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NERFA proudly presents its inaugural concert series, the Coffee & Wood Concert Series, designed to bolster touring artists with a regular lineup of Thursday night performances. In collaboration with West Brookfield Library and the Mass Cultural Council, we’re thrilled to showcase members of our esteemed 2022 Formal Showcase artist group. Following a prolonged pause due to the pandemic, this series serves as a platform for artists to reignite their touring calendars, courtesy of the Mass Cultural Council’s sponsorship. Our concert series, happening on every third Thursday of the month, offers community concerts for audiences of all incomes. Conveniently located, it’s just an hour’s drive from Boston, Northampton, and Hartford, and two hours from NYC.Join us for memorable evenings of music and community at the stunning Merriam-Gilbert Library, and help support the revival of live music in a post-pandemic world. For more information and to take part, please visit Merriam-Gilbert Library website. May 18 – The Rough & Tumble The Rough & Tumble are a folk/Americana duo, consisting of Mallory Graham & Scott Tyler. After forming in 2011, they’ve spent the last 8 years traveling full time in a 16ft camper with two big dogs and one small hamster. Equally at home in festival settings, listening rooms and house concerts, their commanding stage presence, engaging performances and affecting songwriting won them The Listening Room Network’s Artist of the Year in 2019 and the Independent Music Awards Americana Song of the Year for their song “The Hardest Part. In 2021, they released We’re Only Family If You Say So, an album about what it means to be family, and what it means to lose it. With singles debuting on American Songwriter, The Bluegrass Situation and Grateful Web referring to the album as “a must listen,” it has been embraced by fans for its stark honesty, unique storytelling and well-crafted melodies. June 15 – Rees Shad & The Conversations Songwriter, storyteller, multi-instrumentalist Rees Shad is a master of alluring melodies and short story songs whose characters interact and reoccur in eloquent musical vignettes. An accomplished musician, composer, and creative, Shad has an impressive catalog of wide-ranging music and narratives. Shad grew up absorbing the NYC music scene and immersing himself in vintage blues, jazz, folk music, country, classic rock and punk before moving to upstate New York to embrace a more rural lifestyle. An experienced studio engineer, musician, and producer, he has happily and determinedly reinvented himself musically over the decades evolving and honing vision and craft. Imbued with a style & wisdom rare in contemporary music, his new album One Glass at a Time, strikes a fresh vein of meaning and melody, imagining a flourishing, reflective future built upon the loves and life lessons of the recent past. July 20, Aaron Nathans & Michael G. Ronstadt Cello-guitar duo Aaron Nathans & Michael G. Ronstadt never lose their capacity to surprise. On their upcoming collection of songs, they put new spins on American history and legend. There’s an ode to Alan Turing and the birth of the computer, as well as a pop song about the minting of a new programmer; a ballad about the last days of a beloved ballpark; and a whimsical tonal country-tinged tribute to a long-lost atonal musical trend. They combine wild musicality with soaring beauty and accessible hooks. They respect the roots of folk tradition, while always trying something different. Nathans, from the Philadelphia area, is an award-winning leader in the Philly songwriting community. Ronstadt, a member of his famous family from the Arizona-Mexico borderlands, is now a Cincinnati-based cello bandleader, teacher, touring artist, and much in-demand studio sideman. August 17, Grace Morrison Nashville-based singer-songwriter Grace Morrison brings a cast of relatable characters to every performance. She’s a daughter, a loner, a confidant, a partier, a restless rambler seeking an escape from small-town life, and finally, a mother. She has written with Nashville based multi Grammy winner Lori McKenna and country hit maker Barbara Cloyd. In 2022 she has already completed a cross country tour from Cape Cod to Utah and back with a busy festival season forthcoming. Awards have piled up along the way. A 2022 Songwriter Serenade and New Song finalist; in recent years she has also been named the Grand Prize of the New England Songwriting Competition (MA); the Wildflower Festival (TX) performing singer-songwriter contest and the WPRI Rhode Show Big Break. Grace was selected to be an Official Showcase performer at SERFA (TN), SWERFA (TX), and she was selected for the Emerging Artist Showcase at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival (NY). September 21 – Rod Abernethy Rod Abernethy is a unique blend of an authentic southern folk troubadour, master acoustic guitarist and award winning composer for film, TV and video games. Rod is the 2021 Overall Grand Prize Winner of the International Acoustic Music Awards and the 2019 Winner of American Songwriter’s Bob Dylan Song Contest. His latest album “Normal Isn’t Normal Anymore” produced by Grammy nominated producer Neilson Hubbard (Mary Gauthier, Kim Richey, Glen Phillips) includes songs and instrumentals that revolve around family, friends and places across the Deep South. Rod has scored and produced music for over 80 video games including Electronic Art’s blockbuster hit Dead Space which won a BAFTA Award in 2009 and Tolkien’s The Hobbit for Vivendi Universal winning Video Game Soundtrack of the Year in 2003. Rod is also an adjunct professor of music composition at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston Salem, NC. October 19 – Kemp Harris Kemp Harris defies categorization. He is a singer-songwriter; a master weaver of American musical styles; an actor, activist, author, storyteller, and educator who taught young public school students for over 40 years. Kemp has acted in films and TV shows such as SMILF, and is comfortable sharing the stage with artists like Taj Mahal, Koko Taylor, and Gil Scott-Heron, as well as performing shows with his smokin’ band. Kemp’s powers of observation, his unique gift for shining a light on our modern world and

Registration Now Open! We’re excited to announce that registration is now open for the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) Conference, taking place in Asbury Park from November 9-12, 2023! Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to be a part of a dynamic community and grow your artistic career. Early registration pricing is available on a first come first serve basis. We are currently in the “Earliest Bird” phase with registration starting at $250. Get up to date information on opportunities and registration now at https://nerfaconference.org!   Showcase Opportunities This year’s conference will feature a wide variety of showcasing opportunities for artists, providing you with the chance to perform and connect with fellow musicians, presenters, and industry professionals. Be prepared to immerse yourself in an uplifting community experience, as we come together to celebrate our shared love for music and the arts. Visit the NERFA Conference website for more information on these opportunities!   Panels, Workshops, and Peer Groups (oh my!) In addition to the amazing performances, you’ll be able to attend workshops and panels led by industry experts, aimed at equipping you with the knowledge and tools you need to succeed in the music industry. From networking to marketing, from performance techniques to career planning, our workshops and panels have you covered. Don’t miss this opportunity to join us for an unforgettable experience at the 2023 NERFA Conference. Secure your spot today!

Welcoming New Board Members to the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance The Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) is thrilled to announce the addition of two newly appointed board members: Joel Elliot, and Tara Shannon. Both brings a wealth of experience and passion for music, philanthropy, and community engagement. This strengthens NERFA’s mission to support and promote Roots, Folk, and Americana artists and presenters in the North American Northeast Region. Joel Elliott Joel Elliot joins the NERFA Board with valuable experience from his tenure at Folk Music Ontario since January 2020. Prior to that, he spent a decade at The Conference Board of Canada, organizing and marketing numerous conferences and webinars. Active in the Ottawa music scene, Joel and his partner were former co-hosts of The Monday Special Blend on 93.1 CKCU FM. He has also hosted The Ottawa Music Video Showcase and Live! On Elgin Open Mic on Rogers Cable 22. As a former board member of the Ottawa Music Industry Coalition, Joel still contributes to the programming committee. He helped deliver the 3rd Annual Capital Music Awards in May 2022. With a diverse background as a singer, composer, and entertainer spanning over 20 years, Joel’s expertise and passion for music will be an asset to the NERFA Board. Tara Shannon Tara Shannon, a singer/songwriter from Russell, Ontario, and the founder of Willow Sound Records, joins NERFA’s board with a strong passion for philanthropy. Through her music, Tara has supported various causes, raising funds for a young neighbor with epidermolysis bullosa and raising awareness for aboriginal youth and mental health services. As a mother of seven who balanced family life with a music career, Tara brings an invaluable perspective to the NERFA board. Her experiences as a mother deepened her songwriting and enrich her contributions to the folk community. As we welcome our newly appointed board members, we would also like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to our outgoing board members, Sarah Porter, Kimberly Sinclair, and Michael Kornfield. We appreciate their unwavering dedication and service to NERFA. Their contributions have been invaluable, and their passion for supporting the folk community has greatly impacted NERFA’s growth and development. We wish them all the best in their future endeavors, and we know they will continue to make a difference in the world of music.

Touring as a musician can be one of the most exhilarating and rewarding experiences… but what fewer people talk about is that it can also be one of the most draining and demanding. Not only can it affect your physical and mental health but it is a financial drain for acts of all shapes and sizes that has only gotten exponentially expensive since the pandemic. NERFA has sought to making touring a better, safer, and easier experience for our community, but our international family is now facing a serious threat to their ability to tour in the States. The United States Department of Homeland Security wants to RAISE the cost of the visa that international musicians need to perform stateside. And this isn’t a small raise… it’s 251% from $460 to $1615 for the more common O-type visas and 260% from $460 to $1655 for the P-type visas! And that’s in USD when the exchange rate continues to greatly favor Americans.   We at NERFA are requesting an immediate call to action for our US community on behalf of our international brothers, sisters, and non-binary siblings who desperately need our help to stop this injustice asking musicians to pay for US immigration programs – essentially reaching into the pockets of artists to help the US government to pay its bills. Submit a Formal Comment Here! What can you do to help? Send a formal statement or request to keep OR LOWER visa prices to your federal representatives. Phone your federal representatives and express your opposition to the proposed increases. Phone calls are more effective than emails. Speak out about these proposed changes at your performances and ask your audiences to take action. Include this call to action in your next newsletter. Contact your fellow musicians, venues, friends, family—anyone you know!—and share this call to action with them. We need to continue to support ALL of our community in making touring as rewarding an experience as possible and REMOVE as many barriers to success as possible. With your help and your voice, we can make a difference to do just that for artists throughout the world that need our help. Thank you in advance, Justin Nordell (he/him/his) NERFA President Justin began at the Philadelphia Folksong Society over a decade ago before taking a job with a recording studio in Texas. Justin became culturally promiscuous upon his return to Philadelphia, working with the Pennsylvania Ballet, Philadelphia Film Festival, FringeArts, etc., with a pit stop as Director of Business Development for a law firm, before returning to PFS as Executive Director in 2015 until 2023. 

Thank You to Everyone Who Contributed to the NERFA 2022 Conference! NERFA Volunteers Trish Brangs, Janice Brill, John T. Casey, Lois DeRitter, Bernie Drury, Andrew Dunn, Steafan Hannigan, Dennis Howard, A.J. Kiernan, Mary Lutz, Suzanne Marshall, Dennis McDonough, Sarah Murdoch, Dennis O’Brien, Jill O’Brien, Bob Safranek, Gary Schoenberger, Peter Shafran, Kirk M. Siee, Saskia Tomkins, and Sara Williams Showcases  Formal Showcase Judges: Ron Olesko, Tamara Kater, Dallis Allen, Jeff Raspe, Lynette Wiley Formal Virtual Showcase Judges: Ron Olesko, Jeff Raspe, Tamara Kater Formal Showcase Emcees: Justin Nordell, Marilyn Bea Meyer, Cheryl Kagan, Sarah Porter & Matt Ramer Formal Showcase Production: Bob Safranek, Kirk Siee, Peter Shafran, Andrew Dunn, Bernie Drury NERFA Private Showcase Room Hosts: Scott Wolfson, Andrew Dunn, Dan & Jeremy Gottfried Open Mic Hosts: Rob Hinkle (Johnny & June Room), Ryan Fitzsimmons (Bang Bang) Committees & Coordinators Programming Committee: Sarah Porter, Biff Kennedy, Meghan Cary, Christian Domecq, Heather Aubrey Lloyd, Dan Gottfried Infrastructure Committee: Dan Gottfried, Pam Robinson, A.J. Kieran Communications Committee: Barbara Shiller, Molly Lewis Site Selection Committee: Barbara Shiller, Pam Robinson, Justin Nordell, Coco Wilde  Volunteer Coordinators: Pam Robinson, Rachel Mare Schachter Private Showcase Coordinators: Dan Budne, Pam Robinson Teams, Directors, Consultants & More Virtual Production Team: Kellie Lin Knott, Matthew Clowney On-site Social Media Team: Molly Lewis, Sarah Murdoch, Saskia Tomkins Technical Director: Aidan Lewis; Tribal Mischief Conference Website and Graphics: Scott Wolfson B&H Consultant: Christian Domecq Videographers: Steafan Hannigan, Christian Domecq, Aidan Lewis Audio Production: Mountain Top Productions: Terry Mutchler, Peter Nabut, and J.T. Moyer Shuttle Bus Drivers:  Kathy & Patty! Thank You To Our Sponsors Thank You To Our Partners

We’re Back! In keeping with our goal of providing accessibility, the conference will be streamed live for virtual attendees and virtual showcasing opportunities (formal and guerrilla) will be offered to virtual attendees.   It is our pleasure to announce the 2022 conference will be held in Asbury Park, New Jersey on November 10 – 14. We miss our community and are eager to get back together under one roof.   But hold on! The conference will be held under multiple roofs this year as the DJ Showcase, Open Mic, Workshop Panels, and Exhibit Hall will be at the Berkeley Hotel at a fantastic daily rate.  Click here to access our special rate!     The formal showcases, Keynote Speakers, and Awards Ceremony will be just down the street at the legendary Stone Pony music venue. But we Are Still Virtual In keeping with our goal of providing accessibility, the conference will be streamed live for virtual attendees and virtual showcasing opportunities (formal and guerrilla) will be offered to virtual attendees. Opportunities for Everyone Attendees will have the opportunity to engage in more educational sessions, showcases, networking, and career-building activities than ever before whether they attend in person or online.  To stay up to date on your career opportunities, follow us on social media and bookmark our website.