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.
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Richard Meyer, Singer-Songwriter and Fast Folk Editor, 1952-2012
Richard Meyer, a singer-songwriter who also was an integral part of the folk music scene in New York’s Greenwich Village during the 1980s and 1990s as a booker for the Speakeasy and longtime editor of Fast Folk Musical Magazine (1986-1997), died May 14, 2012 at age 59.
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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...
Jack Hardy, Singer-Songwriter and Fast Folk Founder, 1947-2011
Jack Hardy, a singer-songwriter who played a pivotal role in the New York folk/songwriting scene for several decades and influenced and inspired many other songwriters, died on March 11. His death at age 63 sent shockwaves through the folk community, with many posting short remembrances and tributes on Facebook -- the social networking platform.
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Q & A with John Platt of WFUV’s ‘Sunday Breakfast’
In a popular music landscape where today’s talented singer-songwriters are often ignored, it’s a little miracle to listen to radio stations — usually small, publicly-run or independent — that promote songwriters who might fall between the cracks. Among the many wonderful DJs out there supporting independent singer-songwriters in markets across the U.S., one of the most well-known and well-listened to is John Platt, host of “Sunday Breakfast” on New York’s WFUV. Sharon Goldman recently elicited his thoughts about the singer-songwriter scene for her blog, Songwriting Scene. Her Q & A interview with him is reprinted here with permission.
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