More than 500 performing artists, presenters, promoters, agents and managers, folk DJs, and others actively engaged in contemporary and traditional folk music are expected to converge on The Desmond Hotel in Albany, New York, Nov. 6-9, 2025 for the annual Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) Conference.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s 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 \u201cSociety\u2019s Child\u201d and \u201cAt 17\u201d) will keynote the conference on Friday and Saturday nights, respectively.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s really about forging connections, building community, and taking advantage of learning opportunities that can help enhance and enrich your professional and personal lives.<\/p>\n
The conference\u2019s programming committee, under the leadership of Ron Olesko, a NERFA board member and the creator and director of Folk Music Notebook<\/em> (a 24\/7 online radio station and community hub), has arranged a diverse array of workshops, panel discussions and special events.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are excited to present a special pre-release screening of a new film You Got Gold: A Celebration of John Prine<\/em>,\u201c said Olesko. Filmed during a star-studded two-night tribute to the legendary songwriter at Nashville\u2019s famed Ryman Auditorium in October 2022, its national theatrical release is slated for later in November. Prine\u2019s 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\u2019s Home Recordings, 1951-1952<\/em>. 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<\/em>, 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Juried Showcases Slated for Friday and Saturday Nights\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n Taking center stage during the conference will be 14 artists\/acts selected by a panel of judges from among more than 160 submissions \u2013 with each to perform a 15-minute formal showcase set on Friday and Saturday nights \u2013 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\u2019s featured artists include The Levins, Sadie Gustafson-Zook, Beecharmer, Louie Lou Louis, Mystery Loves Company, Paul Colombino, and The Honey Badgers.<\/p>\n Judges for this year\u2019s official juried showcases were Richard Cuccaro (publisher of Acoustic Live! in New York City & Beyond<\/em>), Aaron Nathans (singer-songwriter and recording artist), and Mary Stewart (artistic director of Hugh\u2019s Room Live in Toronto, Ontario)<\/p>\n On Thursday evening, the conference\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Following the juried and curator\u2019s 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<\/em> will host a series of song swaps in place of its longtime popular Midnight Hoot on Thursday overnight.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the AcousticMusicScene.com<\/em> Showcase<\/strong> lineup:<\/p>\n 10:30 p.m\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Songs of Social Justice: Dan & Faith, Hank Stone<\/p>\n 11:00 p.m.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Reggie Harris & Pat Wictor<\/p>\n 11:30 p.m.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Long Island Sounds: James O’Malley, Roger Street Friedman<\/p>\n 12:00 a.m.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Americana Folk: Lynn Crossett, Susan Kane, Carolann Solebello<\/p>\n 12:30 a.m.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mixed Bag: Miles & Mafale, Arielle Silver<\/p>\n 1:00 a.m.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Funny Folk: Mark Allen Berube, Barry Rabin, Carla Ulbrich<\/p>\n 1:30 a.m.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Tunes from Texas: Claudia Gibson, Mystery Loves Company<\/p>\n 2:00 a.m.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/strong>Doug Mishkin, Stuart Markus<\/p>\n <\/p>\n NERFA Leaders Share Their Thoughts on the Conference<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cWe 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,\u201d Olesko told AcousticMusicScene.com<\/em>. \u201cIt\u2019s perfect for encouraging collaborations and sharing of best practices.\u201d<\/p>\n Echoing his sentiments, Cheryl Prashker, president of NERFA\u2019s board of directors, said:<\/p>\n \u201cI 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.\u201d Expressing gratitude for a music community of which she\u2019s been a part for more than 25 years, she said: \u201cIt 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.\u201d<\/p>\n