A Quick Q & A with Raina Rose

In the first installment of what will be a recurring series of question and answer-style interviews with emerging talents on the acoustic music scene, Kathy Sands-Boehmer speaks with Raina Rose. A 2007 Kerrville New Folk winner, the young Austin, Texas-based singer-songwriter is a native of Portland, Oregon. Raina Rose is currently touring the East Coast with Rebecca Loebe, another talented young singer-songwriter. [To read the Q & A with Raina Rose, click on the headline.]

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A Letter from the Editor

AcousticMusicScene.com has upgraded its Web presence to be compatible with a wider array of browsers and to enable us to present a richer multimedia experience in the future. To further enhance the value of AcousticMusicScene.com, we continue to add new content and resources. This week we introduce two new recurring features. Folk radio charts compiled by Roots Music Report will be posted weekly in the Acoustic Radio Waves section, while Kathy Sands-Boehmer's Q & A interviews with emerging artists of note will appear in the Features section. In addition to our extensive Links section, we are creating a new Regional Calendars section with links to websites where you can find out about concerts, jam sessions and open mics in various regions and U.S. metropolitan areas. Would you like to receive email notices and short article excerpts when new items are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com? If so, you can register online by scrolling down to the bottom of the sidebar to the right of this letter. Michael Kornfeld

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Roots Music Report Folk Radio Chart, 03-13-09

Roots Music Report compiles weekly radio airplay charts for various roots-related genres. These are based on spin totals reported by music directors and DJs from more than 400 terrestrial and Internet radio stations. The latest Folk chart is posted here with permission. (To see the Folk radio chart compiled by Roots Music Report, click on the headline.)

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Entries Sought for 2009 Wildflower! Performing Songwriter Contest; Dallas Songwriters Association 2008 Song Contest Winners Named

The April 3 deadline is approaching for the 2009 Wildflower Performing Songwriter Contest that is associated with the annual Wildflower! Arts and Music Festival, May 15-17, in Richardson, Texas, just a few minutes north of Dallas... The Dallas Songwriters Association has announced the winners of its 2008 Song Contest. The grand prize winner and recipient of a Gibson guitar and other prizes is Mark Glasmire of Arlington, Texas, for “Missing You.” Glassmire also captured first place in the Americana/Folk/Bluegrass category. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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Early Bird Tickets for MerleFest 2009 Available Until April 3

Three- and Four-day early bird tickets for MerleFest 2009, representing an average 10% discount over regular admission prices, are available until April 3. MerleFest, one of the most popular Americana music festivals, celebrates the music of the late instrumental virtuoso Eddy Merle Watson and his father Doc Watson. The “traditional plus” music festival – featuring a diverse array of roots-oriented sounds of the Appalachian region and beyond -- takes place April 23-26 on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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Kottke, Colvin and Hot Rize Headline RootsFest Denver, March 28

Swallow Hill Music Association, which bills itself as Denver’s home for folk, roots and acoustic music, hosts RootsFest Denver in Colorado’s “Mile High City” on Saturday, March 28. Acoustic guitar virtuoso Leo Kottke, multiple Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Shawn Colvin and bluegrass band Hot Rize headline the festival at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts’ Ellie Caulkins Opera House. Tickets are $55, $75 and $125. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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George Wein May Return to the Helm of the Newport Folk Festival

Fifty years after launching the first Newport Folk Festival, George Wein, 83, a pioneer among producers of outdoor music festivals, hopes to return to steer another one this summer at Fort Adams State Park in Newport, Rhode Island. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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Piedmont Blues Guitarist John Cephas, 1930-2009

“Bowling Green” John Cephas, one-half of the noted East Coast Piedmont-style blues duo Cephas and Wiggins, has died at age 78. His label, Alligator Records, reported that the guitarist and singer died of natural causes today at his home in Bowling Green, Virginia. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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Long Island AcoustiCalendar for March-Early April 2009

Detailed listings for more than 150 concerts, open mics and jam sessions slated for March through early April 2009 in Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk counties appear in this installment of AcousticMusicScene.com’s Long Island AcoustiCalendar. [Click on the headline to see the AcoustiCalendar.]

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New York Songwriter Joe Crookston Earns Album of the Year Award

Joe Crookston, an Ithaca, New York-based singer-songwriter and guitarist, received the prestigious Album of the Year Award during the 21st annual International Folk Alliance Conference, Feb. 18, in Memphis, Tennessee. His 2008 recording, Able Baker Charlie & Dog, ended the year as the #1 most-aired recording by folk/acoustic radio DJs in the United States. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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ASCAP New York Sessions Set for March 10

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) hosts what it bills as a one-day career boost for songwriters and composers in New York City on Tuesday, March 10. ASCAP New York Sessions will feature panel discussions and speakers focusing on such topics as marketing, digital distribution, airplay, recording and publishing. Technology demonstrations and studio master classes round out the day. Attendees also will have opportunities to connect with other songwriters and composers. Registration for the program is $55 for ASCAP members and $75 for non-members through March 3. The prices rise by $20 after then. For more information and to register online, visit www.ascap.com.

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NSAI Hosts Songwriters Festival and Spring Training in Nashville

The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) stages its 17th annual Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival, March 31-April 4. The songwriters’ festival, which takes place at numerous venues throughout Music City USA, also coincides with NSAI Spring Training (A Songwriter’s Symposium), a two-day intensive seminar for writers of all genres and experience levels. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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