“None of us know when it will be possible to responsibly invite you back to Quiet Valley Ranch; we are hoping with all our hearts for October,” The Kerrville Festival Foundation staff wrote in a May 14 email to friends of the festival. “In the meantime, we are doing all we can, using every option available to us to weather this storm, and we will succeed.

What gives us faith is all of you. We are so deeply touched by so many messages of encouragement, love for the festival, and love for the community. And as festival time draws closer, we asked our artists to help us with a gift to our Festival family.”

Kerrville Folk Festival Virtual Concerts are slated for Saturdays May 23, May 30 and June 6 from 7-9 p.m. CDT/8-10 p.m. EDT/5 p.m. PDT. Among the artists set to perform are Marcia Ball, Beat Root Revival, Black Pumas, The Chris Chandler Show, Mikaela Davis, John Elliott, Folk Family Revival, Rebecca Folsom, John Fullbright, Vance Gilbert, Jaimee Harris, Kyshona, Bernice Lewis, The Limeliters, James McMurtry, Tom Meny, Possessed by Paul James, Tom Prasada-Rao Trio, Bruce Robison, Shake Russell & Michael Hearne, Darrell Scott, Texicana Mamas, Verlon Thompson, Trout Fishing in America, Wood & Wire, and more.

The virtual concerts will stream online at https://kerrvillefolkfestival.orgg and on the festival’s Facebook page, where more details will be posted in coming days. Viewers will be afforded the opportunity to tip the artists and donate to the foundation. The two-hour concerts each evening will be followed by Virtual Campfires via Zoom hosted by members of the Kerrmunitty.

Named as finalists in the Grassy Hill-Kerrville New Folk Competition are: Clint Alphin (Nashville, TN), Andy Baker (Gables, MI), Nancy Beaudette (Cornwall, ON, Canada), John John Brown (Pawling, NY), T Buckley (Calgary, AB, Canada), Susan Cattaneo (Medford, MA), Ryan Davenport (Taylor, TX), Anne E. DeChant (Avon Lake, OH), Nick Dupuy (New Canaan, CT), Eliza Edens (Williamstown, MA), Daniel Elixir (Brixley, MO), Chad Elliott (Limoni, IA), Jeremy Facknitz (Colorado Springs, CO), Sadie Gustafson-Zook (Boston, MA), Claire Kelly (Nashville, TN), China Kent (Denver, Colorado), Abigail Lapell (Toronto, ON, Canada), Louise Mosrie (Williamstown, MA), Russ Parrish (Burnsville, MN), Michael Prysock (Dallas, TX), Justina Shandler(Roanoke, VA), Shanna in a Dress (Boulder, CO), Aubryn Stevens (Nashville, TN), and Alex Wong (Nashville, TN).

After performing the two songs that they submitted during New Folk Concerts slated for Oct. 9 and 10 at the Threadgill Theater during the festival, six songwriters will be selected as 2020 New Folk Winners. The six will receive cash honorariums and other prizes, as well as the opportunity to return the following weekend to each perform 20-minute sets during a Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Award Winners concert.

Established in 1972 at the urging of Peter Yarrow, the Kerrville New Folk Concerts have become a highlight of the annual festival that is geared towards singer-songwriters of various musical styles and is the longest continuously running festival of its kind in North America. In addition to receiving cash awards and additional performance opportunities, being named as a New Folk Award Winner is regarded as a very prestigious honor.

A regional affiliate of Folk Alliance International, SERFA (www.serfa.org) exists to promote, develop and celebrate the diverse heritage of roots and indigenous music, dance, storytelling and related arts in the Southeastern United States. Its annual conference is a primary means of doing that. This is the seventh consecutive year that it is being held at the same location — a beautiful and tranquil spot nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains. This year’s conference opens with a barbecue, followed by a barn dance and an open mic on Wednesday night, and concludes on Sunday morning with a farewell breakfast.

Kathy Mattea to Deliver Keynote Address and Accept an Award

Kathy Mattea, a Grammy Award-winning country/folk artist and activist, will deliver a keynote address during the conference. Although best known for such country music chart topping hits as “18 Wheels and a Dozen Roses,” “Come From the Heart” and “Goin’ Gone,” her 18 albums contain bluegrass, folk, gospel and Celtic influences. Mattea also made major waves in folk circles with her album, Coal, featuring songs about the Appalachian coal-mining culture and celebrated the Appalachian culture of her native West Virginia on her 2012 follow-up recording, Calling Me Home. Mattea has been part of the distinguished teaching staff for the annual Swannanoa Gathering in North Carolina each summer. She is married to singer-songwriter Jon Vezner, who penned such hits for her as “Where’ve You Been.”

“There’s nothing more powerful than sitting in a room and sharing music together,” asserts Mattea. “Folk music is about stripping away all the bells and whistles, and celebrating the simplicity and directness of that connection.” She believes “SERFA is important because it helps people who steward live music to connect directly with musicians, and helps those musicians find ways to connect with people who are passionate about keeping live performance… ALIVE!”

Mattea also will be among the recipients of awards from SERFA in recognition of extraordinary contributions to folk music and the folk music community in the Southeast. Also being honored are John McCutcheon and Sundilla Music.

McCutcheon, who was the keynote speaker at a previous SERFA Conference, is one of America’s most revered folksinger-songwriters – perhaps best known for his classic “Christmas in the Trenches.” A multi-instrumentalist who plays a dozen different traditional instruments, he has been performing and recording since the mid-1970s. His latest album, Trolling for Dreams, topped the folk radio charts in January. A longtime labor and social activist, McCutcheon also was a founder and leader of Local 1000, the traveling acoustic musicians local of the American Federation of Musicians.

Sundilla Music is an Auburn, Alabama-based nonprofit cultural organization that presents The Sundilla Concert Series and, along with Troy Public Radio, The Sundilla Radio Hour. Launched in 1993, the acoustic concert series’ motto is “We’re a great place on the way somewhere else,” and its 12 concerts a year feature professional touring musicians from outside the area. The weekly hour-long radio program, which premiered on Troy Public Radio in March 2013, now airs on several radio stations and also is available as podcast via iTunes and other platforms. Hosted by Kelly Walker, the program features music and conversation with independent contemporary folk musicians.

Workshops and Panel Discussions Organized by Tracks

Some three-dozen 75-minute workshops during the conference will be organized by tracks: Activism, Business for Performing artists, Performing and Recording, Presenting, Songwriting, and Trad. Workshops and panel discussions will delve into such topics as The Art and Craft of Home Recording, Blues in Open Tunings, Can Music Change the World?, Creating Successful Tours, Creating Your Own Brand, How to Elicit Audience Participation, Marketing Your Music to Folk Radio, Music for Film and Television, Sharing Best Practices for Presenters, Sponsorship and Grants for Events, Videos: How and Why, Women as Tradition Bearers, Writing Songs On Purpose, and Writing Strong Bios and News Releases. Rain Perry, a singer-songwriter and independent filmmaker, will screen her new documentary about the music business, entitled The Shopkeeper, and will engage in a question and answer session following it.

A Wisdom of the Elders session will feature Reggie Harris, Doug Orr and Patrick Sky. An artist, educator and activist, Harris seeks to convey messages of joy, unity, tolerance and peace through music that is steeped in the tradition of Africa-American spirituals, folk, gospel, rock, and songs of civil and human rights. Orr, president emeritus of nearby Warren Wilson College, founded the Swannanoa Gathering that takes place there annually. He also is the co-author (with Scotland’s Fiona Ritchie) of Wayfaring Strangers: The Musical Voyage from Scotland and Ulster to Appalachia, a 2014 New York Times best seller. Sky, who was part of the folk scene centered around New York City’s Greenwich Village during the early 1960s, later embraced Irish music, established the noted Green Linnet Records label, and became an acclaimed uilleann piper and pipe maker.

Official and Guerilla Showcases Abound

A number of artists have been selected by a panel of judges to present official showcases on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights from 7:15-10:15 p.m. Slated to perform on Thursday are Friction Farm, Andy Ferrell, Rebecca Wudarski, Johnsmith, Ordinary Elephant, Scott Cook, John Sherman & Randy Clepper, and Sultans of String. Friday’s official showcase lineup features Sarah Clanton, Noah Zacharin, Hoot and Holler, Reggie Harris, Al Petteway, Anne McCue, Lyal Strickland, and Lauren Sheehan. Saturday’s showcase artists include The Levins, Mare Wakefield and Nomad, Josh Harty, Mean Mary, Bill Mize, Rebecca Folsom, MSG Acoustic Blues Trio, and Blue Yonder. These artists were chosen from among nearly 150 applicants.

The official Showcases are open to the public for $15 each night or $30 for all three nights. Tickets will be available at the door at Convocation Hall, located inside the Assembly Inn at Montreat Conference Center.

Following the official showcases, late-night guerilla showcases will take place in various meeting rooms between 10:40 p.m. and 2 a.m. AcousticMusicScene.com, which has had a presence at the SERFA Conference for the past six years, will host late-night showcases on Thursday and Friday, May 18 and 19, overnight. These will take the form of song swaps.

Here’s the AcousticMusicScene.com showcase schedule:

Thursday Night, May 18:

10:40: Steve Brooks, Jefferson Ross, Lyal Strickland, Dennis Warner

11:30: Antonio Andrade, Scott Cook, Gina Holsopple

12:00: Dan & Faith, Max & Ruth Bloomquist

12:30: Tony Denikos, Karyn Oliver, Letitia VanSant

1:00: Bruce Michael Miller Anna p.s., Laura Zucker

1:30: Mike & Amy Aiken, Eugene Tyler Band

Friday Night, May 19:

10:40: Nashville Cats: Wyatt Easterling, Sarah Lois Richards, Priscilla Sanders, Susan Shann

11:30: Leah Kaufman, Isabel Taylor

12:00: I’m From New Jersey: Diane Perry, John Sonntag

12:30: Reggie Harris, Mara Levine

1:00: New York Duos: The Levins, The YaYas

1:30: Acoustic Blues: Ann McCue, M.S.G. Acoustic Blues Trio, Jon Shain & FJ Ventre

Editor’s Note: In addition to hosting AcousticMusicScene.com showcases, I will be part of workshop- panel discussions on artist bios and news releases and booking and management. I will also again be a mentor offering advice and counsel on various aspects of public relations and strategic communications. An elected board member of Folk Alliance International, I also serve as board president for the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA).

Boulder, Colorado-based singer-songwriter Rebecca Folsom’s “Better Times” was February’s most-played song, edging out Burning Bridget Cleary’s “Madam I’m a Darling,” January’s top song.

The February 2016 FOLKDJ-L charts are based on 13,220 airplays from 143 different DJs. Label and release date appear in brackets below, while the number of reported spins is shown in parentheses. The charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com with permission.

Top Albums of February 2016

1: All These Years, Solas [solasmusic.com, 2/16] (93)
2: The Hazel And Alice Sessions, Laurie Lewis And The Right Hands [Spruce And Maple, 1/16] (75)
3: Roses And Victory, Honor Finnegan [Frock, 2/16] (63)
4: These Are The Days, Burning Bridget Cleary [burningbridgetcleary.com, 11/15] (56)
5: Extraordinary Days, Rebecca Folsom [rebeccafolsom.com, 1/16] (55)
5: The K.O.A. Tapes (Vol. 1), Kate Campbell [Large River, 1/16] (55)
5: Live From Blue Rock, Moors And McCumber [moorsandmccumber.bandcamp.com, new] (55)
8: Dori Freeman, Dori Freeman [Free Dirt, 2/16] (53)
9: Didn’t We Waltz, Amy White with Al Petteway [Fairewood, new] (50)
10: Ladies And Gentlemen, Infamous Stringdusters [Compass, 1/16] (48)
11: Weighted Mind, Sierra Hull [Rounder, 1/16] (47)
12: Where I Belong, Lauren Heintz [Gatorbone, 2015] (46)
13: Traveling Circus, No Fuss And Feathers [Roadshow, 1/16] (45)
14: Foxhounds, Kathy Kallick Band [Live Oak, 11/15] (41)
15: Big Sky Country, Sofia Talvik [Makaki, 4/15] (38)
15: Folkest, Denise Jordan Finley [Dome Island, new] (38)
17: Beyond The Ash And Steel, Judy Kass [judykassmusic.com, 1/16] (33)
17: Folk Art, The Robert Bobby Duo [I Likemike, new] (33)
19: Beyond The Rain, Quiles And Cloud [Compass, 1/16] (32)
19: Real Midnight, Birds Of Chicago [5 Head, new] (32)
21: The Both, Eli West [Self, new] (30)
21: Please Come Home, The Debutones [debutones.com, 8/15] (30)
23: Less Is More, Gordie Tentrees [tentrees.ca, 4/15] (29)
23: You’re Dreaming, Cactus Blossoms [Red House, 2/16] (29)
25: Love You Strong, Terri Hendrix [Wilory, new] (28)
26: The Back Of Winter, Adrianna Ciccone [adriannaciccone.com, 9/15] (26)
26: Hobo Jungle Fever Dreams, Corin Raymond [Local Rascal, new] (26)
26: Lola, Carrie Rodriguez [Luz, new] (26)
29: Above The Prairie, The Pines [Red House, new] (24)
29: The Guest House, Ellis [Singing Crow, 2/16] (24)
29: Subcontinental Drift, Sultans Of String with Anwar Khurshid [McK, 9/15] (24)
32: Crow The Dawn, Jon Shain And Joe Newberry [Flyin, new] (23)
32: Pompadour, Tim O’Brien [Howdy Skies, 10/15] (23)
32: So Lucky, The Lucky Sisters [Patio, 12/15] (23)
35: The Ghosts Of Highway 20, Lucinda Williams [Highway 20, new] (22)
35: The Jeremiahs, The Jeremiahs [Self, 2014] (22)
37: C&O Canal, Eric Brace And Peter Cooper [Red Beet, new] (21)
37: Charm City Junction, Charm City Junction [Patuxent, 6/15] (21)
37: Love, Guns And Money, Bianca De Leon [Self, 2011] (21)
40: A Congress Of Treasons, Grant Peeples And The Peeples Republik [Gatorbone, new] (20)
41: City Painted Gold, The Brothers Comatose [Swamp Jam, new] (19)
41: Crimson, Kirsten Maxwell [Self, 4/15] (19)
41: Simon Linsteadt, Simon Linsteadt [Stormy Deep, 2/15] (19)
41: Traveling Roots, Matt Flinner Trio [Compass, 1/16] (19)
45: God Don’t Never Change: The Songs Of Blind Willie Johnson, Various Artists [Alligator, new] (18)
45: In The Magic Hour, Aoife O’Donovan [Yep Roc, 1/16] (18)
45: Meridian Rising, Paul Burch [Plowboy, new] (18)
45: Through Many A Land, Eden MacAdam-Somer And Larry Unger [Black Socks, 11/15] (18)
49: Domestic Eccentric, Old Man Luedecke [True North, 7/15] (17)
49: Fine Bloom, Free The Honey [freethehoney.com, 9/15] (17)
51: Beg And Borrow, Battlefield Band [Temple, 8/15] (16)
51: I’ll Take You Home, Steve Brooks [Frog, new] (16)
51: Joy Of Living: A Tribute To Ewan MacColl, Various Artists [Compass, 10/15] (16)
51: Something More Than Free, Jason Isbell [Southeastern, 7/15] (16)
51: Sorrows And Glories, Red Moon Road [redmoonroad.com, 9/15] (16)
51: Too Big World, Bumper Jacksons [bumperjacksons.com, 6/15] (16)
57: Blues And Ballads: A Folksinger’s Songbook, Volumes I & II, Luther Dickinson [New West, 2/16] (15)
57: Cayamo Sessions At Sea, Buddy Miller And Friends [New West, new] (15)
57: Experienced, Larry Keel [Keel Fish, 2/16] (15)
57: Nashville Obsolete, Dave Rawlings Machine [Acony, 9/15] (15)
61: Ain’t We Brothers, Sam Gleaves [Community, 11/15] (14)
61: Another Black Hole, Malcolm Holcombe [Gypsy Eyes, new] (14)
61: Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn, Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn [Rounder, 2014] (14)
61: So Familiar, Steve Martin And Edie Brickell [Rounder, 10/15] (14)
65: At Peace With One’s Ghosts, The Paperboys [paperboys.com, 2014] (13)
65: Dreams And Ghosts: A Family Album, Avery Hill [averyhilltunes.com, 7/15] (13)
65: The Fiddle Preacher, Otter Creek [ottercreekduo.com, 8/15] (13)
65: Just For The Love Of It, Happy Traum [happytraum.com, 7/15] (13)
65: The Tennessee Sessions, The Swamp Brothers [Itchy Sabot, 7/15] (13)
65: A Wanderer I’ll Stay, Pharis And Jason Romero [Lula, 3/15] (13)

Top Songs of February 2016