Author Archive

FAR-West, FARM, NERFA Offer Juried Showcase Opportunities at Fall Conferences

Folk Alliance Region-West (FAR-West), Folk Alliance Region Midwest (FARM) and Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA), regional affiliates of Folk Alliance International, are currently accepting applications for juried showcases during their respective annual conferences this fall. All showcase entries must be submitted online. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]
Old Settler's Music Festival Set for April 14-17 in the Texas Hill Country

Old Settler’s Music Festival Set for April 14-17 in the Texas Hill Country

The Texas Hill Country comes alive with the sounds of Americana, bluegrass and roots music of all varieties, Thursday-Sunday, April 14-17. That’s when the Old Settler’s Music Festival returns to the Salt Lick BBQ Pavilion and Camp Ben McCulloch in Driftwood, Texas, just south of Austin. Now in its 29th year, the festival takes place during what’s usually the height of bluebonnet and wildflower season. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]

2016 IBMA Songwriter Showcase Application Deadline is March 31

Ten selected songwriters or songwriting teams will be afforded the opportunity to perform an original bluegrass song in front of some of the top bluegrass artists and producers in the industry as part of a Sept. 29 Songwriter Showcase during the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) World of Bluegrass in Raleigh, North Carolina. Online applications are due March 31. Judges will consider both the quality of submitted songs and their appeal to bluegrass audiences in making their selections. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]
Top Albums and Songs of February 2016 (FOLKDJ-L)

Top Albums and Songs of February 2016 (FOLKDJ-L)

Solas, an Irish-American band currently marking its 20th anniversary, had the most-played album (All These Years) on folk radio during February 2016. Boulder, Colorado-based singer-songwriter Rebecca Folsom’s “Better Times” was February’s most-played song. So say charts compiled from radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in all folk-based music on the radio. [The February 2016 FOLKDJ-L Top Albums and Songs charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com with permission. To view them, click on the headline or link below.]

Entries Sought in Performing Songwriter Contests

Both The Philadelphia Songwriters Project and the Rhode Island Songwriters Association (RISA) are now accepting submissions in their respective performing songwriter contests. One does not need to be a member of either organization or to live in the areas they serve in order to enter. [To continue reading this article. click on the headline.]

Grammy Award Winners Named in American Roots Music Field

Prior to a live broadcast from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Feb. 15, 2016, winners in the 58th Annual Grammy Awards’ American Roots Music Field were revealed by The Recording Academy. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]
Folk Alliance International Conference, Camp & Fair Set for Feb. 17-21 in Kansas City

Folk Alliance International Conference, Camp & Fair Set for Feb. 17-21 in Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri may be better known for jazz, blues, barbecue and the Royals. However, more than 2,500 people are expected to converge on this midwestern metropolis Feb. 17-21, 2016, for the 28th Annual Folk Alliance International Conference, a concurrent music camp, and a new Kansas City Folk Festival on Sunday. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]

Dan Hicks, Eclectic Acoustic Artist, 1941-2016

Dan Hicks, a swinging eclectic San Francisco Bay Area-based acoustic singer-songwriter and bandleader, who described his music as “folk jazz,” died February 6 at his Mill Valley home. He was 74 and had been battling liver and throat cancer for two years. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]
Top Albums and Songs of January 2016 (FOLKDJ-L)

Top Albums and Songs of January 2016 (FOLKDJ-L)

Burning Bridget Cleary, a high-energy Celtic band from Pennsylvania, had both the most-played album (These Are The Days) and three of the four most-played songs on folk radio during January 2016. So say charts compiled by Richard Gillmann from radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in all folk-based music on the radio. The January 2016 FOLKDJ-L Top Albums and Songs charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com with permission. To view them, click on the headline.

Arts Presenters, Performing Artists Converge on New York City, Jan. 15-19

Several thousand people are expected to converge on New York City, Jan. 15-19, for the annual conference of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP). Now in its 59th year, the global performing arts marketplace and conference will feature more than 1000 artist showcases, a large EXPO Hall featuring nearly 400 exhibitors, networking opportunities galore, daily plenary sessions and keynote speakers, and a wide array of professional development workshops and forums. Plenaries and select sessions will live stream free for industry professionals, artists and the public. [To continue reading this article -- including a listing of folk and roots artists who will be showcasing their talents -- click on the headline.]

Rachael Kilgour Wins NewSong Contest

Rachael Kilgour, a Duluth, Minnesota-based singer-songwriter, was named the grand prize winner of the 2015 NewSong Contest after performing, along with eight other artists, during a music showcase and competition finals held January 7, 2016 at Lincoln Center’s David Rubenstein Atrium in New York City. [To continue reading this article and view a couple of videos, click on the headline.]

2016 Wildflower! Performing Songwriter Contest Deadline is March 1

Entries are now being sought in the 2016 Wildflower! Performing Songwriter Contest that is held in conjunction with the annual Wildflower! Arts and Music Festival, May 20-22, in Richardson, Texas, just a few minutes north of Dallas. [To continue reading this short article, click on the headline.]