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Following the Folk DJ showcase, I squeezed in a few guerrilla showcases (more about those later) before heading to bed, eagerly awaiting the first full day of activities on Friday. My head was filled with good music, an encouraging sign for the rest of the weekend.

After breakfast on Friday morning, I headed to my first workshop of the weekend – “Social Media 101 for Artists, Venues and Organizations.” There are numerous workshops covering a vast array of topics of interest to the many needs of the attendees. I chose this workshop as the every changing technology poses new challenges and more opportunities. I picked up a number of tips that will help me with both my radio and also the Hurdy Gurdy Folk Music Club.

“Rise Again” workshop at NERFA

I know many attendees skip the workshops, and that is a truly a loss for them. Having the opportunity to sit with peers and learn from their experiences is one of the reasons I keep going to NERFA every year.

For artists, there were opportunities to learn songwriting tips from established artists like Ellis Paul and Christine Lavin, performance skills from masters like Vance Gilbert, sustaining a healthy voice from Beth Kaufman of Spuyten Duyvil and even a workshop on how be your own guitar technician! There were peer group sessions for house concert presenters, workshops on creating music videos, how to negotiate fees and write contracts and how to prepare for interviews (there were more DJs present at that one, oh how I wish more artists attended and took notes!!) Robert Jones gave an insightful workshop about Lead Belly, a preview of a documentary about Eric Andersen and a community sing in celebration of the new book Rise Again – the songbook sequel to the acclaimed publication Rise Up Singing. Something for everyone.

There were two workshops for “On the Griddle.”  This “infamous” tradition is a staple at NERFA. Performers submit CDs with a single song selected, and only 1 minute of that song is played for the panel to judge.  The panel consists of DJs, artists, production experts and promoters who listen to the submissions – blind. The artist name is not announced, the panel hears the brief selection and then makes comments. Usually constructive comments. Sometimes painful comments. The panel will critique the production of the song and tell why they would either play or not play the song on the radio. You may not agree with the panelists opinions, but you will find it interesting. A few years ago, I was asked to be on the panel at a NERFA one-day conference, and it is  a challenge for the judges! You try to determine if this is a song you want to hear more of, or if there are glaring issues that would keep you from playing it. Not an easy task to do, even if you do not know the name of the artist. (Perhaps that is why I haven’t been asked to sit on the panel again!)  I won’t go into the particulars of this year’s Griddle sessions, suffice it to say that I also found some real gems that I want to hear more of!

You can quickly spend the entire weekend running from the workshops to the various showcases that take place throughout the hotel complex, but the biggest benefit to attending the conference is the opportunity to network with other conference attendees. Whether it is sharing tips or war stories with your peers, discovering a new artist or song or simply saying hello to old or new friends, the personal interactions are a huge factor in creating the contemporary folk scene. Each connection we make, each song we hear, each idea we steal… I mean share, comes back with us to our individual communities to help carry on the traditions of folk music.

In the Exhibit Hall with
Sonny Ochs and David Massengill

A large exhibit hall is a regular feature at NERFA. Artists, agents, record labels, photographers, festivals and others associated with the folk music industry staff tables to display samples of their work, and to use the space as a place to make contacts and do business. This year, thanks to a wonderful idea from Angela Page, the Folk DJ contingent shared table space where folks could drop off CDs in individual boxes for each radio host. We had a short description of our shows taped to each box, and several of us took a seat at the table so we could greet the artists who had music to share.

One of the highlights of the weekend is the Keynote Address, given on Friday evening before the start of the Formal Showcases.  This is a recent addition to the NERFA Concert schedule. The keynote speech started a few years ago and has featured people like David Amram, Suzanne Vega and other music industry people.  These individuals shared their stories and offered words of encouragement to those who pursue a career in this uniquely independent industry.  This year, Ellis Paul gave the address, and it was memorable. Ellis shared stories of his climb up the ladder in this genre of music and he stressed the role “community” has played in his career as a touring singer-songwriter. Ellis recalled going to open mikes in Boston where artists would elevate each other as they began their careers. Ellis gave credit to Bill Morrissey for being a mentor and eventually producing Ellis’s first album. Morrissey told Ellis that he was repaying a favor that Dave Van Ronk gave to him, and now Ellis was at NERFA encouraging others in this endless circle that creates this special scene. “There’s no school for being a folk artist,” Ellis proclaimed, “but there are teachers everywhere and classes in every venue.”

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