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On Tuesday June 16th, at 7:30 pm, NERFA will be hosting an online Community Meeting where we will formally present our changes to the bylaws before they follow the path established by the Regions Agreement towards being ratified by members in an upcoming vote. You can find the link here, or in our Event Calendar on the homepage.

ANNOUNCED: Here are the results of the last election. Here is the updated NERFA Board of Directors: Cheryl Prashker – President 2026 Ron Olesko – Vice President 2028 Jayne Toohey – Secretary 2027 Carol Lowe – Treasurer 2026 Bernie Drurie – 2026 Kemp Harris – 2027 Amy Putnam – 2027 Rees Shad – 2028 Naomi Westwater – 2028 For more about them, visit the About page!

The NERFA Board of Directors is proud to announce our slate of nominees for the 2025 Board election. This also opens up a period of 60 days when other good standing members of FAI who are affiliated with our region can self-nominate to run for election (details below). There are currently 3 board positions that will be filled this election. In accordance with our bylaws, the board is putting forth a corresponding list of candidates to fill these 3 openings. These include one seat that was not filled by appointment after the resignation of members of the previous Board. Another of those seats had one year remaining at that point and has been filled by Ron Olesko. The third seat is currently held by Sarah Craig of Caffe Lena, also fulfilling the remainder of that term, so it is available again for a full term. This year, the NERFA Board of Directors has served as the nominating committee as required by the current bylaws.  Our nominees are: Cliff Notez – multimedia artist, musician, filmmaker, and community advocate and founder of HipStory, a digital media production company Naomi Westwater – singer-songwriter, cultural curator, faculty member of Club Passim and Not Sorry Productions, founder of the event series “Reclaiming Folk” Rees Shad – singer-songwriter, producer, former owner-operator of Sweetfish Recording Studios, keynote speaker at 2025 SERFA conference Ron Olesko has put forth his intention to file as a self-nominated candidate for a full term, as well. This will automatically ensure that we will have a proper election this year, administered by FAI. Additional nominees can also be submitted by the membership (membership in FAI) with letter(s) of support from at least ten (10) members in good standing, received no later than Sunday, September 7, 2025 (60 days ahead of the annual regional conference.) These 10 nominations must be from 10 unique memberships, and any candidate must also be a member in good standing of FAI. Contact Tisha Naipaul at FAI to submit letters and for more information – tisha@folk.org. Or, to submit nominations, you may fill out a form here which goes to Tisha. Details on the election itself, which is open to FAI members who affiliate themselves with the Northeast region, will follow at a later date. 

Keynote Speakers announced! Read more about this year’s speakers. Friday night: Flamy Grant From her 2022 debut album, Bible Belt Baby, to her Formal Showcase appearance at NERFA in 2023 and far beyond, Grant continues to bring her unabashed truth to her music and presence. Appearing at NERFA 2025 will be a moment not to be missed.  http://flamygrant.com Saturday night: Janis Ian From her 1967 debut on the music scene and with songs including “At Seventeen,” “Society’s Child,” and “Stars,” through decades of being an extraordinary musician, writer, philanthropist, and activist, plus winning two Grammy awards, Ian has created a body of work like few others. Not only will she deliver the keynote on Saturday, she will also be a guest on the Wisdom of the Elders panel. http://janisian.com

NERFA’s Private Showcases are a cherished and intimate conference tradition, fostering magical moments of discovery for artists and audiences alike. These showcases are curated by dedicated hosts, who handpick performers for their unique stages. Late into the night, artists have the chance to share their music with small, attentive audiences, creating unforgettable experiences. This personal and captivating atmosphere often leads to connections that drive careers forward. Private Showcases take place in hotel rooms after the Official Showcases end on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Private Showcase hours are 10:30PM to 2:30AM. Private Showcase Hosts MUST register for the NERFA conference before applying to be a host May choose whether or not to share their contact information and accept submissions May schedule showcases ONLY during Private Showcase hours. For more information on Private Showcases, click here. If you’re interested in Hosting, click here to fill out the Hosting Application.

Visit the conference site, or click the button below to fill out the Registration form and purchase your tickets to this year’s conference! This year, NERFA will be held in Albany, NY. While you’re there, you can also find the information of registering your room, applying for showcases, and more! Tickets Prices If you are a Presenter or DJ, please email us at info@nerfa.org for a discounted rate. EARLY BIRD – Folk Alliance Members ONLY (now-June 30th at 11:59pm) $300 EARLY BIRD – Non-Members (now until June 30th at 11:59pm EST) $350 STANDARD – Folk Alliance Members ONLY (July 1st-Sept. 30th at 11:59pm EST) $325 STANDARD – Non-Members (July 1st – Sept. 30th at 11:59pm EST) $375 LAST-MINUTE – Folk Alliance Member (Oct. 1st onward) $350 LAST-MINUTE – Non-Members (Oct. 1st onward) $400

NERFA 2025 PRIVATE SHOWCASE INFORMATION Private Showcases take place in hotel rooms after the Official Showcases end on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Private Showcase hours are 10:30PM to 2:30AM. Private Showcase Hosts MUST register for the NERFA conference before applying to be a host May choose whether or not to share their contact information and accept submissions May schedule showcases ONLY during Private Showcase hours. Private Showcase Artists MUST register for the NERFA conference before booking any Private Showcases May submit to any showcase hosts who provide contact information May schedule no more than 4 showcases IN TOTAL, including Official, Curator, and Private Showcases Private Showcases will be limited to 20 rooms per night, with the hope of distributing listeners more evenly and avoiding the dreaded empty room syndrome. Please understand there will likely be more host applicants than we can accommodate, so be sure to apply well in advance of the August 1 deadline. You will receive notice of confirmation or denial by August 15th. Please DO NOT book artists until you receive a notice of confirmation. PRO TIP: Showcase hosts who wish to present only one night often team up to share a room and host on different nights. You may contact our Private Showcase Wrangler (info below) for help with that. Each artist or band will be limited to 4 showcases IN TOTAL, including Official, Curator, and Private Showcases, to help ensure ample showcase opportunities for all. Please Contact our Private Showcase Wrangler (info below) for assistance. NERFA will also sponsor a Private Showcase for NERFA first-timers. If you’re a NERFA first-timer, you automatically qualify to submit. Contact our Private Showcase Wrangler (info below)  to express interest. Details on how to submit for all Private Showcases, including the NERFA First-Timers’ Room, will be made public once all rooms have been finalized and Private Showcase hosts are announced. Important Dates: July 1:  Private Showcase host applications open. Host applicants must be registered for the NERFA conference before applying. August 1: Private Showcase host applications close. August 15: Private Showcase hosts are announced, and hosts may begin booking. Artists must be registered for the NERFA conference before booking any Private Showcases. All performers, including bandmates and accompanists, MUST be registered for the conference. September 1: Deadline for hosts to pay for a Private Showcase room ($100 per night or $200 for all 3 nights). October 1: Deadline for hosts to submit final showcase lineup. Private Showcase Info & Etiquette Private Showcases take place between 10:30PM and 2:30AM Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. 20 showcase rooms will be in operation each night. Sometimes the same room will be hosted by different folks on different nights. Hosts may have their own rules in addition to these, but here are a few reminders: PLEASE BE COURTEOUS! Be mindful about volume: We certainly want you to be enthusiastic but remember that there are performances happening in the surrounding rooms, and we want everyone to have the best opportunity to be heard. Be mindful about time: This may seem obvious, but please arrive on time, end on time and get out of the way for the next performer. We ask that you do your pre- and post-set networking and socializing as quietly as possible or better yet, out in the hallway. Plan ahead: Prepare your set in advance and time it so you know how long it will take and then pad it for talking or tuning. PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL! Hosts are responsible for the condition of their rooms. Snacks and beverages are allowed, though no hot plates or crock pots are permitted – finger foods only. If you partake in a room’s offerings, not only do we expect you to clean up after yourself, we hope you’ll stay for at least one showcase! NO AMPLIFIED INSTRUMENTS! Private Showcases are all-acoustic performances – no PAs, mics, or amplifiers allowed. Exceptions can be made on a case-by-case basis for instruments like keyboards and electric guitars. Also, drums and percussion must be played with hands or brushes. Please contact our Private Showcase Wrangler (info below) with questions or concerns. ADVERTISE YOUR SHOWCASE! We encourage you to spread the word about your showcases. It’s appropriate to make small handouts with your showcase schedule but don’t make so many that you waste a lot of paper. Get creative!! HAVE FUN!! Whether you’re a performer, presenter, listener, or some combination of those, we hope you’ll get around to a bunch of rooms to find old friends and discover new favorites. We trust you’ll have a hard time deciding where to go, but make sure you schedule in some acts you’ve never heard before. Discovery is the best part of any conference! Questions? Concerns? Matchmaking assistance? Please contact NERFA’s Private Showcase Wrangler, Carolann Solebello at csolebello@me.com / 718.809.7421.

Visit the conference site, or use the information below to reserve your hotel room! NERFA Hotel Room Block Crowne Plaza Albany – The Desmond Hotel ‌660 Albany Shaker Road,‌‌Albany,‌‌ NY‌ 12211 United StatesGroup Room Rate: $169Book Hotel Reservations by: October 14, 2025Book Online: LinkBook by Phone: 1-518-869-8100 (mention NERFA) Book Online