Folk Alliances Launches Winter Music Camp in Kansas City, MO

~ The 26th annual Folk Alliance Conference will run alongside the Inaugural Music Camp

Since the finish of the pinnacle 25th annual Folk Alliance Conference in Toronto, ON, Canada, Folk Alliance has been one busy organization. The office made the move to Kansas City, MO from it’s long standing home in Memphis, TN in April, and will be stretching it’s conference legs for the next five years in an amazing new two-hotel Crown Center. The International Folk Alliance Conference is an annual event that draws together musicians, educators and music industry professionals from throughout the world to share ideas, network, and celebrate traditional music and dance. It is an event of celebration, education, community, opportunity and entertainment. With over 2000 registrants, 200 official showcases, 100+ exhibitors, 50+ panels and workshops, and much much more, there’s something to offer for everyone from fan to artist to label.

Folk Alliance is excited to present a huge variety of eventswithin the conference, one of which includes the legendaryGraham Nash as Keynote Speaker for this year’s camp and conference. A founding musician of both the iconic Crosby, Stills & Nash, and The Hollies, Graham has released a candid and riveting biography entitled “Wild Tales”and those who attend the Folk Alliance Conference or Winter Music Camp will have an opportunity purchase the book, and have it signed by Graham.

Also among the many events, will be a Global Climate Change Presentation by Former US Vice President Al Gore, who now spends the majority of his time as chairman of The Climate Reality Project, a non-profit devoted to solving the climate crisis. He is the author of several bestselling books on climate change, the subject of an Oscar-winning documentary, and is the co-recipient, with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for “informing the world of the dangers posed by climate change.”

There’s so much more to experience in addition to the official Performance Alley showcases at Folk Alliance though, including:

~ Wisdom of the Elders panel with Carolyn Hester, Josh White, Jr, and Harry Taft
~ Opening Reception at the Westin (Wed @ 5:30pm)
~ Opening Night Lifetime Achievement Awards & Honors (Wed @ 7pm)
~ KC Spotlight Opening Night (Wed @ 8:30pm)
~ Film screenings & Feature shows
~ Folk DJ Reception
~ SeeKC tours (Wed & Sun)
~ Exhibit hall
~ Closing Party (Sun)
~ Dozens of panels, workshops and clinics
~ Hundreds of Private Showcases (late night)
~ Networking events, live radio broadcasts, and more!

WINTER MUSIC CAMP
With this new space opening up, Folk Alliance has created a music camp to run alongside the annual conference, featuring some of the finest players and teachers on the planet. The conference will run as usual in the Westin Crown Center Hotel, while the camp takes place in the connected Sheraton Crown Center Hotel, offering beginner, intermediate and master classes in a wide range of styles and with a wide range of instruments and home recording techniques. For a quick synopsis, visitwww.folk.org.

The Winter Music Camp will have late night jam sessions, band participation, special parties, instructor and camper concerts, camp general store, vintage instrument show, record & memorabilia show, kids activities in the attached Crown Center, and over four days of fun & music all under one roof.

FAI CONFERENCE ATTENDEES WILL HAVE ACCESS TO WINTER MUSIC CAMP ACTIVITIES