Gordon Lightfoot, Canada’s Folk-Poet Laureate, 1938-2023
Gordon Lightfoot, an iconic Canadian folksinger-songwriter known for his evocative, poetic and stirring songs, died of natural causes in a Toronto hospital on May 1, 2023 at age 84.
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Remembering Ian Tyson, 1933-2022
Ian Tyson, an influential Canadian troubadour best known for having penned the hit songs “Four Strong Winds” and “Someday Soon” as half of the internationally acclaimed folk duo Ian & Sylvia, died on December 29, 2022 at his ranch in southern Alberta at age 89. Folk DJ Charlie Backfish will pay tribute to him and his music during a special edition of his long-running weekly radio show Sunday Street that airs January 8 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET on WUSB 90.1 FM on Long Island, NY and online at wusb.fm or https://tunein.com/radio/WUSB-901-s2324/.
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SWRFA Conference Returns to Austin, Sept. 21-25, 2022
For the first time in three years, Southwest Regional Folk Alliance (SWRFA) will hold an in-person annual conference in Austin, Texas. Set for Wednesday, September 21-Sunday, September 25, 2022, its 23rd annual conference will feature official and in-room showcases; communal meals; panel discussions, seminars and workshops addressing many facets of the music business; a film screening; Wisdom of the Elders; mentoring sessions; a DJ reception; an exhibit area, and lots of networking opportunities. AcousticMusicScene.com will host song swaps and a Midnight Hoot on Saturday overnight.
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July 16: AcousticMusicScene.com Copresents the Huntington Folk Festival
The 16th annual Huntington Folk Festival is set for Saturday, July 16, at Heckscher Park, located off Main Street (Route 25A) and Prime Avenue, in Huntington, New York. Extending from 12 noon-10 p.m., with a dinner break from 5-7:15 p.m., the free event is co-presented by the Huntington Arts Council, Folk Music Society of Huntington and AcousticMusicScene.com as part of the 57th Huntington Summer Arts Festival produced by the Town of Huntington. ‘An Evening with Paula Cole and Sophie B. Hawkins’ will be preceded by a series of amplified showcases and song swaps, along with a musical tribute to Lois Morton and an open mic, during the afternoon.
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Highlights of 20th Annual Americana Honors & Awards to Air on PBS Stations
Musical highlights from the 20th annual Americana Honors & Awards will be featured on a special hour-long episode of Austin City Limits that is set to air on PBS television stations beginning on Saturday, April 2, 2022. Check your local TV listings since dates and times vary by location. The show will also be available to stream online at pbs.org/austincitylimits beginning Sunday, April 3 at 9 a.m. CT/10 a.m. ET.
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Live From Nashville: Amy Speace & Kate Klim
Singer Songwriters Amy Speace and Kate Klim will swap songs live from Nashville, Tennessee on Tuesday, March 22, at 7:30 p.m. EDT/6:30 p.m. CDT/4:30 p.m. PDT during the second of an occasional series of online concerts co-presented by Harbortown Music and AcousticMusicScene.com.
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Quick Q & A with Annie Sumi
Annie Sumi is an ethereal folk artist from Canada, whose intimate and expansive music invites listeners into a familiar otherworld. Inspired by the mirrored relationship between physical and emotional landscapes, the young, Ontario-based singer-songwriter’s music speaks of human experience through the language of the senses. She has toured across Canada, parts of the U.S. and Europe, and released three albums since 2015. Kathy Sands-Boehmer, chief innovator and merry-maker at Harbortown Music, recently asked Annie Sumi some questions about her music -- including her latest recording, Solastagia, which was released last fall.
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Virtual Tribute to Bill Staines Premieres February 6
The Woodstock Folk Festival will present a virtual tribute to Bill Staines, the revered New Hampshire-based traveling troubadour and prolific songwriter, on what would have been his 75th birthday -- Sunday, February 6, 2022 at 1 p.m. CST/2 p.m. EST via the festival’s website (woodstockfolkfestival.org). Featuring words and music in pre-recorded performances of his songs, the tribute will also be available to view on demand after the premiere.
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Folk from the North Country Live Streams Jan. 26
Kathy Sands-Boehmer’s Harbortown Music and Michael Kornfeld’s AcousticMusicScene.com team up to present Folk from the North Country – a livestream concert featuring Ontario, Canada-based artists Benjamin Dakota Rogers, Angela Saini and The Young Novelists – on Wednesday , January 26, at 7:30 p.m. EST. Featuring songs and conversation, the show can be viewed online at Harbortown Music’s Facebook page or YouTube channel . It may also be shared via the AcousticMusicScene.com group on Facebook. Although there is no set fee to view the livestream, tips for the artists would be most appreciated (suggested donation: $20) and may be made via paypalme.com/harbortownmusic.
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Global Music Match Launches August 31
Fourteen music export organizations from around the world have partnered to launch a new pilot initiative designed to continue raising the profile of local artists in international music markets during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Known as Global Music Match, the innovative six-week program extends from August 31-October 11, 2020. 96 acoustic, folk, roots, traditional, and world music artists from 14 countries are taking part in what could be the largest online matchmaking of musicians ever undertaken.
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Online Tribute to John Prine Premieres June 11
Family and friends of John Prine will share memories of and songs by the internationally acclaimed and revered singer-songwriter during Picture Show: A Tribute Celebrating John Prine on Thursday, June 11. The online celebration of his life and music will stream on Prine’s YouTube channel and Facebook page, as well as Oh Boy Records' Twitch channel, at 7:30 p.m. EDT/6:30 p.m. CDT/4:30 p.m. PDT and can be replayed through Sunday. A songwriter’s songwriter, who toured and plied his craft for nearly 50 years, Prine died April 7 at the age of 73 from complications of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
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Doc Watson Week on Social Media, May 25-29
A number of artists will celebrate the life and legacy of American music legend Doc Watson on social media during the week of May 25-29, 2020 under the auspices of MerleFest, one of America’s premiere music festivals.
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