Huntington Resident Participates in Folk Alliance International Conference in Kansas City

Michael Kornfeld, a longtime Huntington resident and president of the Folk Music Society of Huntington, was an active participant in the 28^th Annual Folk Alliance International Conference in Kansas City, Mo., Feb. 17-21., 2016.

While there, he moderated a well-received panel discussion on “The Original Folk Revival;” that was interspersed with songs performed by panelists and musical luminaries David Amram, Eric Andersen, Si Kahn and Happy Traum; promoted several independent recording artists; and mentored others on various strategic communications and public relations topics. He also enjoyed dozens of showcases featuring artists from throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe and Australia. Prior to the conference, Kornfeld, an elected member of the Folk Alliance International board of directors, participated in two days of board meetings.

Shown in the attached group photo taken at the Folk Alliance International Conference are (l.-r.): Dave Siglin, Eric Andersen, Betsy Siggins Schmidt, Happy Traum, Si Kahn, Michael Kornfeld and David Amram.

Attracting more than 2,500 people, the Folk Alliance International Conference is ranked among the five largest music conferences in North America. This year’s conference featured a series of professional development sessions (workshops and panel discussions); a keynote address by legendary artist Judy Collins; regional and peer group meetings; mentoring sessions; a large exhibit hall; daily receptions; and plenty of opportunities for networking and jamming. Four nights of artist performances included nearly 200-juried official showcases and some 2,000 private in-room showcases that extended late into the night and early morning hours.

Folk Alliance International (www.folk.org) is a nonprofit organization that seeks to nurture, engage and empower the international folk music community – traditional and contemporary, amateur and professional – through education, advocacy and performance.

Besides serving on the Folk Alliance International board, Kornfeld is vice president of its northeast regional affiliate (NERFA). A strategic communications and PR consultant, he also is editor and publisher of AcousticMusicScene.com — an online publication for the folk, roots and singer-songwriter communities. Kornfeld organizes the annual Huntington Folk Festival in conjunction with FMSH and the Huntington Arts Council, and he helped to forge a locally heralded arts partnership between FMSH and the Cinema Arts Centre.