Bluegrass music may have been a very small part of the recent Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) Conference in New York City, but the few artist showcases were top-notch. Showcasing artists included veterans Rhonda Vincent and Claire Lynch and relative newcomers The Lovell Sisters and Bearfoot.

Rhonda Vincent
The Claire Lynch Band performed an entertaining set of country-flavored bluegrass or, as she, another former IBMA female vocalist of the year, describes it, “bluegrass-inflected acoustic music. Lynch, an accomplished singer-songwriter, whose sweet voice also can be heard providing

Claire Lynch (photo: Michael Witcher)
The younger generation was well represented at the APAP Conference by The Lovell Sisters and Bearfoot, two acts who are helping to change the face of bluegrass and take it in new directions and to new audiences, while retaining its core elements.

The Lovell Sisters
Having first seen and enjoyed a performance by Bearfoot at Philadelphia Folk Festival last year, I was curious to hear how the one-time winners of the Telluride Bluegrass band contest sounded with a new female fiddler and vocalist. The young, five-member ensemble from Alaska continues to perform with exuberance. Bearfoot’s fresh sound, adventurous arrangements, musicality and a nice harmonic blend should extend its appeal well beyond mainstream bluegrass audiences.

Bearfoot
Other short showcases at the New York Hilton featured Rani Arbo & Daisy Mayhem and The Hunt Family, whose music includes elements of bluegrass. Some APAP members also had an opportunity to catch Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder in concert elsewhere in Manhattan during the conference.
The bluegrass music showcases were among more than 1,000 artist showcases in music, theater, dance and comedy that took place during the Association of Performing Arts Presenters 52nd Annual Members Conference, January 9-13. “Conscious Connections” was the theme of this year’s conference, which focused on how the arts community can achieve sustainability and move forward during the current global economic downturn while recognizing the arts industry as an integral component for improving the U.S. economy and celebrating the values and the vision the industry shares in presenting the performing arts here and abroad. [In a tacit acknowledgment of the role that the arts play in the economy, the U.S. House of Representatives included $50 million in additional funding for the National Endowment for the Arts in the version of an economic stimulus package that it approved on Jan. 28.]
Noting the seismic shifts that have taken place since conference planning began a year ago, APAP President and CEO Sandra Gibson, in her welcoming remarks, said “Those conscious connections we make can’t be more important,” than they are now, especially in light of the global economy and its impact on resources for the arts.
More than 4,000 performing arts professionals from throughout the United State and other countries converged on New York City for the event that — in addition to showcase performances — featured plenary speakers, a wide array of professional development workshops and forums, an exhibit hall featuring more than 350 artist management firms and agencies, and lots of networking.
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