News – Northeast U.S.

Dartmouth Hosts a Day of Social Change Music Programs, Jan. 22

Noel Paul Stookey (of Peter, Paul & Mary fame) and other artists who share his concern about social justice through their songs will be part of a day-long series of social change music programming at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire on Saturday, Jan. 22. Dartmouth partners with the Public Domain Foundation, a nonprofit organization launched by Stookey more than 30 years ago to encourage the making and use of music for social change, to present nearly 10 hours of programming in commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

People’s Music Network Holds Winter Gathering in Hartford, CT

Hundreds of musicians and music lovers from Connecticut, the rest of New England and beyond are expected to converge on Hartford, Jan 28-30 for the People’s Music Network for Songs of Freedom and Struggle (PMN)’s 2011 Winter Gathering. [To read the entire article, click on the headline].

January 28 is Showcase Submission Deadline for SS Cape May

More than 130 acts, from solo artists to full bands, will be selected to showcase at various venues over two nights during the fourth annual Singer-Songwriter Cape May music business conference set for March 25-26 in the historic Victorian-lined New Jersey seaside resort community. The deadline for singer-songwriters in all genres to submit showcase applications has been extended until Jan.28. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

“A Pleasant(s) Evening at Sanders” to Honor Boston-Area DJ

Dick Pleasants has been a mainstay on radio in Boston, Massachusetts and environs for forty years and has provided support for numerous artists and folk music venues during that time. As he prepares to retire, a number of his musical friends will pay tribute to him during “A Pleasant(s) Evening at Sanders” on Friday, Jan. 7, 2011 beginning at 7:30 p.m. at Sanders Theater on Harvard University’s campus in Cambridge. Proceeds from this special celebratory event will benefit WUMB’s capital campaign. A room in the new WUMB studios and offices will be named after Pleasants. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

Boston Celtic Music Fest Set for January 7-8, 2011

A wide array of Irish, Scottish, Cape Breton, Appalachian and other Celtic-inspired music and dance is on tap during the Boston Celtic Music Fest (BCMFest). Boston, Massachusetts’ annual grassroots, musician-run, winter Celtic music festival takes place Jan. 7-8, 2011. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

Oscar Brand Inducted Into Long Island Music Hall of Fame

Folksinger, songwriter, author and musicologist Oscar Brand has been inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame. Brand, 90, who has written more than 300 songs (ranging from bawdy ballads to songs of social commentary), recorded some 100 albums, serves as curator of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and hosts what is now the oldest continuous radio show in history (Folksong Festival on New York’s WNYC), was among the third class of inductees honored during a gala event, Nov. 16, at Oheka Castle in Huntington, New York. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

Cheryl Prashker Re-elected President of NERFA Board of Directors

The board of directors of the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) elected a slate of officers for the forthcoming year during the organization’s annual conference at the Hudson Valley Resort in Kerhonkson, New York, Nov. 11-14. Cheryl Prashker and Michael Kornfeld were re-elected as president and vice president, respectively, while Dianne Tankle was elected treasurer. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

RUNA Wins a Bevy of Montgomery Bucks Music Awards

RUNA, a Celtic vocal and instrumental ensemble from the Philadelphia area, was the top winner in the 2010 Montgomery Bucks Music Awards held Nov. 8 at the Triumph Brewing Company in New Hope, Pennsylvania. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

NERFA Conference Set for Nov. 11-14, 2010, in Upstate NY; AcousticMusicScene.com to Again Have a Major Presence

More than 700 performers, presenters, promoters, agents and managers, folk music societies and clubs, and others actively engaged in traditional and contemporary folk music will converge on the Hudson Valley Resort in Kerhonkson, New York, Nov. 11-14, 2010, for the16th annual Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) Conference. AcousticMusicScene.com will have a major presence as it hosts afternoon and late-night song swaps, a CD release party and wine tasting, its popular Midnight Hoot and a new Midday Hoot. [To view the entire article and a printable flyer with the AcousticMusicScene.com showcase schedule, click on the headline.]

Dave Fry and Peter Scapegrace Win Lehigh Valley Music Awards

Lehigh Valley Music Awards for Best Live Acoustic Performance and Best Acoustic Song were won by folksinger Dave Fry and singer, guitarist and upright bass player Peter Scapegrace during a competition hosted by Listen Live! Music in Zionsville, Pennsylvania, on Nov. 6, 2010. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

Kathy Mattea Headlines Connecticut Folk Festival & Green Expo

Grammy Award-winning folk/country singer Kathy Mattea will be the Saturday night headliner during the Connecticut Folk Festival and Green Expo that’s set for Sept. 10-12 in New Haven’s Edgerton Park. [To view the entire article, click on the headline.]

Philadelphia Folk Festival Features an Eclectic Mix of Music

The Philadelphia Folk Festival features an eclectic mix of traditional and contemporary music that stretches the boundaries of folk, helping to broaden its appeal and reach a new generation of listeners. Now in its 49th year, the festival takes place at the Old Pool Farm near Schwenksville, Pennsylvania, Aug. 20-22. A special concert, exclusively for all-festival camping ticket holders, is set for Thursday night, Aug. 19. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]