Folk Alliance Strategies

This article originally appeared in the May/June 2003 issue of Singer Magazine. It is © 2003 Benjamin Bernstein.

NOTE: Thanks to reader contributions, this article has become a “living document”. I invite you to add your special insights on the subject by emailing me at BJB@BJBmusic.com. Reader contributions will be added at the bottom of this page as they are received.
    All contributors’ names and emails will be listed, unless they ask me not to. Finally, I may edit contributions for length and/or clarity, although I’ll try to keep my meddling to a minimum!

Folk Alliance Nashville 2003: Conference Strategies 

By Benjammin

 Know yourself – Show yourself

Folk Alliance is a unique opportunity for career advancement

The International Folk Alliance Conference (www.folk.org) is an amazing experience. The workshops provide valuable insights into both the creative and business sides of the music scene. The music – more than 2000 performances by hundreds of acts – will delight your ears. And the opportunities for career advancement for the singer/songwriter are everywhere.
        I was initiated into the world of Folk Alliance at the 2000 Cleveland conference,  as I was just getting serious about a music career. Even as a naïve newcomer, I was greeted with smiles and hugs -- as if, in this corner of the music world, the spirit of the ‘60’s had never died.
        Cut to the most recent conference (February 6-9) in Nashville. It’s four years later and I feel I am still a minor player. But I’ve learned enough to pass on some helpful pointers.  

Showcasing

Use whatever connections and relationships you have to get into whatever showcases you can. I host my own showcase, “Benjammin’ Presents…” – I named it after myself to increase my name recognition – and use it as leverage to swap into other people’s showcases. (My “guerilla” showcase is, like most, on a designated music floor in a sleeping room in the official conference hotel.) A post to the Folk Alliance listserv (http://folk.org/Services/MS.htm) and the dedicated showcase listserv (http://mail.grassyhill.net/showcase) offering to swap slots should bring you several replies. Inviting well-known performers into your showcase will enhance its credibility.
        An early start helps – September is not too soon to start planning your February showcase.
        In addition, there are usually a few open stage rooms where you can show up and play. Busking within the conference hotel - for exposure instead of money - is also commonplace: you can play in the hotel lobby, stairwells, and any available public area you can find. 

Postering

Print full-color posters to promote your showcases. Your poster will have lots of competition, so make sure your name and face(s) jump out. Include your most impressive quotes and accomplishments. You probably won’t know the showcase room numbers until you get to the conference, so bring Sharpies to write them in.
        Print letter-size posters. Larger ones are more likely to be covered up when the boards get full, which happens fast. I used bold, full-color, letter-size posters this year: they were rarely covered over, and nearly everyone I spoke with told me that they were seeing my face “everywhere!”.
        Arrive at the conference early so you can start postering as soon as the official boards are up. Hit every one: eye-level placement at a board’s highest-traffic edge is best. Carry a stapler and clear tape. Post immediately to claim your space even if you don’t know all your room numbers. (You can write them in later.) Check your posters once or twice a day, and reposition any posters that have covered yours.
        Even if your posters don’t draw huge crowds to your showcase room, they will definitely serve another important function: familiarizing the folk community with your name and face. 

Handouts

Print full-color postcard-sized handouts with your showcase and contact info on the front, and your best quotes and accomplishments on the back. (Include your picture!) I recommend pre-perforated, four-to-a-sheet postcard stock. These are most effective when personally handed out.

Exhibiting

Exhibit tables are not that expensive, and significantly increase your visibility. Your primary goal as an exhibitor is to get people who can book you to attend your showcases! Many venues will not book a performer they haven’t seen live, so do whatever you can to entice them to hear you at the conference.
        Your second goal is to distribute demos; I gave out 130 in Nashville. Bookers and radio are top priority, but don’t be stingy: a buzz can spread fast when enough people get excited about you. Also, many performers book venues, so you never know who may be a booker in disguise!
        At your table, set up a couple of CD players, with headphones, continuously spinning your demo. Bring plenty of CD demos and several hundred one-sheets. To enhance your visibility, hang a six-foot vinyl banner featuring your name and website on the front of your table. Other nice touches are Christmas lights, unique snacks, and a 3-foot tabletop easel or professional tabletop display. 

Demos

With vocal pitch correction and other digital wizardry now so ubiquitous, many venues no longer trust studio recordings when making booking decisions. Most bookers now prefer a well-recorded live demo that shows how you actually sound onstage. They also want to hear your audience interaction skills, so include your song intros (on separate tracks, ideally). When making the live recording, it’s best to record each input on a separate track so you can have more control over the final mix. (Set up a separate mic to capture audience response.)
        Four contrasting songs is enough. Be sure your full contact info is on the CD packaging, the CD itself, and - for that matter - on every other thing you’re giving out. 

Sleeping

Since you’ll be up until the wee hours every night – the guerilla showcases run until 3 a.m. - a strategically timed power nap can help you maintain your energy and focus. 

Follow up

Always get each booker’s contact info when you give them a demo. Ask how long you should wait before following up, and whether you should call or e-mail. Then do what they say!

        Most people describe their first International Folk Alliance Conference as “overwhelming”. However, going in knowing what to expect will give you a great head start on how to know yourself and show yourself. 

SIDEBAR: Know Where You’re Going 

“Folk” is a word that everyone seems to define differently. I call it “emotionally authentic, mostly acoustic music that doesn’t fit a mainstream radio format”. This embraces hundreds of traditional, ethnic and modern subgenres, as well as the inevitable exceptions (like Groovelily’s electric “smartpop”). 

Authenticity. Folk is the opposite of the corporate music world in one especially wonderful way: rather than changing yourself to fit the current trend, your chances of success increase the more you fully embrace who you really are! Folk audiences tend to be small, intimate and perceptive, and they want a unique and authentic musical experience. Identify what really excites you and put it out there whole-heartedly. Others share your point of view, and you will find your audience if you persist. Even if it’s a tiny sliver of the pie, dig into it – niche marketing can be very rewarding, both personally and professionally. 

Patience. Overnight success does not exist in this market, even if you’re God’s gift to music. Let’s face it: folk constitutes less than 1% of the U.S. music market. Radio play and media exposure are great when you can get them, but you will only build a fan base through extensive touring and building a mailing list. There’s a whole lot more journey than destination, so be sure you enjoy the traveling! 

Be helpful. This is a world where we all help each other. Do whatever you can to assist your fellow folkies: gig leads, a place to sleep, a showcase opportunity, or a helpful listserv post. Don’t expect anything back, but don’t be surprised if more good things start coming your way! 

Keep learning. www.bjbmusic.com/For%20Musicians.htm will link you to a universe of great sites for performing songwriters. Jeri Goldstein’s book How to Be Your Own Booking Agent is an indispensable resource for indie performers. 

Persistence. Attend the international conference every year, as well as the regional Folk Alliance conferences in regions where you want to tour. Maximize your visibility with the strategies detailed in this article. It takes several years of consistent effort to become “one of the family”.

Benjammin’, winner of the OSCA Songwriting Contest, is a performing songwriter based in Asheville, NC. The Mountain Xpress called him “a clever songwriter, skilled guitarist, and highly entertaining solo acoustic performer.” His e-mail is BJB@BJBmusic.com; his website is www.BJBmusic.com.

REMINDER: Thanks to reader contributions, this article has become a “living document”. I invite you to add your special insights on the subject by emailing me at BJB@BJBmusic.com. Reader contributions will be added at the bottom of this page as they are received.
    All contributors’ names and emails will be listed, unless they ask me not to. Finally, I may edit contributions for length and/or clarity, although I’ll try to keep my meddling to a minimum! 

Added 8/28/03. I would suggest bringing "drugs" such as antihistamines, cold meds, pain relievers, homeopathics - what ever - and a water bottle. Drink plenty of water to keep from getting dehydrated. Most of us are not used to the rigorous schedule involved at the conferences and when you are tired and run down is when your body wants to take a break. Getting a runny nose - headache - cough etc right before your showcase can be a disaster. I usually carry these things to all gigs - just in case.....
    Shelley Stevens,  Sweetwater/Tweetwater Productions
    shelstev@attglobal.net

Added 8/28/03. Even though you might manage to schedule a bunch of showcases, you need to be prepared to have nobody attend. There are way too many artists (performers) vs listeners/bookers/DJs etc. and you are always in competition with much better known names. And since there are usually 20 showcase choices at any given hour, there is a danger you can wear yourself thin by giving people too many options to see you (it's the old "I really want to see performer no 1, so I'll see performer no.2 the next time he/she's showcasing". Of course the NEXT time, there's another agonizing choice to make, and so on). Which often results in one person showing up to listen to you. I had someone showcase in the Martin suite who no one showed up to hear. He performed for me and the other Martin employee.....
    The other thing to consider is, if you are so busy running around showcasing in different rooms, you may end up missing some wonderful things that transpire when you just walk around the halls.....
    regards,
    Robin Greenstein
    RobinPG@aol.com