The Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) hosts two one-day mini-conferences this spring: One is slated for Saturday, May 5, at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center in Bethesda, Maryland, while the other is set for Saturday, June 2, at the University of Massachusetts-Boston campus. Showcase artists have recently been selected and workshops and panel discussions have been lined-up for the events that are designed especially to give artists, presenters, DJs, agents and others engaged in the folk music scene a small taste of what takes place during the organization’s annual conference each fall.

Washington Area One-Day Mini Conference, May 5

The following artists have been selected from among more than 60 applicants to perform during the Washington Area One-Day Mini-Conference in Bethesda, MD: ilyAIMY, Rob Lytle, Andrew McKnight, M.S.G. – The Acoustic Blues Trio, Kevin Neidig, Claudia Nygaard, Karyn Oliver, Chana Rothman, Sally Spring and LisaBeth Weber. Named as an alternate is Angelo M.

The Bethesda event will feature six workshops, with two options during each of three 85-minute sessions. National touring artist Amy Speace will lead a comprehensive performance workshop for singer-songwriters entitled “Sing What You Mean/Mean What You Sing.” Other sessions will focus on “How to Get Noticed,” “The Technology of Sound,” and “Traditional Folk Music – Roots and Branches.” Panelists in a “Follow the Money” session will explore how presenters, venues and performers can maximize revenues and keep costs under control. One of NERFA’s popular “On the Griddle” instant song critique sessions also is on the schedule. After the event wraps at 7 p.m, a post-conference get-together will take place at a local restaurant, where attendees can play music and continue networking over specially-discounted food and drink.

Boston Area One-Day Mini-Conference, June 2

The following artists have been selected from among 70 applicants to showcase their talents during the NERFA One-Day Mini-Conference in Boston: Richard Berman, Karin Blaine, Sam Chase, Beth DeSombre, Honor Finnegan, Sharon Goldman, Loretta Hagen, Phil Henry, Long Time Courting and Claudia Nygaard. Nancy Beaudette was named as the alternate.

The juried showcases will take place in the Lipke Auditorium on the UMass Boston campus and will cap a day of workshops, panel discussions, music and networking. Topics to be discussed during 75-minute workshops include “How to Shine as an Emcee,” “Marketing and Promotion for Artists and Venues,” “Fair Trade Music 1000” and “Building Community.” An “On the Griddle” instant song critique sessions also is scheduled.

Preceding the showcases, NERFA hosts A Musical Tribute to Woody Guthrie featuring Hudson Valley-based Hope Machine and Boston’s Alastair Moock. In addition to being included as part of the $45 registration fee for conference goers, the hootenanny-style Guthrie tribute and the showcases that follow it will be open to the public for a $10 fee. A Boston Area Dine-Around will follow. The event is being held in collaboration with WUMB, Boston’s NPR Music Station.

About NERFA

NERFA is part of the larger Folk Alliance International, an association that 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. More information and online registration forms for both events may be found at www.nerfa.org.

Editor’s Note: As vice president of NERFA’s board of directors, I’m co-coordinating the event in Boston with my NERFA board colleague Kathy Sands-Boehmer, who also serves as vice president of the Boston Area Coffeehouse Association and books artists for the Me and Thee Coffeehouse in Marblehead, MA. Scott Moore, a house concert presenter and president of FOCUS (a nonprofit organization presenting and supporting folk and acoustic music in the Washington, DC area),is coordinating the event in Bethesda. As organizers of these events, we hope that attendees will find the learning, listening and performance opportunities to be both useful and enjoyable, and that many will seize the chance to make and build on already existing connections and help our folk-acoustic community to grow and flourish.