Latest News

Michael Kornfeld Elected President of NERFA

Michael Kornfeld, editor & publisher of AcousticMusicScene.com, was elected as president of the board of directors of the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) during its annual conference at the Crowne Plaza in Stamford, CT, Nov. 10-13. Kornfeld had previously served as the nonprofit organization’s vice president. NERFA is the largest regional affiliate of Folk Alliance International, a Kansas City-based organization (on whose board he also serves) that seeks to nurture, engage and empower the international folk music community – traditional and contemporary, amateur and professional – through education, advocacy and performance. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]
ACL Presents: Americana Music Festival 2016 Airs on PBS Television Stations

ACL Presents: Americana Music Festival 2016 Airs on PBS Television Stations

Performance highlights from this year’s Americana Honors & Awards show in Nashville will be broadcast on Austin City Limits. ACL Presents: Americana Music Festival 2016 premieres Nov. 19 on PBS stations across the U.S. Check your local TV listings for dates and times. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]

AcousticMusicScene.com Hosts Showcases at NERFA Conference, Nov. 10-13, in Stamford, CT

Some 800 performing artists, presenters, promoters, agents and managers, folk DJs and others actively engaged in contemporary and traditional folk music will converge on the Crowne Plaza in Stamford, Connecticut, Nov. 10-13, 2016, for the 22nd Annual Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) Conference. AcousticMusicScene.com will again have a major presence as it hosts afternoon and late-night song swaps in addition to its popular Midnight Hoot at the close of the conference’s first day. [To continue reading this conference preview – including listings of juried and AcousticMusicScene.com showcases -- click on the headline.]
Top Albums, Songs - October 2016 (FOLKDJ-L)

Top Albums, Songs – October 2016 (FOLKDJ-L)

The Savage Hearts, a bluegrass-meets-honky-tonk group from Colorado’s Front Range, had the most-played album (Playing It Forward) on folk radio during October 2016, while southern Indiana-based singer-songwriter Tim Grimm had the most-played song (“Woody’s Landlord”). So say the airplay 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 top albums and songs charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com, with permission. To view them and a couple of videos, click on the headline.]

Finalists Chosen in 2016 NewSong Contest

Finalists have been named in the 2016 NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition. Now in its 15th year, the contest showcases emerging performing songwriters. It is open to artists performing in all genres, although all songs must include a vocal with lyrics. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]

Michael Troy Music Foundation Launched

A foundation has been established in memory of Michael Troy, a locally revered singer-songwriter and guitarist from Fall River, Massachusetts who succumbed to cancer last November at the age of 64. Funds raised during a Nov. 6 benefit concert for the Michael Troy Memorial Music Foundation, Inc. will support the music department at B.M.C. Durfee High School, Troy’s alma mater. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]

Remembering Roz Larman, Host of “FolkScene”

Roz Larman, longtime host of the internationally syndicated radio program FolkScene, died unexpectedly on Oct. 10 following a recent heart attack and stroke. Originating from Los Angeles, California’s KPFK 90.7 FM, a Pacifica radio station, FolkScene was launched by Roz and her late husband Howard in 1970. Between them, they shared recorded music and live in-studio performances and artist interviews with listeners every Sunday evening for more than 45 years. Singer-Songwriters Dan Navarro and James Lee Stanley, who knew Roz well, shared their reflections with AcousticMusicScene.com. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]

FAR-West, FARM Conferences Set for October

Two regional affiliates of Folk Alliance International -- an association that aims to foster and promote contemporary, traditional and multicultural folk music -- hold their annual conferences this month. Folk Alliance Region-West (FAR-West) convenes Oct. 13-16 in Bellevue, Washington, while the Folk Alliance Region Midwest (FARM) Conference is set for Oct. 27-30 in Iowa City, Iowa. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]
Remembering Oscar Brand, 1920-2016

Remembering Oscar Brand, 1920-2016

Oscar Brand may well have been the first folksinger and songwriter who I saw perform live when I was a youngster. My parents brought me to see him at a local library on Long Island, NY, where Brand, who died of pneumonia Sept. 30 at age 96, also lived with his family. Over the years, I saw him perform in concert and at festivals and special events many times -- most recently at the opening reception for the “Folk City” exhibit at The Museum of the City of New York last year. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]

International Bluegrass Music Awards Presented

Entertainer of the Year honors went to The Earls of Leicester, while Flatt Lonesome was named Vocal Group of the Year and received awards for Album and Song of the Year during the 27th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards show, Sept. 29, 2016, at Raleigh, North Carolina’s Duke Energy Center for the Arts. [To continue reading this article and to see the complete list of award winners, click on the headline.]
Top Albums & Songs of September 2016 (FOLKDJ-L)

Top Albums & Songs of September 2016 (FOLKDJ-L)

Robin Greenstein, a New York City-based singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and a winner of the 2015 South Florida Folk Festival Singer-Songwriter Competition, had the most-played album (Tears and Laughter) and song (“Hole in the Ground”) on folk radio during September 2016. So say the airplay 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 top albums and songs charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com, with permission. To view them, click on the headline.]

2016 NewSong Contest Entry Deadline Nears

October 15 is the online submissions deadline for the 2016 NewSong Contest. Now in its 15th year, the competition showcases emerging performing songwriters. NewSong Music is an independent music organization that aims to build a supportive community of performers and songwriters across various genres of music and skill levels, while identifying truly exceptional artists and introducing their music to a broader international audience. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]