The 20th Annual International Folk Alliance Conference is slated for next February 20-24 in Memphis, Tennessee, while regional conferences of the North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance (Folk Alliance) are shaping up for this fall.  Designed for performing artists, presenters, agents and managers, folk DJs, folk societies and clubs, media, and others engaged in the folk music field, these conferences provide useful and enjoyable opportunities to learn, network and share music.

Booking gigs is the primary objective of some performers who attend these annual conferences, while many presenters and folk DJs come primarily to scout out new artists and those who 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 and building an acoustic community.  Although artist showcases and educational workshops and panel discussions are common to all of them, the regional conferences hosted by Folk Alliance Region Midwest (FARM), Southwest Regional Folk Alliance (SWRFA), Folk Alliance Canada, Folk Alliance Region West (FAR-West) and Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) all have their own tenor and style.

Randall Williams (Photo: Russell Haire) “There’s definitely a different feel at the different regionals,” says singer-songwriter Randall Williams, who has performed and presented workshops at several of them and describes the Folk Alliance community as open and approachable and, for the most part, non-exclusive.  “SWRFA is very mellow, and it’s possible to meet most of the people there easily,” Williams asserts.  “That’s much more difficult at FAR-West, because it’s a bigger conference, and impossible at NERFA where there are almost 800 people running around.  Far-West is an enthusiastic new conference, full of energy and big ideas about the future; whereas NERFA seems to have so much already in place that it’s more even-keeled.”  Although he’ll be attending his first FARM gathering this fall as a showcasing performer and workshop presenter, Williams says he’s been told that “the vibe there is informal, more picking circles than showcases.” 

Like many others who have been attending regional Folk Alliance conferences over the years, Williams believes they are great for performers and presenters alike.  “The smaller size makes spending time with people easier than at the international conference, and it’s a good way to get to know folks in a particular region,” he says.  “For performers who are working regionally, the regional meetings are a godsend – because they’re not as expensive as the international conference, and they meet the folks who are most likely to book them.”
 

Folk Alliance Region Midwest (FARM) has set its annual conference for September 28-30 at Techny Towers Conference & Retreat Center in Northbrook, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.  Formal showcase artists have already been selected and include Marita Brake, D-Squared, John Wort Hannam, Berkley Hart, Thea Hopkins, Joe Jencks, Jeremy Kittel, Stephen Lee Rich, William Chico Schwall, Venetia Sekema, Tammerlin, and Randall Williams.  However, artists not selected to showcase can participate in Performance Lane, for which slots are assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis for pre-registered conference attendees.  Jamming and song-sharing circles also are encouraged.  Workshops and panels will focus on such topics as house concerts, the use of partial capos, folk radio, children’s shows, songwriters associating and Website/contact management.   FARM also will present its annual Lantern Bearer and Folk Tradition in the Midwest awards during the conference.  Although there is no exhibition hall, attendees are welcome to display promotional materials (free of charge) in designated areas.   Both a la carte and all-inclusive conference registration (including two nights lodging and five meals) is available.  For more information and registration forms, visit  www.farmfolk.org.

Folks will converge on The Woodward Hotel & Conference Center in Austin, Texas for the Southwest Regional Folk Alliance (SWRFA) conference, Oct 4-7.  Performing artists have until August 13 to submit showcase applications.  In addition to official and sponsored showcases, the conference will feature a Thursday night open mic and Saturday afternoon pool party and open mic, an exhibit hall, and an array of seminars on such topics as agents and managers, booking and tour planning, getting airplay, the Internet, music law, song sharing & discussion, studio know-how, looking for alternate ways to get our music to the world, and wellness on the road.  In addition, all registered artists will be given a song topic to write about and perform following a Sunday brunch.  Conference registration (which includes three lunches, two dinners and a cocktail reception – but not lodging) is $195 if paid by Aug. 16, and $225 after then.  For more information, registration and application forms, visit www.swrfa.com.

Folk Alliance Canada will hold showcases and meetings in conjunction with the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals (OCFF), during OCFF’s annual conference in London, Ontario, Oct. 11-14.   The conference will feature artist showcases (both formal and private/guerilla), workshops and panel sessions, jam sessions extending into the wee morning hours, an exhibit hall, a gala dinner, a breakfast sponsored by Penguin Eggs (Canada’s folk magazine), and short one-on-one mentoring sessions on Sunday morning.  OCFF is a member-based not-for-profit association with festival, organizational and artist members.  For more information, visit www.ocff.ca.

Folk Alliance Region West (FAR-West) has slated its annual gathering at the Hilton in Vancouver, Washington (near Portland, Oregon) for Nov. 2-4.  The application deadline for artists interested in performing in the main showcases is July 15.  Besides the main showcases, there’ll be a number of late night and private/guerilla showcases and jam sessions extending into the wee morning hours, workshops and panel discussions, an ASCAP-sponsored DJ/venue reception, a special session with Utah Phillips and Rosalie Sorrels, and an exhibit hall.  The annual “Best of the West” awards will be presented during a Saturday luncheon, while master classes and one-on-one song critiques will follow a networking brunch on Sunday.  Full-conference registration is $155 in advance and $185 after Oct. 12 and at the door.  For more information and downloadable registration forms and showcase applications, visit  www.far-west.org.

The North East Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) takes over Kutsher’s Resort & Conference Center in Monticello, New York, Nov. 9-11.  The once venerable resort in New York’s Catskill Mountains may have seen better days during the Borscht Belt era, when top comedians honed their shtick there; however, if past conferences are any indication, it will be transformed into an acoustic nirvana over the Veterans’ Day weekend.  The conference will feature a diverse mix of folk and acoustic music presented by artists from throughout the U.S. and Canada, workshops, mentoring sessions, communal meals, schmoozing and networking.  An exhibition hall gives the conference the added aura of a trade show. Following Friday and Saturday evening formal showcases in the nightclub, folks will shuffle between three conference rooms to catch short sets by various artists during what are known as tricentric showcases, while presenters and performers will host dozens of guerilla showcases in their hotel rooms afterwards.  Open mics in the bar, thematic song circles, informal jam sessions and round-robin song swaps round out the mix.  Early-bird conference registration (not including lodging and meals) is $85 until Aug. 1 and rises to $150 on-site.  Formal showcase applications must be postmarked by July 25; tricentric showcase submissions are due Aug. 24, and workshop and panel discussion proposals are due Aug. 25 (Aug. 15 for intensive workshops).  For more information and downloadable applications and registration forms, visit www.nerfa.org.

Although the International Folk Alliance Conference takes place next February, financial savings are in the offing through early-bird registration that is now open, while forms also are available on the organization’s Website for performing artists to apply for showcase opportunities.  More than 2,000 people are expected to attend the annual conference in Memphis, which will feature four days of panels and workshops and four nights of showcases, feature performances and private showcases, as well as a large exhibit hall and plenty of opportunities for networking and jamming.  For more information and online registration forms and applications, visit www.folk.org.

Folk Alliance aims to foster and promote multicultural, traditional and contemporary folk music, while strengthening and advancing organizational and individual initiatives in folk music and dance through education, networking, advocacy, and professional and field development.