‘Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune’ Set to Air on PBS Stations

PBS Television's acclaimed American Masters' series of documentaries opens its 26th season with Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune this month. The revealing biography of a conflicted, truth-seeking troubadour who, with guitar in hand, stood up for what he believed in and challenged us all to do the same, premieres nationally on Monday, Jan. 23 at 10 p.m. (ET) on PBS stations (Check your local listings). [To read the article in its entirety, including reflections on Phil and the film from his sister, Sonny Ochs, click on the headline.]

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Northeast Regional Folk Alliance Conference Set for Nov. 10-13; AcousticMusicScene.com to Again Have a Major Presence

Nearly 750 people have registered for the annual Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) Conference, to be held Nov. 10-13, at the Hudson Valley Resort in Kerhonkson, New York. Performers, presenters, promoters, folk DJs, agents and managers, and others actively engaged in the folk and acoustic music scene will enjoy three jam-packed days and nights of music showcases, open mics, song swaps and informal jam sessions; informative panel discussions and workshops; private mentoring and peer group sessions; a large trade show-like exhibit hall; communal meals in the dining room; a welcoming party and happy hours, and lots of informal conversation and networking. AcousticMusicScene.com will host its popular annual Midnight Hoot on Thursday overnight, as well as afternoon and late-night guerilla showcases on Friday and Saturday. [To view the illustrated article in its entirety, including listings of showcasing artists, click on the headline.]

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Two Long Island-Based Nonprofit Arts Organizations Forge a Partnership To Present and Promote Folk Music Programming

Recognizing the value of collaboration in the arts, two venerable Long Island, New York-based nonprofit arts organizations are doing just that. The Cinema Arts Centre and the Folk Music Society of Huntington are teaming up to present a monthly concert series and also are engaging in other cross-promotional efforts across their respective artistic disciplines. Note: AcousticMusicScene.com's Michael Kornfeld is president of the Folk Music Society of Huntington. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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Sonny Ochs Reflects on Her Brother Phil and a New Film About Him

"Phil Ochs: There But For Fortune," a new film about the American troubadour whose music continues to influence and inspire songwriters today, is currently in limited release. Phil's sister Sonny shares some thoughts about her late brother and the documentary about him with AcousticMusicScene.com readers. [To read the article, click on the headline.]

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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.]

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Larry Murante Wins Rose Garden Performing Songwriter Contest

Larry Murante is the winner of the 2010 Rose Garden Performing Songwriter Contest. A Pennsylvania native who has been living in the Seattle, Washington area for many years, Murante was named the winner over fellow contest finalists Jim Colbert (Bellefonte, PA) and Chris Elliott (Leverett, MA) after performing two of his original songs on May 15 prior to an April Verch Band concert at the Rose Garden Coffeehouse in Mansfield, Massachusetts. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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Suzi Wollenberg DJ Showcase, Nov. 12 at NERFA Conference

More than a dozen folk DJs from the northeast and beyond will introduce each other and other early arrivers to the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) Conference to a number of artists who may be new to them during the annual folk DJ showcase on Thursday night, November 12, from 8:30 p.m. to midnight, at the Hudson Valley Resort & Conference Center in Kerhonkson, New York. The popular event, which precedes the formal start of the conference on Friday, has been renamed the Suzi Wollenberg DJ Showcase this year in honor of the former folk music coordinator and host of “Roots” on Tuesday mornings on WVUD 91.3 FM, ”the voice of the University of Delaware,” who died suddenly on August 8. At the time of her death, Wollenberg was serving as president of the Green Willow Folk Club in Wilmington, DE and was active in helping to organize the Folk DJ Showcase. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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The Pocono Mountains Come Alive with the Sound of Folk Music Over Memorial Day Weekend

Folk music will abound in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains over Memorial Day weekend. There will be plenty of opportunities to sing, play, listen, learn, relax and enjoy the company of other folks as both The Folk Music Society of New York, Inc. (a.k.a. New York Pinewoods Folk Music Club) and the Philadelphia Folksong Society hold their music-filled annual spring weekends. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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