Sing Out! The Folk Song Magazine: Events

This year's Smithsonian Folklife Festival at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. will celebrate the music and culture of Oman, the centennial of the United States Forest Service, and music in Latino culture. From June 23 through July 5, 2005 the festival will explore these topics through musical performances, craft demonstrations, illustrations of work lore, community heritage and celebrations and discussions of traditional and grass roots culture. You can find out more by visiting <www.folklife.si.edu/festival/2005/>.

The 2005 MOVA Arts Festival is now accepting submissions for its Songwriters' Competition. Contestants will vie for cash, recording and performance prizes. Early Bird deadline is May 15 and the Night Owl deadline is June 15. The festival, held September 15 through 18 in southeastern Alabama is also looking for artists in all fields who are willing to demonstrate their skills to visitors. Selected demonstrators will be reimbursed $50 or more of their exhibit fee if they agree to demonstrate at least four hours during the weekend. For more information on contest guidelines and art exhibits, visit: <mova.mountainvalleyartscouncil.org>.

On June 9, the day that guitar pioneer Les Paul will celebrate his 90th birthday, he will also receive the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award at The Songwriters Hall of Fame 2005 Awards dinner. The award honors an industry veteran who is a pioneer in his/her craft and who is considered influential and inspiring to the music community. Other honorees at this year's event include Steve Cropper, John Fogerty, Isaac Haves and David Porter, Richard and Robert Sherman and Bill Withers. The Abe Olman Publishers Award will be given to Beebe Bourne, president of the Music Publishers Association, and Henry Juszkiewicz, chairman/CEO of the Gibson Guitar Corp will receive the Patron of the Arts Award.

Narrative Music Canada, in partnership with Sonicbids and a host of partners, has officially launched INSC 2005 the International Narrative Song Competition. A Grand Prize along with song and lyric prizes will be awarded in the following categories: Romantic Love, Historical Circumstances, Journey of Self-Discovery, Cultural, Spiritual Identity and Other Human Relationships. All entries must be submitted by November 9, 2005, and will be evaluated by a music industry representative. Winners will be announced by January 9, 2006. For more information, go to <www.narrativemusic.ca/insc.html> or write NMC, P.O. 446, Sioux Lookout, ON PST 1A5, Canada.

The DIY Music Festival was held in early February 2005 in Los Angeles as part of the DIY Convention. Among those indie musicians recognized was contemporary folk singer-songwriter Amilia K. Spicer whose song "Seamless" (the title track to her latest CD) was named Song of the Year. Amilia and her co-producer Ed Tree also took home the "Producer of the Year" Award for production on Seamless. Amilia performed at the 2005 Grand Finale showcase at the ExPlex in Los Angeles on February 10, and at other stages and times during the four-day convention. A complete listing of winners is available at <www.diyconvention.com>.

Last issue's review of Liz Meyer s The Storm (pg. 113) mistakenly named Mark Cosgrove as her touring partner; although he helps out on the album, they no longer tour as a duo.

The review on page 127 of Woody Guthrie's Happy Joyous Hanukah contained an editorial mistake that implied that Woody wrote the melodies for the album's songs. Those tunes were in fact created by The Klezmatics.

Following the very successful first conference in October 2004, the 2005 FARWest Conference will be held October 28-30 at the Warner Center Marriott, Woodland Hills, Calif. The regional organization is deeply committed to moving the conference to other parts of the far west and believes that the 2006 conference will take place in northern California. Mark your calendars now, and watch for further announcements. Help is always needed, so consider volunteering for the organizational phase or the conference itself. For more information: <www.far-west.org>.

After an eight year absence, the Grand Master Fiddler Championship will resume competition on October 28th and 29th, 2005 during World of Bluegrass week in Nashville, TN. This contest, previously the premier fiddle championship of its kind, was an active competition from 1972 through 1997 when it was sponsored by WSM Radio and the Grand Ole Opry. To re-establish the competition, the newly formed nonprofit corporation Grand Master Fiddler Championship Inc., was created by Howard Harris and Ed Carnes. The competition will be held in conjunction with the International Bluegrass Music Association's trade show and fan festival. For entry guidelines, go to <www.grandmasterfiddler.com> or contact Ed Carnes at 615-791-1995.

The sixth annual Americana Music Conference will return to the Nashville Convention Center September 8-10, with a full schedule of professional panels, presentations, roundtables, trade show, and more than 40 daytime and evening showcases. During the Conference, the Americana Honors and Awards ceremony will take place on September 9. Awards nominees, guest performers and presenters will be announced over the coming months, along with additional special events that make September "Americana Music Month." Registration details and artist showcase submission information for the conference are posted on <www.americanamusic.org> or available by calling 615-321-3456.

The 25th Annual Tejano Music Awards were held March 19 at the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino Complex in Eagle Pass, Texas, along the Texas-Mexico border. This was the first time they have been held outside San Antonio, which is considered to be the capital of Tejano music. Winners included: Jay Perez--Male Vocalist, Entertainer; Shelly Lares--Female Vocalist, Entertainer; Jimmy Gonzalez y Grupo Mazz--Tejano; Solido--Trad Conjunto; David Lee Garza y Los Musicales--Progressive Conjunto; DJ Kane--Urban Tejano Album; and Los Desperadoz--Vocal Duo; For the rest of the music winners and for the complete listings of the industry awards: <www.tejanomusicawards.com>.

The premier world music expo known as WOMEX is being held from October 26-30 in Newcastle Gateshead, U.K. at the new Sage Gateshead building. Dedicated to world, roots, folk and ethnic musics, WOMEX features a trade fair, conference and music showcases from a diverse range of global artists. Online registration and other info is available on <www.womex.com>.

The Children's Music Network National Conference will be held September 30-Oct. 2 of this year at Lake Lawn Resort, Delavan, Wisconsin. There will be workshops in peace and justice songs, early childhood music, international music, song swaps, marketing yourself and more. For more information contact CMN, P.O. Box 1341, Evanston, Ill., 60204-1341; 847-733-8003; <www.cmnonline.org>.

Any aspiring artists out there should check out the 2005 U.S. Indie Band and Film Expo, which will take place in Beaumont, Texas from August 19-23. More than 500 bands, filmmakers and artists are expected to participate in this showcase for unsigned acts of all genres. It is a five-day event with four outdoor music stages and an indoor screening of film, video and animation projects. Conferences, workshops, panel sessions and seminars will also be featured. Distributors, publishers, agents, managers, publicists and record labels will attend. For more information visit <www.usindie.com>.