are Phil Henry and the News Feed, Lara Herscovitch & the Highway Philosophers, world folk-rock ensemble HuDost, nuevo flamenco duo Patchouli & Terra Guitarra, Vermont’s own Bow Thayer Band and Ray Vega Band, and the party band Kotoko Brass — whose sound fuses Ghanaian percussion, Caribbean rhythms and joyous New Orleans horns. The festival closes out on Sunday afternoon, August 10, with a local talent expo showcasing some of the area’s up-and-coming performers.

“I can’t begin to tell you how excited and humbled l am to have been chosen for such an honor amongst such an incredible array of the nominated songs and was blown away by the quality and depth of the work submitted.” So too were contest judges Barry Adelman (a co-founder of Music for Humanity), Dave Kearney and Elly Wininger – all of whom are also singer-songwriters and evaluated more than 100 submissions based on melody, lyrics, song structure and originality (in content as well as lyrics and melody) before selecting Rotman as the top winner and Anna White of New Paltz, NY as the runner-up for her song “Saint Elizabeth,” while also awarding honorable mentions to Robert Bidney of Fort Meyers, Florida for “It’s All About the Love,” Brianne Chasanoff of New Fairfield, Connecticut for “Look Around,” Phil Henry of Rutland, Vermont for “Songs that Still Make You Cry”, Tom Heany of Tarrytown, NY for “Reservoir,” and Buddy Mondlock & Nick Tibbs of Nashville, Tennessee for “Weak.” You can hear all of the winning songs at this link: https://musicforhumanity.org/song-writing-contest-winners/.

Rotman said that the first-place award is “particularly dear to my heart since it comes from such an amazing organization.” A former public school teacher, Rotman admires the mission of Music for Humanity in supporting music education and the aspirations of young musicians. “This is particularly essential in these days of budget cutbacks and the overall indifference to the importance of the arts in all of our lives.” he maintains.

As a youngster, Rotman learned his first chords from an amateur guitar player who gave lessons at a Philadelphia community organization (Yellow Seeds) on a guitar that his father found in a garbage can. “I know first-hand the importance of organizations like MFH in creating opportunities to explore the boundless world of creative possibility offered by a musical life, often not available to those who do not have resources,” he said. “With that in mind, I decided to donate my winnings back to Music for Humanity so that they can continue their incredible work. “ As the contest’s first-place winner, Rotman also has been invited to perform a set for Music for Humanity at Noble Coffee Roasters on Saturday, August 17, 2024 and will be interviewed on Hudson Valley-based singer-songwriter John Burton’s radio show and podcast Home from Here.

The songwriting contest is but one of the endeavors of Music for Humanity, which aims to spread more music throughout the world via mostly free live performances and by supporting young, aspiring musicians who are music majors at an accredited college or university in the United States with scholarships. To date, Music for Humanity has awarded $167,000 in scholarships to recipients who become its ‘music ambassadors’ and share their music both via performance and by becoming music teachers. Based in Chester, NY, the nonprofit organization was launched in August 2005 by Adelman and Kurt Irmiter because “Music connects us, and a song with great lyrics can truly open our hearts and touch our souls.” As noted on its website (musicforhumanity.org): “More music means a better world for all of us because music builds the invisible roads and bridges that connect our hearts, our souls. We need those connections now more than ever.”

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.

The popular festival, which will feature four stages of music, officially kicks off on Friday, July 28 at noon. That’s when 15 artists/acts have been invited to perform in the 2023 Grassy Hill Emerging Artist Showcase on the festival’s Mainstage. Appearing in this year’s showcase are (listed alphabetically by last name or name of group, not in order of appearance) are Sandy Cash, Katie Dahl, Leslie Evers, The Honey Badgers, Eric Kilburn, Latin Americana, Chris LaVancher, Juliet Lloyd, Carol Ann Montag, Halley Neal, Kevin Neidig, Noble Dust, Andy Sydow, and Tiffany Williams. Kemp Harris is the first alternate. 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.

The Grassy Hill Emerging Artist Showcase is not a contest, and artists won’t be judged per se during the festival, 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. In evaluating submissions, a panel of three judges looked for high-quality performances of interesting, well-crafted, acoustic-based material. This year’s judges were Susan Forbes Hansen (a folk DJ on WWUH and WHUS in Connecticut), Bruce Martin (from Blues Café in Southbury, CT) and Barbara Shiller (former president of CT Folk). “This year’s judges all said [that] it was extremely difficult to choose the final slate,” said Anne Saunders, the festival’s artistic director. “The level of talent and quality of the submissions was all pretty high — and much of it from newbies they did not know previously. We do so love when that happens.”

Phil Henry, Grace Morrison, Sam Robbins, and Erin Ash Sullivan will showcase their talents during this year’s Most Wanted Song Swap. In addition,the four are participating in a Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Presents The “Most Wanted” Tour leading up to the festival. They will showcase their talents at SolarFest in Brandon, VT (July 15), Club Passim in Cambridge, MA (July 16), The Listening Booth in Lewes, DE (July 21), Moore Music in Rockville, MD (July 22), and Earp’s Ordinary in Fairfax, VA (July 23).

During the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, an Activities 4 Kids program, Circle of Song acoustic stage, Family Stage and Workshop Stage also will begin on Friday afternoon, July 28, while evening Mainstage performances and nightly dancing are slated to follow the daytime programming. Mainstage performances extend until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights (followed by late-night musical revelry at the campgrounds featuring informal jams, artist showcases and song circles). Sunday’s musical festivities wrap up at 6 p.m. For those camping on the fairgrounds, there will be some late-night musical revelry featuring an array of informal jams, artist showcases and song circles that help foster a sense of “folk” community and a different kind of festival experience.

“We are very happy to be bringing back both DANCE and our Thursday Tastings and Farmers Market program,” said Saunders. While acknowledging that both will be smaller than in the pre-pandemic years when the festival took place on a farm in upstate New York, she noted “but that’s as expected; the important thing is that they are back.” So too will be a full array of craft and food vendors.

Prior to the start of the actual festival, the aforementioned Pre-Fest Tastings & Farmers Market will take place on Thursday afternoon, while a Thursday Night Music Stage will be hosted by Scotten Jones (a co-founder of the Lounge Stage that hosted live music on Thursdays for many years) and Kathy Sands-Boehmer of Harbortown Music beginning at 4 p.m. Artists slated to appear include Lisa Bastoni, Marc Douglas Berardo, Joe Crookston, Kirsten Maxwell, No Fuss and Feathers, Rod Picott, RaSkull Flagg, Robinson & Rohe, Rachael Sage, Tom Smith, and Rachel Sumner.

[Here’s a link to a Spotify playlist that Kathy Sand-Boehmer compiled featuring songs by artists who are part of the Thursday Night Music Stage lineup.

Three-day festival tickets are $240 with camping or $165 without camping. Single -day tickets also are available for $60. All three-day tickets include Pre-Fest Thursday admission, while tickets for Pre-Fest Thursday also can be purchased for $20 at the gate. Children 12 and under will be admitted free, while tickets are heavily discounted for teens. The campgrounds will open by 4 p.m. on Wednesday, July 26. More information on the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival can be found at falconridgefolk.com.

Neal grew up in Connecticut and loves getting back up to New England. “I’m really looking forward to spending some time in Vermont, which is so beautiful in the summertime. I love that the folks at SolarFest focus their attention on renewable energy and sustainable, healthy living, all very important things that I am so excited to learn more about, and be a part of! I’m also so excited to bring the guys from the band Pretty Saro along with me to play as my backing band for the show.” She anticipates it being “a really fun and special time.”

Since graduating from Berklee College of Music in 2019, Neal has released two albums featuring her original songs. Also a finalist in the prestigious Kerrville New Folk Competition this year, Neal is delighted that Pretty Saro, an acoustic roots trio from Boston, Massachusetts, will join her when she performs at SolarFest.

Here’s a link to enjoy a video of Neal performing “Emily,” one of the two songs that she submitted to the SolarFest Songwriter Showcase judges: https://youtu.be/OpiQZgfFSQA.

Named as showcase finalists were Narissa Bond (Houston, TX), J.M. Clifford (Brooklyn, NY), Frank Critelli (New Haven, CT), and Carolann Solebello (Brooklyn, NY).

As previously reported on AcousticMusicScene.com, the SolarFest Singer-Songwriter Showcase was free to enter and open to all artists who write and perform original music and are not currently signed to a major recording label. Entries were evaluated based on composition (music and lyrics), vocal and instrumental delivery, and overall live performance.

Launched in 1995, SolarFest — slated for July 15-16 this year — aims to connect people, the arts, ideas and technology, fostering partnerships and activism to create a vibrant present and a sustainable future. “In addition to workshops and great information on renewable energy, SolarFest has been the home to diverse and exciting music,” says singer-songwriter Phil Henry, a festival organizer. Among the more than 20 artists and acts who will showcase their talents during this year’s festival are Dar Williams, House of Hamill, HuDost, Lara Herscovitch & the Philosopher Kings, Pamela Means, Louise Mosrie Coombe, and the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival “Most Wanted” Preview Tour featuring Phil Henry, Grace Morrison, Sam Robbins, and Erin Ash Sullivan. Henry, Herscovitch and Mosrie Coombe are previous SolarFest Singer-Songwriter Showcase winners. More information on SolarFest may be found at solarfest.org.

Entries, which are due by May 15, will be evaluated based on composition (music and lyrics), vocal and instrumental delivery, and overall live performance. Judging will be done prior to the festival – with one winner and four finalists invited to perform on the festival’s solar-powered main stage on Saturday, July 15. Cash prizes will also be awarded — $300 for the winner and $75 or the finalists — while the winner will be invited to perform a full set at next year’s festival.

May 15 is the deadline to submit applications online via the use of a Google Form [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdxnBHBQY1YyxFP2hB4m8sDHcGWTudPcySNtCvlXndZFJYzww/viewform]. All entries must include links to two live performance videos, a brief bio, and a link to the artist’s website.

Launched in 1995, SolarFest aims to connect people, the arts, ideas and technology, fostering partnerships and activism to create a vibrant present and a sustainable future. “In addition to workshops and great information on renewable energy, SolarFest has been the home to diverse and exciting music,” says singer-songwriter Phil Henry, a festival organizer. Among the more than 20 artists and acts who will showcase their talents during this year’s festival are Dar Williams, House of Hamill, HuDost, Lara Herscovitch & the Philosopher Kings, Pamela Means, Louise Mosrie Coombe, and the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival “Most Wanted” Preview Tour featuring Phil Henry, Grace Morrison, Sam Robbins, and Erin Ash Sullivan. Henry, Herscovitch and Mosrie Coombe are previous SolarFest Singer-Songwriter Showcase winners.

“The Singer-Songwriter Showcase gives up-and-coming singer-songwriters an opportunity to stand and deliver original music on a beautiful stage with stellar production,” Henry told AcousticMusicScene.com. “For me, being selected and winning SolarFest was a critical acknowledgement that was so important early in my career.”

More information on SolarFest and its Singer-Songwriter Showcase may be found at solarfest.org.

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.

Paxton, an influential folksinger-songwriter – known for such songs as “The Last Thing On My Mind,” “Bottle of Wine,” “Whose Garden Was This” and “Ramblin’ Boy” – formerly lived on Long Island and plans to retire from the road this summer after more than a half-century as a touring artist. A Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Paxton also has had his songs covered by many notable artists.

Opening for Paxton at 8:30 p.m. will be No Fuss and Feathers Roadshow, featuring nationally touring New York area-based singer-songwriters The YaYas (Jay Mafale and Catherine Miles), Carolann Solebello and Karyn Oliver.

Prior to the featured evening concert on the park’s [Harry] Chapin Rainbow Stage, AcousticMusicScene.com and FMSH will host unplugged showcases and song swaps on the lawn near the stage featuring artists from half a dozen states from 12:45-6 p.m. The day’s musical festivities begin with an open mic at noon.

Artists slated to perform during the afternoon include Acoustic Apple, Annika, Mark Allen Berube, Michael Braunfeld, Meghan Cary, Andrea Cetlin, Greg Cornell and the Cornell Brothers, Curtis & Carla, Generations: Mike & Aleksi Glick, Phil Henry, Jay Hitt, Karen Hudson, Josh Joffen, Stuart Kabak, Kalinec & Kj, Judy Kass, Cecilia Kirtland, Scott Krokoff, Mara Levine, The Levins, Lisa Jane Lipkin, Eli Maniscalco, Kirsten Maxwell, Lois Morton, Larry Moser & Mary Nagin, Mark Newman and Naomi Margolin, James O’Malley, Elaine Romanelli, Shawn Taylor, Robinson Treacher and Bob Westcott.

More information about the Huntington Folk Festival, including the complete schedule and directions to the park, appears online at www.fmsh.org. The afternoon showcase schedules also are posted below.

Afternoon Showcases

12:45 Mark Newman and Naomi Margolin
1:00 Scott Krokoff, Shawn Taylor, Robinson Treacher
1:30 Generations: Mike & Aleksi Glick
1:45 Greg Cornell & The Cornell Brothers
2:00 Funny Folk: Mark Allen Berube, Lois Morton
2:30 Josh Joffen, James O’Malley, Bob Westcott
3:00 Mara Levine, The Levins, Elaine Romanelli
3:30 Westchester Artists: Curtis & Carla, Judy Kass, Lisa Jane Lipkin
4:00 Keystone Staters: Michael Braunfeld, Meghan Cary, Jay Hitt
4:30 Karen Hudson, Stuart Kabak, Cecilia Kirtland
5:00 Young Folk: Annika, Kirsten Maxwell
5:30 Phil Henry, Kalinec & Kj

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

Attendees are advised to bring lawn chairs or blankets and to consider bringing a picnic supper or venturing into nearby Huntington Village for dinner.

The 50th Annual Huntington Summer Arts Festival is produced by the Town of Huntington, presented by the Huntington Arts Council, and sponsored in part by the New York State Council for the Arts, the County of Suffolk and Canon U.S.A.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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