Folk Alliance International (previously the North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance) is a non-profit organization that produces an annual conference that is the world's largest gathering of the folk music industry and community. Founded in 1989, FAI is an advocacy, professional development and networking organization, and is one of the five largest music conferences in North America. As of 2016, FAI has a membership of approximately 3,000, and a budget of $1,000,000 USD.
Members include record companies, publishers, presenters, agents, managers, music support services, manufacturers and artists that work in the folk music industry.
Aengus Finnan is the current executive director, who joined the organization in July 2014. FAI currently has 7 full time staff members, and 8 contract staff members who work for the organization from various international locations.
Folk Alliance International (FAI) is now the official name of the former North American Folk Music & Dance Alliance. Their headquarters are currently in Kansas City, Missouri. The conference has been in Kansas City since 2014 and will remain there through 2018.
Folk Alliance International has five regional affiliates that provide conferences in their respective markets: Southwest Regional Folk Alliance (SWRFA), Folk Alliance Region Midwest (FARM), Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA), Folk Alliance Region West (FAR-West), and Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA). FAI defines 'folk' as "anything rooted in tradition, indigenous to one's culture. The organization consists of a large variety of songwriters, storytellers, bluegrass, blues, soul, old-time, traditional, global roots and world music, spoken word, Celtic, cajun," etc.
In addition to the conference, FAI provides a range of member benefits, including a non-profit group exemption program for U.S.-based organizations, an FAI/PRO House Concert Agreement Program, and Visa Writing Services. They also offer to their membership special discounts with various companies covering insurance, publications, travel, and manufacturers.
Annual conference
The annual conference is an event that draws together music industry professionals from throughout the world to share ideas, network, and showcase emerging, mid-career, and legendary artists. Held over five days, the conference includes a keynote speaker, awards shows, over 2,400 registered attendees from 18 countries, 75 exhibitors, 150 panels & workshops, 200 juried official showcases, and over 2,800 private showcases held late at night. The conference is always held at a local hotel, and while in Kansas City has been at The Westin Kansas City at Crown Center.
Each conference typically has a theme. The 2017 theme was Forbidden Folk, and was meant to "celebrate activism in art and look at the ways folk music has, in the past and currently, played a role in labor movements, the civil movements, environmental movements, pacifist movements and political movements as the voice of the people".[1]
2017 Conference Artwork
List of conferences
List of past and future conferences(as available).[2]
Enriching the Folk Community Through Multicultural Diversity
1995
Building Community
1996
Expanding Alliances—A Capital Idea
1997
Window on Our World
1998
Rich at the Roots
1999
Under One Sky
2000
Spanning the Centuries
2001
Tuned to the World
2002
Southern Exposure
2003
none
2004
One Strong Voice
2005
none
2006
For the Sake of the Song
2007–2014
none
2015
Planet Folk
2016
Cultural Crossroads
2017
Forbidden Folk
2018
30 Years of Community and Song
References
^Janovy, C.J. "Folk Alliance Raises Clenched Fist, With Ukulele, For 2017 Conference in Kansas City". Retrieved August 10, 2016.
^"Past Conferences – Folk Alliance International". folk.org. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
External links
Folk Alliance International official site
The Never-Ending Revival: Rounder Records and the Folk Alliance by Michael F. Scully (University of Illinois Press, 2008)
February 02, 2023
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A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject It may require cleanup to comply with Wikipedia s content policies particularly neutral point of view Please discuss further on the talk page August 2016 Learn how and when to remove this template message Folk Alliance International previously the North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance is a non profit organization that produces an annual conference that is the world s largest gathering of the folk music industry and community Founded in 1989 FAI is an advocacy professional development and networking organization and is one of the five largest music conferences in North America As of 2016 FAI has a membership of approximately 3 000 and a budget of 1 000 000 USD Folk Alliance InternationalAbbreviationFAIFormation1989Typenon profit music organizationPurposefolk music advocacy education and performanceHeadquartersKansas City MissouriExecutive DirectorAengus FinnanBudget 1 000 000Staff7Websitefolk orgMembers include record companies publishers presenters agents managers music support services manufacturers and artists that work in the folk music industry Aengus Finnan is the current executive director who joined the organization in July 2014 FAI currently has 7 full time staff members and 8 contract staff members who work for the organization from various international locations Contents 1 Folk Alliance International 2 Annual conference 3 List of conferences 4 Conference themes 5 References 6 External linksFolk Alliance International EditFolk Alliance International FAI is now the official name of the former North American Folk Music amp Dance Alliance Their headquarters are currently in Kansas City Missouri The conference has been in Kansas City since 2014 and will remain there through 2018 Folk Alliance International has five regional affiliates that provide conferences in their respective markets Southwest Regional Folk Alliance SWRFA Folk Alliance Region Midwest FARM Southeast Regional Folk Alliance SERFA Folk Alliance Region West FAR West and Northeast Regional Folk Alliance NERFA FAI defines folk as anything rooted in tradition indigenous to one s culture The organization consists of a large variety of songwriters storytellers bluegrass blues soul old time traditional global roots and world music spoken word Celtic cajun etc In addition to the conference FAI provides a range of member benefits including a non profit group exemption program for U S based organizations an FAI PRO House Concert Agreement Program and Visa Writing Services They also offer to their membership special discounts with various companies covering insurance publications travel and manufacturers Annual conference EditThe annual conference is an event that draws together music industry professionals from throughout the world to share ideas network and showcase emerging mid career and legendary artists Held over five days the conference includes a keynote speaker awards shows over 2 400 registered attendees from 18 countries 75 exhibitors 150 panels amp workshops 200 juried official showcases and over 2 800 private showcases held late at night The conference is always held at a local hotel and while in Kansas City has been at The Westin Kansas City at Crown Center Each conference typically has a theme The 2017 theme was Forbidden Folk and was meant to celebrate activism in art and look at the ways folk music has in the past and currently played a role in labor movements the civil movements environmental movements pacifist movements and political movements as the voice of the people 1 2017 Conference ArtworkList of conferences EditList of past and future conferences as available 2 Year City Venue1989 Malibu California Camp Hess Kramer1990 Philadelphia Pennsylvania Howard Johnson North1991 Chicago Illinois Holiday Inn O Hare1992 Calgary Alberta Marlborough Inn1993 Tucson Arizona Ramada Downtown1994 Boston Massachusetts 57 Park Plaza1995 Portland Oregon Red Lion Lloyd Center1996 Washington D C Renaissance Hotel1997 Toronto Westin Harbour Castle Hotel1998 Memphis Tennessee Cook Convention Center Crowne Plaza1999 Albuquerque New Mexico Albuquerque Convention Center Hyatt2000 Cleveland Ohio Cleveland Convention Center Sheraton2001 Vancouver British Columbia Hyatt Regency Vancouver2002 Jacksonville Florida Adam s Mark Jacksonville2003 Nashville Tennessee Renaissance Hotel2004 San Diego California Town amp Country Resort2005 Montreal Quebec Hyatt Regency Hotel2006 Austin Texas Hilton Hotel2007 2012 Memphis Tennessee Memphis Marriott Hotel2013 Toronto Delta Chelsea Hotel2014 2018 Kansas City Missouri Westin Hotel Crown Center2019 Montreal Quebec Queen Elizabeth Hotel2020 2025 TBD TBDConference themes EditYear Theme1989 1993 none1994 Enriching the Folk Community Through Multicultural Diversity1995 Building Community1996 Expanding Alliances A Capital Idea1997 Window on Our World1998 Rich at the Roots1999 Under One Sky2000 Spanning the Centuries2001 Tuned to the World2002 Southern Exposure2003 none2004 One Strong Voice2005 none2006 For the Sake of the Song2007 2014 none2015 Planet Folk2016 Cultural Crossroads2017 Forbidden Folk2018 30 Years of Community and SongReferences Edit Janovy C J Folk Alliance Raises Clenched Fist With Ukulele For 2017 Conference in Kansas City Retrieved August 10 2016 Past Conferences Folk Alliance International folk org Retrieved August 10 2016 External links EditFolk Alliance International official site The Never Ending Revival Rounder Records and the Folk Alliance by Michael F Scully University of Illinois Press 2008 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Folk Alliance International amp oldid 1054677565, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
