There is a long list of associations promoting music and providing resources to artist members and guests, from the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (the Grammy people) down to local bluegrass organizations in the hollers of Appalachia. Most of them have some sort of festival or event as a fund-raiser, not only to pay for operating expenses, but also to provide assistance for musicians. MusiCares, the non-profit arm of the NARAS, is perhaps the biggest. Most of the musicians I know have benefited from that group at one time or another. Perhaps the best at channeling information, or an introduction when it’s needed most, is Folk Alliance International. They help with everything from finding free health care to providing ready-to-use license agreements to helping figure out if you need a visa to take advantage of that offer to play overseas.
In addition to several regional conferences, FAI has a national event, typically in February. Due to Omicron it was pushed out this year to May, but kept its same venue in the Westin Crown Center hotel in Kansas City. It was a hybrid event with both live panels and performances as well as online-only ones. I kept busy enough with the in-person activities that I didn’t catch any of the virtual ones, but given the costs of travel and the demographics of the singer-songwriter business (folk does rhyme with broke), I wonder if this will be a long-term trend.
One of the phrases I heard repeated often at this year’s conference was some version of “these are my people.” With fewer exceptions than any other genre, the acoustic music business is very much a DIY affair. So the chance to get with fellow artists and trade stories and tips is an enormous draw and perhaps the biggest reasons why many of the attendees made the trek. You can add that after every performance you could find musicians chatting with promoters and programmers, and just generally adding to their professional network. With touring and record releases on the rise, it’s all part of a virtuous cycle. So whether you’re a performer or just someone who wants to support the music industry, there’s a lot of value to joining Folk Alliance International.
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.