FARM Gathering & Presenter Summit Set for Oct. 23-26

Nearly 400 people will converge on Lisle, Illinois (near Chicago) October 23-26, 2025 for the annual FARM Gathering & Presenter Summit presented by Folk Alliance Region Midwest, one of five North American regional affiliates of Folk Alliance International. The extended weekend of contemporary and traditional folk music, learning opportunities, and networking features 14 official juried showcases, along with a number of late-night private showcases hosted by AcousticMusicScene.com and others. [Click on the headline to continue reading this article.]

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FAI Folk Radio Charts – October 2024

Nashville-based contemporary folk and Americana singer-songwriter Amy Speace’s The American Dream was the top album, while its title track was the most-played song and she was the second most-played artist on folk radio during October 2024. Kris Kristofferson, a singer-songwriter and pioneer of the 1970s outlaw country movement, who died on Sept. 28, was the month’s top artist. So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio. [Click on the headline to see the top albums, songs and artists charts that are posted monthly with permission.]

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Read more about the article AcousticMusicScene.com Hosts Midnight Hoot at 2024 SERFA Conference
Rachael Sage will be the keynote speaker during the 2024 SERFA Conference.

AcousticMusicScene.com Hosts Midnight Hoot at 2024 SERFA Conference

More than 300 people will converge on Black Mountain, North Carolina, May 9-12, 2024 for the annual Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA) Conference. An extended weekend of contemporary and traditional folk music, networking and learning opportunities, the conference will be keynoted by Rachael Sage and features 16 juried official showcases, along with a number of late-night private showcases hosted by AcousticMusicScene.com and others.

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Official Showcase Artists Chosen for 35th Annual Folk Alliance International Conference

Nearly 150 artists/acts from more than 20 countries have been jury-selected to perform in Official Showcases during the 35th annual Folk Alliance International Conference that is slated for February 1-5, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. [Click on the headline to continue reading this article and to see a listing of official showcase artists.]

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FAI Folk Radio Charts – April 2022

East Nashville-based folk and Americana singer-songwriter Amy Speace had the most-played album (Tucson) and was the most-played artist on folk radio in April 2022, while “Ukranian Now” by Tom Paxton and John McCutcheon was the month’s top song – edging out Speace’s “If You Fall.” So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio. [Click on the headline to view the monthly top albums, songs and artists charts that are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com with permission.]

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Folk Community Mourns the Passing of Two Stalwarts: Clark Weissman and Reba Heyman

Last week, the folk community lost two seminal figures: Clark Weissman, co-founder of Folk Alliance International (along with his late wife Elaine, 2005), and Reba Heyman, an omnipresent supporter (along with her late husband Vic, 2009). Aengus Finnan, executive director of Folk Alliance International, remembers them and reflects on their contributions. [Click on the headline to read this remembrance piece.]

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Winners Named in Fifth Annual UK Americana Awards

The fifth annual UK Americana Awards were presented in London, England on January 30. The awards show, presented by the Americana Music Association UK, capped AmericanaFest UK 2020 –- a three-day conference with two evenings of showcases featuring more than 75 artists at various venues in the London borough of Hackney. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]

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David Olney, Beloved Singer-Songwriter, 1948-2020

David Olney, a revered folk and Americana singer-songwriter, died after suffering an apparent heart attack on Saturday night, Jan. 18, while onstage at the 30A Songwriters Festival in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. During a musical career that spanned more than four decades, Olney, 71, recorded and released more than 20 albums and had his songs covered or co-written by such other notable artists as Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, Laurie Lewis, Del McCoury, and Linda Ronstadt. [To continue reading this article and to view a few videos, click on the headline.]

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AcousticMusicScene.com Hosts Showcases at SERFA Conference in Chattanooga, Tennessee

Nearly 300 people will converge on Chattanooga, Tennessee, May 15-19, 2019 for the 12th annual Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA) Conference. An extended weekend of contemporary and traditional folk music, networking and learning opportunities, the conference will be keynoted by singer-songwriter Ellis Paul and features 27 juried official showcases. [To continue reading this illustrated article and to see a listing of official showcase artists and the AcusticMusicScene.com showcase lineup, click on the headline.]

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Winners Named in 2017 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition

Six singer-songwriters have been named as winners in the 2017 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters. They were chosen by a panel of judges from among 32 finalists who performed two songs each during the New Folk Concerts on May 27 and 28 as part of the Kerrville Folk Festival, an 18-day event at the Quiet Valley Ranch in the Texas Hill Country. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]

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Finalists Announced in 2017 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition

Thirty-two songwriters have been named as finalists in the 2017 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters. Chosen from among more than 600 submissions from around the world, the finalists will perform the two songs they submitted at the New Folk Concerts slated for Saturday and Sunday afternoons, May 27 and 28, as part of the Kerrville Folk Festival. [To continue reading this article and see the list of Kerrville New Folk finalists, click on the headline.]

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