2008 International Folk Alliance Conference (and a big discount)
Posted by admin on 14 Dec 2007 at 09:46 pm | Tagged as: General
International Folk Alliance Conference (and a $100 discount from CIYH)
Another organization that is intimately linked with house concerts is the Folk Alliance (folk.org). Based in Memphis, they host several regional conferences throughout the year, and a major (international) conference each spring. This year, it’s February 20-24. I’ll be there, and I would love the opportunity to meet you.
The conference is attended by thousands of artists, concert presenters, radio, and other industry folks. It’s a magical, exhausting (if you let it) weekend of communing with people who love music. There are sponsored showcases, workshops, panel discussions, jams, and they literally block off three floors of the hotel for artists and organizations to create “guerilla showcases” - these are unplugged, intimate concerts right in people’s hotel rooms. You literally walk in, sit on the bed or a chair, and listen to someone sing their heart out. It can be incredible.
Check out the organization, and consider attending this wonderful conference. Membership is involved, but well worth it. It’s a great way to hear and meet a of TON of artists and other people who share your love for music. There’s certainly a bias toward folk artists, but there’s also an incredible amount of diversity in styles. As long as your sound is somewhat organic, story/lyric based, and better than the rejection reel on American Idol, it’s a great hang for audiences and performers.
Oh, and Memphis is a fun place to check out - so make it a mini-vacation!
They’ve offered us a huge discount, ($100 off the current $350 conference price), and we’re making it available to artists and hosts listed at CIYH. If you’ve already registered, they will not retro-fit the discount. Sorry… sometimes you snooze, you win! But only for a few more weeks. Check it out at folk.org, and email me for the discount code.
If you’ve attended a Folk Alliance conference before… please chime in with a comment below about your experience, and any advice you might have for newcomers.
I attended the Folk Alliance gathering about ten years ago. It was FABULOUS. I can’t say enough good things about it.
At the time, I was co-producing an Appalachian heritage festival (rather than co-producing a house concert series) so my interests as a presenter were a bit different. Nevertheless, I found that there were a number of sessions and resources designed to help me develop and strengthen my work as a promoter.
And, of course, even better than that, there was a ton of great music. Everywhere you turned, folks were playing, singing, sharing. Some of these folks are the “greats”–the deservedly famous artists in the folk music world. Others were up-and-coming musicians. It didn’t matter: everyone was there to hear and share the music.
I’d be interested to know if there are any sessions geared toward those of us who produce house concerts.
[...] There will be incredible talent, and lasting friendships kindled. Remember to take advantage of the CIYH discount if you haven’t already gotten a discount some other way. This discount expires February 11th, [...]