NorthEast Regional Folk Alliance

Welcome to the new NERFA website. We are really excited about it and very grateful to Jim Jackson for his creation.  Since we started in 1994, NERFA has had four different webmasters, each of whom have created a new website. I can state without a doubt - what you are about to experience is the most comprehensive, best organized, interactive, user friendly website NERFA has ever presented.  This is a living, breathing, ever changing entity and I can’t wait for you to experience it.  For you techy people who want to know more about the dynamics in forming such a website, go the the About NERFA menu tab and click on the "About the new NERFA website" link to go to an article Jim wrote about the software used and how it all works.  For the rest of us, I will just tell you how easy it is to navigate.  There are tabs across the top - each of which brings up multiple level menus. Registering for the conference or finding out more about NERFA - the Northeast Region of  Folk Alliance International - couldn’t be easier.  You will even find instructions on how to join our listserv and/or our e-mail list so you can get updates from us in a timely manner.

2010 will be our 16^thannual conference. When we first started, only one other region had any kind of gathering. Over the past 12 years the other regions have come to NERFA to get some ideas on how a regional conference functions. Many of our innovations have been adopted by other regions as well as the International conference. And we have borrowed ideas from them as well. In fact, at this point, all the Regional leaders are in constant contact with one another to share ideas and ask what works and what does not work for them. I couldn’t be more pleased with the openness we all share.

As you may already know, being selected for a NERFA Formal or TriCentric showcase is truly an honor. We have heard from many presenters who say this is where they book almost their entire Festival or concert series.  We have heard from performers who consider this the best place to showcase, knowing you have a captive audience. This is because  NERFA is held at a resort where everyone eats together as a community and almost all attend the showcases as a community. This is unlike the International conference and other industry conferences where meals are not included and folks may or may not make it back in time for the showcases when they go out to eat. Also, remember all NERFA juried showcases (both Formal and TriCentric) are completely protected. NOTHING - ABSOLUTELY NOTHING - may take place at the same time.  There is only one Formal showcase happening at their scheduled time - and only three TriCentrics happening right next to each other at the same time.  Now the Private and Guerilla showcases - they are different.  These showcases may happen any time of the day or night (other than during Formal and Tricentric showcases) and there may be several dozen at once. 

Remember we are now offering the presenters incentive to anyone who books a folk venue - not just to first timers. You are eligible for this ONLY if booking your venue is your main purpose in attending the conference. Sorry, we cannot make this available to you if you are also coming as a performer with intentions of showcasing.

 If you are coming to NERFA we encourage you to think about coming on Thursday evening.  This is when the special Folk DJ showcase happens.  Also, our programming begins Friday morning and some of the very best workshops are scheduled then.