19th International Folk Alliance Conference Well Attended and Well Received

Press Release
Source: Cash Edwards

The 19th International Folk Alliance Conference came to Memphis this past February introducing Memphis to the North American organization with a boon to the city’s economy reported at over 1.2 million dollars. From all over the map (a good thing!) 2,076 music people came to network and to showcase a broad range of folk music from the Mississippi Delta to the Faroe Islands.

The basic breakdown of the registrants is:

Total Presenters: 6% (including Clubs, Coffeehouses, Concert Series, Events, Festivals, House Concerts)

Total Media: 5% (including Broadcast, Electronic, Graphic/Photo, Print, Publicists)

Total Business: 44% (including Agents, Managers, Performing Artists, Volunteers, Crew, Producers, Film)

Total Other Business: 19% (including Art & Cultural Organization, Attorneys, Camps, Publishers, Educator/Folklorist/Scholar, Folk Society & Organization, Healthcare, Manufacturer, Merchandiser, Online Music Service, PRO, Record Label, Record Studio, School/Educational Institution, Union)

Miscellaneous Industry: 26% - (did not check category, often due to serving two ways in the industry)

For more detailed information please contact Randi Lynn at Randi@folk.org.

New Board members Greg Johnson, Ann Forbes, Wendy Waldman, Erin Benjamin and Dave Marsh were introduced.

Greg Johnson is the founder, booker, janitor, and marketing director for Oklahoma City’s legendary music venue, The Blue Door.

Ann Forbes brings a lifetime of music business experience to the table after serving time at A&M Records as a marketing manager in Canada then joining Capitol Records/EMI Music of Canada also as a Marketing Manager.

Wendy Waldman is a critically acclaimed recording artist, as well as a writer of multi-platinum songs for other singers in musical genres ranging from country to pop, film, jazz, children's music and R&B.

Dave Marsh is a prolific writer and has published more than two dozen books, as well as edited two editions of the Rolling Stone Record Guide and written hundreds of articles on music and musicians.

We also welcome new Board appointment, Erin Benjamin, she is the Executive Director of the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals (OCFF), a board member of the Songwriters Association of Canada (SAC), Music and Film in Motion (MFM) in Northern Ontario, and Folk Alliance Canada.

The current Folk Alliance Board Officers are Dan Navarro (President), Val Denn (Vice-President), Tom Neff (Treasurer), Biff Kennedy (Secretary), and Ann Forbes (At Large).

All of these people represent several centuries of experience and a wealth of knowledge. We are truly thankful that they are willing to donate their time and energy to our organization.

On June 1, 2007 the Folk Alliance will start to offer discounted multi-year memberships. It is also the kickoff for showcase entry, conference registration, hotel booking and everything else involved in the 20th Annual International Folk Alliance Conference to be held February 20 – 24, 2008 in Memphis, Tenn.

Folk Alliance Mission: The North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance exists to foster and promote traditional, contemporary, and multicultural folk music, dance, and related performing arts in North America. The Folk Alliance seeks to strengthen organizational and individual initiatives in folk music and dance through education, networking, advocacy, and professional and field development.