NorthEast Regional Folk Alliance

This article examines the different types of showcases that make up the performer presentation component of the annual NERFA conference.  If you are a seasoned NERFA conference attendee, feel free to jump right to the Conference registration Menu on the left.  If not or you wish to receive a refresher on what each showcases is all about and how the registration and selection process works, please read on.

NERFA hosts four showcases within the hotel conference facilities; the Formal, Tricentric, Family/Children's Music and Private Showcases.  A fifth showcase category, the Guerrilla Showcase,  is held in pre-selected blocks of hotel rooms and is hosted by the room's occupant.

FORMAL SHOWCASE

The juried Formal Showcase is the premier and most coveted showcase performance time slot at the NERFA conference.  Only 14 performance slots are available - 7 on Friday and 7 on Saturday.  Each performance slot is 15 minutes.  The biggest advantage of winning a performance slot is NOTHING else is allowed to go on during the Formal Showcase - not even Guerrilla showcases in the hotel rooms.  You or your group have the undivided attention of the rest of the conference attendees

The Formal Showcase is held in the Manhattan Theater between 7:00 PM and 9:30 PM each night. The theater is the largest performance area in the hotel.  Professional sound, lighting and production services are provided by Mountaintop Productions and your performance is mixed and recorded by a professional recording engineer for your archives or other uses as you see fit. 

The application process to the Formal Showcase is open to all. However, everyone appearing in the showcase must be registered for the conference and be a member of the Folk Alliance International.  Application fees for the showcase are broken into two parts.  All applicants must pay the initial application fee of either $25 for FAI members or $45 for non FAI members.  Only the winners of the jury selection process who have confirmed their appearance in the Formal Showcase pay an additional $75 production fee.  They must also register for the conference (if not already registered) and confirm their membership in the Folk Alliance International. 

Further details and other requirements can be found in the Formal Showcase Article or in the showcase application form.

TRICENTRIC SHOWCASES

The Tricentric Showcases are also juried and occur immediately after the Formal Showcase each night from 9:45 PM to 11:30 PM.  These three concurrently running showcases are held in the Executive Conference Center in three different rooms.  Each performance slot is 15 minutes long.  A total of 15 performance slots are available each night.  Like the Formal Showcase, nothing else is allowed to go on while the Tricentrics are in operation.

Professional sound and production services are also provided but no archive recording is performed.  (If you bring your own small recording device, the sound engineer will gladly connect it to the mixer board if outlets are available).

The application process is open to everybody but as with all of the showcases at NERFA,  everyone appearing in the showcase must be registered for the conference and must be a member of the Folk Alliance International.  The Tricentric Showcase also has a two-part registration fee: $15 for FAI members ($25 if you are not an FAI member) is payable with each application and an additional $25 production fee is due if you are chosen and confirm your appearance.  Confirmed winners must also register for the conference (if not already registered) and confirm their membership in the Folk Alliance International.

Further details and other requirements can be found in the Tricentric Showcase article or in the showcase application form.

FAMILY/CHILDREN'S SHOWCASE

The Family/Children's Showcase is a relatively new addition to the NERFA showcase lineup.  If you or your group specializes in acts targeted for the younger generation then this is the showcase for you. 

Like the Formal and Tricentric Showcases, it too is juried.  The showcase is held in the large Manhattan Theater on Friday morning from 10:30 to 11:45 AM in front of a live audience of local school children.  As this is a genre specific showcase, there are no restrictions on other NERFA activities.  There are five 15 minute performance slots available with one alternate selected. 

Mountaintop productions provides the sound and production services in the theater for your performance.

The application process is open to everybody but as with all of the showcases at NERFA,  everyone appearing in the showcase must be registered for the conference and must be a member of The Folk Alliance International in.  The initial application fee of $15 for FAI members ($20 for non FAI members) is due with the submission of your online application.  If chosen by the jury to appear in the Family/Children's Showcase, an additional $30 production fee is due upon acceptance.  Confirmed winners must also register for the conference (if not already registered) and confirm their membership in the Folk Alliance International.

Further details and other requirements can be found in the Family/Children's Showcase article or in the showcase application form.

PRIVATE SHOWCASES

Once the Tricentric Showcases are over, the three conference rooms that held the showcases plus their sound systems and engineers are available for "rent" for hosting a Private Showcase.   A total of three rooms on Friday night and 3 on Saturday night.  The rental period for these rooms is from 11:45 PM  to 1:30 AM. 

As the sponsor of the showcase, it is your responsibility for booking acts, producing and MCing the showcase.  Since the Guerrilla Showcases will be starting at the same time, it is also your responsibility to attract your audience to the Private Showcase area. It will be to your advantage at the beginning of the Private Showcase as the rooms will be filled with Tricentric attendees.  NERFA will plug your showcase during the Tricentric set changes in an effort to help you retain an audience in the conference area. 

Each Private Showcase venue rents for $250 which includes the sound system and engineer.

The registration process is open to everybody but as with all of the showcases at NERFA, everyone appearing in the showcase must be registered for the conference and must be a member of the Folk Alliance International.

GUERRILLA SHOWCASES

The fifth and last type of showcase at NERFA is the Guerrilla Showcase.  These showcases are held in the lower hotel room floors of the main tower of the Hudson Valley Resort & Spa. (The upper floors are reserved as a quiet - no music zone).  Guerrilla showcases are only permitted during Thursday evening and late night (considered one time slot), Friday afternoon, Friday late night, Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon and Saturday late night.  You must submit a registration form and pay for each time period.  You must also register for the conference and submit a hotel reservation application for your Guerilla Showcase room.

Included with your Guerrilla Showcase registration fee is a listing of all performers in your showcase time slot.

Guerilla Showcases are acoustic ONLY!  No amplification devices are permitted.  Exemptions to this rule for instruments such as electronic keyboards must be approved on a one-by-one basis.  Setting up your showcase space within your hotel room is your responsibility.  IT IS ALSO YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO RETURN THE HOTEL ROOM TO ITS ORIGINAL CONFIGURATION BEFORE CHECKOUT.

The registration process is open to everybody but as with all of the showcases at NERFA,  everyone appearing in the showcase must be registered for the conference in advance and must be a member of the Folk Alliance International.

The hotel can provide chairs for your showcase at a nominal fee including delivery.  The "Guerilla Chair Request" form will be available closer to the start of the event once room numbers are assigned to each showcase.  The list will be published on the website.