As noted in my previous post, a big part of the Folk Alliance International annual conference are the showcases, both official and unofficial. The official performances take place from around 6pm to 10pm in hotel ballrooms, with professional sound and lighting. Depending on the size of the room attendance can go from a few dozen […]
2024 Folk Alliance International Conference
There are many organizations set up to serve the music industry, from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (the Grammy people) and their non-profit, MusiCares, to industry organizations for various segments, to local music societies. I’m certain none of them come close to the broad offerings of Folk Alliance International. FAI is a […]
FAI Conference 2023 – Musical Highlights
As I noted yesterday, the Folk Alliance International conference is one of my annual highlights. A big reason for that is the vast offering of musical performances; last year there were over 150 official showcases, and over 1000 private showcases in just 4 days. This year probably topped that. Clearly I didn’t make it to […]
2023 Folk Alliance International Conference
There are a multitude of organizations set up to serve the music industry, from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (the Grammy people) and their non-profit, MusiCares, to industry organizations for various segments, to local music societies. I’m certain none of them come close to the broad offerings of Folk Alliance International. FAI […]
Folk Alliance International Conference 2022 – The Music
As I mentioned in my previous post, I had the privilege to attend this year’s Folk Alliance International conference in Kansas City last week. There are all kinds of industry panels and how-to seminars, but for me the highlight is always the music. There are Official showcases, held in the various hotel ballrooms, and Unofficial […]
Folk Alliance International 2022 Conference
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 […]
Folk Alliance Int’l – Folk Unlocked Preview
For most of the last several years I’ve flown back east for what I consider to be the most under-appreciated music festival in the country; the annual Folk Alliance International conference. FAI does a tremendous amount of good for musicians, and the conference itself has many seminars targeted to beginners, long-time musicians and industry professionals. […]
Folk Alliance International 2020 – Shawn’s Picks
With 10 simultaneous official stages and over 80 private ones across 4 nights and 8-10 hours per night, there’s no shortage of music at FAI. There are a number of strategies you can employ, from just picking a room and letting the curator’s choices wash over you, to a mad-dash scramble after every couple of […]
Folk Alliance International 2020 Conference
One of the things I look forward to coming out of the holidays is the annual Folk Alliance conference. It’s equal parts business conference and music festival: so work and play together. This year it was held in New Orleans, where the food added a third segment that was a big part of many conversations. […]
Monday Morning Video – Folk Alliance 2018 Video Companion
We’ll wrap up our Folk Alliance International coverage with a collection of videos from this year’s conference. Most of these performances are from the official performances that took place in hotel ballrooms but you’ll see a few from the late night hotel room showcases. This video playlist includes Colter Wall, John Gorka, Jaimee Harris, John […]