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FAR-WEST ANNUAL CONFERENCE
This year's FAR-West Annual Conference will be held November 6-8, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency Irvine in Irvine, California
There are three (3) types of showcases at this year's conference:
1. PREMIERE SHOWCASES
Premiere Showcases at FAR-West provide a targeted opportunity for traditional, contemporary and multicultural folk music, dance and related performing artists to perform for key concert presenters, venue owners, radio programmers and a variety of others in the music industry focusing on folk and acoustic music in the Western US. Many presenters throughout the West book their venues and concert series for the next year from the talent they discover at FAR-West.
The juried Premiere Showcases present a diverse, high quality representation of the best of the artists who apply. Our panel of judges includes multiple people with varied backgrounds and musical interests including concert programmers, house concert presenters, radio programmers, previously showcased artists and other business contacts. Artist selection will be based upon a combination of multiple genres of music categories and talent.
This year there will be three Premiere Showcase rooms which will run concurrently. The Premiere Showcases will be held on Friday and Saturday nights from 6:45 pm - 10:15 pm. Each artist will have 25 minutes to play. The additional five minutes is for "load in" and "load out." It is important that the showcases run on time.
We will once again be accepting both SonicBids submissions and hard copy submissions. The cost for submitting via hard copy is slightly higher because of the additional work on our end. Regardless of the method used to submit, please submit 3 songs, a bio, a photo and a stage plot. The deadline for submissions is June 30, 2009. For hard copies, your package must be received by June 30th.
Any artist may apply to showcase. All artists selected to showcase will need to be current Folk Alliance members at the time of the conference, register for the conference and pay a $50 production fee. Selected artists are expected to defray their own travel and lodging expenses.
To submit electronically, go to Sonicbids.
To submit a hard copy please print the hard copy submission form: Premiere Showcase Application, complete it and send it along with your CD, bio, photo and stage plot to:
Deborah Ching
PO Box 372
Nederland, CO 80466
2. The Susanne Millsaps Memorial Coffeehouse (SMMC):
Once again in 2009, FAR-West is thrilled to host the Susanne Millsaps Memorial Coffeehouse. The Coffeehouse is a fabulous opportunity for artists to showcase for conference attendees. This year we are thrilled to be hosting the showcase in a centralized location - the suite in the center of the Private Guerrilla Showcase floor.
Susanne Millsaps was host and producer of a morning drive time show on KRCL, a 25,000-watt non-commercial station in Salt Lake City. She co-hosted Magpie House Concerts, home of bright & shiny music, booked talent for the Founder's Title Folk & Bluegrass Festival, and was a board member of both FAR-West and the Intermountain Acoustic Music Association. She was a warm, caring friend, and she is deeply missed.
The SMMC will feature 30 minute sets with three artists in the round. This will give each artist the opportunity to play two songs and to show some artistic expression. Should an artist wish to play a longer song or give a longer introduction, they can forego their second song. The SMMC will be hosting showcases for 3 hours each night (Friday and Saturday) beginning at 10:30 pm. These showcases will not be amplified.
This year we are hosting a special Java Jump Start showcase in the Coffeehouse on Saturday at 10:30. This is a special bonus showcase that will be awarded to the winner of a drawing. The drawing will be open to all artists registered for the conference who do not have a Premiere Showcase and want to participate. In your tote bag at registration you will find a raffle ticket. Separate the two pieces and place one half into the box on the registration desk no later than 11:45 am on Saturday. At some point during the Awards Luncheon a ticket will be pulled randomly from the box and the holder of the lucky ticket will be given the opportunity to play the first set in the Coffeehouse on Saturday night. This special set will not be in the round.
To perform in the Coffeehouse, artists must be current members of Folk Alliance and be registered for the conference. There is no additional fee to perform in the Coffeehouse.
Garret Swayne will be booking the SMMC slots. If you would like to perform in the coffeehouse, please send him an email: "Garret"
3. PRIVATE "GUERRILLA" SHOWCASES (PGS)
FAR-West is pleased to offer everyone the opportunity to present their own Private "Guerrilla" Showcase. This year we are excited to be able to have all of the PGS rooms on a single floor of the hotel.
The PGS rooms are a fantastic opportunity to share your music or the music you love with others. These showcases are presented by conference attendees in their hotel rooms to feature themselves, their artists, their favorite artists, the artists they most want to see, their friends, etc... All hosts and performers in PGS rooms must be current Folk Alliance Members and be registered for the conference. Amplification in PGS rooms is allowed only for electric instruments and should be kept to a minimum to avoid sound bleed.
PGS rooms will be rented on a first-come, first-served basis. All PGS rooms must be booked through FAR-West (not the hotel). This can be done via the registration page. The cost for a PGS room this year will remain $185/night. This cost includes room charge, room tax, hotel surcharge and insurance. It does not cover incidental charges, chair rental or gratuities. Once you have reserved your room, you must also download, complete and return the "Private Guerrilla Showcase Contract." Your room will not be confirmed until this is received.
This year we were able to contract with the hotel to allow PGS room hosts to purchase and bring in food and non-alcoholic beverages from outside of the hotel. Please note that for insurance purposes you must purchase all alcoholic beverages from the hotel.
This year each showcase room will have the opportunity to purchase two guest passes per night. The passes will cost $10 each. Room hosts can give the passes to friends or family in the area who might want to join in the fun or resell them to artists playing in their room who might want them.
FAR-West will once again be hosting the "New Stars in the West" room. This showcase will be held Friday and Saturday nights for four hours beginning at 10:30 pm. Eligible artists are all artists for whom this will be their first FAR-West Conference and who do not have a Premiere Showcase. Most slots will be filled by lottery. The deadline for submitting your name for the lottery is July 15, 2009. We will guarantee a slot to those who would be willing to host the room for a minimum of 2 hours. Interested artists should email: Dana Charnofsky
DOWNLOAD PRIVATE "GUERRILLA" SHOWCASE CONTRACT HERE:
To download the PGS Contract (in ".PDF" format) click on the link above.
(PC users right click on link and select "Save Link As"; Mac users click and hold.)