I am looking forward to another busy and rewarding week at the SERFA (South East Regional Folk Alliance) Conference in Montreat, NC on May 13-17. For more information about the conference, go to www.serfa.org.

THURSDAY 3:15pm – 4:30pm • Workshops Sessions • 75 minutes

NETWORKING 101 Art Menius – ROOM 218 Ever wonder how to get the most out of a conference like SERFA or Folk Alliance or any other gathering? Come to this workshop and get practical how to’s on how to effectively prepare before a conference, tips on relationship building and following up. Enjoy SERFA more and attend your next event with confidence that you were well prepared to take advantage of it and get the most from your participation.

FRIDAY 11:00am – 12:15pm / Workshop Sessions / 75 minutes

PRESENTER’S PANEL Steve Johnson – MerleFest; Jennifer Pickering – LEAF Community Arts; Jim Magill – Swannanoa Gathering; Michael Kornfeld – Folk Music Society of Huntington; Art Menius – Arts Centers/Arts Venues – Lakeside Here’s where you can get the skinny on what venues/festivals are looking for in hiring the artists they book, what challenges they face in getting audiences to attend, what you can do to help, various tips for a successful show and much more. Always a popular offering at SERFA and especially with the varied expertise on this panel.

FRIDAY 3:45pm – 4:45pm • Community Hour

WOODSONGS FRONT PORCH ASSOCIATION Michael Johnathon – Lakeside The WFPA is a new association for all folksingers, front porch pickers, songwriters, artists, poets, dreamers, song farmers, fans and families. Get FREE tickets and showcase to the first Gathering Sept 25 and 26 PLUS help send rural, organic music into schools nationwide. Find out more about the WFPA and how you can be part of it.

SATURDAY 9:30am – 10:45am •

Wisdom Of The Elders: THE ROUNDER ROUNDTABLE dedicated to the memory of Guy Carawan

Alice Gerrard, Si Kahn, and the Rounder Founders – Ken Irwin, Marian Leighton Levy, Bill Nowlin – hosted by Art Menius – Convocation Hall

Sonny Ochs created the Wisdom of the Elders interviews at the NERFA conference. In 2013 it spread to both the Folk Alliance International Conference and to SERFA and has rapidly become an essential feature of our Folk Alliance gatherings. At SERFA 2015 we have an exciting and special Wisdom panel called “The Rounder Roundtable.” We’ll bring together the three founders of Rounder Records – Ken Irwin, Marian Leighton Levy, and Bill Nowlin – with “Elder repeater” Alice Gerrard, who recorded for Rounder as half of Hazel and Alice, and Si Kahn, who has released and rereleased recordings on Rounder Select and Rounder’s Philo imprint. All came from outside the South, but became deeply involved in its culture and social issues. Art Menius, the first president of Folk Alliance International, will facilitate our session.

SATURDAY 3:30pm – 5:00pm • Mentor Sessions •

Art Menius – Touring and working with Art Centers and Arts Venues

My friends Sherman Lee Dillon and Dennis Cash will be hosting private showcases in Room 218 Friday and Saturday nights with a festival-strong lineup

FRIDAY

Room 218 DILLON CASH ROOM 10:45 Neptune’s Car 11:00 Dennis Cash 11:15 SHERMAN LEE DILLON & DENNIS CASH 11:30 Jon Shain 11:45 Heather Pierson Acoustic Trio 12:00 Sherman Lee Dillon 12:15 SHERMAN LEE DILLON & DENNIS CASH 12:30 Mike Agranoff 12:45 Spook Handy 1:00 Dennis Cash 1:15 SHERMAN LEE DILLON & DENNIS CASH 1:30 Janne Henshaw 1:45 Dennis Cash

SATURDAY

Room 218 DILLON CASH ROOM 10:45 Cosy Sheridan 11:00 Sherman Lee Dillon 11:15 SHERMAN LEE DILLON & DENNIS CASH 11:30 Wyatt Easterling 11:45 Natasha Borzilova 12:00 Dennis Cash 12:15 SHERMAN LEE DILLON & DENNIS CASH 12:30 Kaia Kater 12:45 Caroline Cotter 1:00 Sherman Lee Dillon 1:15 SHERMAN LEE DILLON & DENNIS CASH 1:30 David Russell 1:45 Sherman Lee Dillon