Four Folk Alliance International regional affiliates have opted to present their annual conferences online this fall in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. First up is the Southwest Regional Folk Alliance (SWRFA) virtual conference that is slated for September 24-26. Folk Alliance Region-West (FAR-West) hosts its virtual conference October 14-16; Folk Alliance Region Midwest (FARM)’s Virtual Connections The Gathering takes place October 27-30; and the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) 2021 virtual conference is set for November 11-14.
Southwest Regional Folk Alliance (SWRFA) – Sept. 24-26, 2021
Southwest Regional Folk Alliance (SWRFA)’s virtual conference. Sept. 24-26, will feature 14 juried official showcases, along with a number of late-night guerrilla showcases, an open mic, seven 90-minute workshop sessions, and one-on-one mentoring.
Showcasing their talents during official showcases on Friday night, Sept. 24, will be The Black Feathers, Jacob Johnson, Nathan Evans Fox, Heather Pierson Acoustic Trio, Kray Van Kirk, Barbara Lica, and South for Winter. Saturday night’s official showcase lineup includes Abby Posner, Alright Alright, Jana Pochop, Sam Robbins, Emerald Rae, Jim Jones, and Conjunto Cats. Named as alternates were Buffalo Rose, Jordi Baizan and Annette Wasilik — each of whom will be afforded an opportunity to share a song prior to the start of an open mic on Friday.
It has been customary during the annual SWRFA conferences for all registered artists to be given a random song topic/prompt. They are expected to write about these during the weekend and perform their songs following Sunday brunch. SWRFA will seek to replicate this song-sharing event virtually on Sunday afternoon.
This is the second consecutive year that SWRFA – whose region includes the Southwestern United States and Mexico — has hosted its annual conference online, rather than in Austin, Texas.
“As was the case last year, Dalis Allen, SWRFA’s executive director, and our board members are eager to keep a sense of continuity and gather our community together in these challenging times,” said Brian Kalinec, SWRFA’s board president. “Back in 2020, we never would have imagined that we’d be doing a virtual conference again. We anticipate as many, if not more, participants than last year. And this year, we’re having nine late-night showcases as well.”
More information on SWRFA and its virtual conference, for which registration is available on a ‘pay what you can’ basis, may be found at swfolkalliance.org.
Folk Alliance Region-West (FAR-West) – Oct. 14-16, 2021
Forward with Folk is the theme of the Folk Alliance Region-West (FAR-West) Virtual Conference, Oct. 14-16. “It embraces our movement forward in adapting to a changing world while still curating treasured conference traditions such as the Venue’s Choice Concert, FAR-WestTeaches (panel discussions), guerilla showcases, and Best of the West awards,” according to the FAR-West website. New additions to this year’s online event include campfires (open mics), community spotlights and peer sessions. There will also be a virtual exhibit hall.
A series of 90-minute online panel discussions will include Collect Your Fair Share: Accessing All Your Streaming Revenues, Get Your Music in the Movies, Elevating Your Song: From Songwriting to the Studio, and The Creative Economy in Recovery: Opportunities for Musician Changemakers. There will be not be any juried official showcases this year. The spotlight is on the various individuals and organizations that will host private guerrilla showcases that premiere on Friday and Saturday nights, Oct. 14 and 15.
“As the conference coordinator, I’m so excited to introduce FAR-West to the global community during our first-ever virtual conference,” said Julie Zipperer. Noting that FAR-West has been presenting online programming throughout the pandemic, she continued: “We look forward to continuing our online education and performance events year-round. We are not just a once-a-year conference; we are FAR-West year-round.”
Six ticket registration options for the FAR-West virtual conference are available, ranging from general fan to VIP. Post-event on-demand access to the conference programming will be available for either 30 days or 365 days, depending on the ticket type purchased. This means that people won’t have to scramble from room to room to catch particular artists/acts/programs at certain times and can also catch those that they missed during the regular hours of the virtual conference afterwards.
For more information on the virtual conference and to register online, visit far-west.org.
Folk Alliance Region Midwest (FARM) – Oct. 27-30, 2021
Folk Alliance Region Midwest (FARM) was the first of Folk Alliance International’s regional affiliates to embrace technology and provide educational programming and networking opportunities for FAI members and others in the wake of the pandemic. Under the banner of FARM Virtual Connections, it has been presenting Tuesday Tech Talks, educational panel discussions, mentor sessions, and peer gatherings since April 2020.
FARM Virtual Connections The Gathering, Oct. 27-30, represents its ongoing efforts to serve the Midwest (U.S. and Canadian) folk community and beyond. It will feature official and private guerrilla showcases, a keynote address by singer-songwriter Carrie Newcomer, panel discussions, workshops, mentor sessions, and affinity/peer group discussions. Official Showcase applications are due by Sept. 30. Panel topics will be announced beginning early next month.
“Much as we miss seeing everyone in the flesh, the virtual world is offering some unique opportunities for meaningful connections we may not have been able to make in person,” said Annie Capps, director of Virtual Connections for FARM. “To that end, we’re gearing up for some inspiring conversations which, at their core, revolve around making those connections that continue to grow our community. Of course, there will be lots of amazing musical performances, all live streamed (no pre-recorded) and ample networking opportunities, like speed dating-style meet ups, spontaneous chat rooms and other fun activities to keep everyone engaged.”
Registration for FARM Virtual Connections The Gathering is on a sliding scale, from $25-$50. For more information and to register, visit farmfolk.org.
Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) – November 11-14, 2021
Rounding out the virtual regional conferences this fall is one being presented by Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA), Nov. 11-14. Beloved long-standing NERFA conference traditions – including its coveted juried Formal Showcase, the Suzie Wollenberg Folk DJ Showcase, late-night guerilla showcases, and an exhibit hall will be paired with new opportunities and programming — all designed to offer a dynamic, interactive and engaging online conference experience.
This year’s NERFA virtual conference will feature more than 100 hours of showcasing opportunities, according to Ethan Baird, the organization’s executive director. He cited Formal Showcases to be presented by some of the region’s finest acoustic listening rooms, as well as three days of open mics with some of the best digital producers on the scene – folks who have worked with Jonatha Brooke, Susan Werner and Dar Williams, among others – coaching participants to produce their best performances. “There will also be curated panels and workshops covering such timely topics as zero to professional set-up streaming systems for venues and the evolution of audience to community to fan base,” said Baird. “The entire event will be capped off with keynotes and awards ceremonies celebrating the community – our lessons learned, triumphs and losses,” he added.
Like the FAR-West virtual conference, NERFA’s will afford participants an array of registration options and on-demand access to the conference programming for either 30 days or 365 days after the virtual event, depending on the ticket type purchased.
Prior to the pandemic, NERFA’s board of directors had been engaged in discussions about transitioning to a year-round organization that can provide increased value and better meet the needs of the community it serves. With the inception of its NERFA 365 initiative late last year, the organization — whose geographic boundaries extend from the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC to the eastern provinces of Canada — has done just that. NERFA hosts virtual panel discussions, artist and presenter peer group sessions each month, as well as a quarterly video spotlight series.
Visit nerfa2021.com for more information and to register for the conference.
Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA), the fifth North American-based regional affiliate of FAI, held a virtual conference in May.
Folk Alliance International Conference – Feb 23-27, 2022
Folk Alliance International hosts a hybrid conference (in-person, along with online elements), Feb. 23-27, 2022 in Kansas City, Missouri — where the nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion is based. Registration for the conference is open now, while artists have until Sept. 30 to apply for juried official showcases. Visit folk.org for more information.
Editor’s Note: I am a board member of Folk Alliance International and NERFA (of which I am also a past president) and have been a mentor and/or panelist on public relations and strategic communications topics, among others, for FAR-West, FARM and SERFA, as well as FAI and NERFA. AcousticMusicScene.com hosts showcases at NERFA and SERFA in-person conferences.
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