NERFA is the northeast regional afiliate of Folk Alliance International (www.folk.org), a Kansas City, MO-based 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. Our goal is to provide opportunities for our members to network regionally and advance the overall mission of Folk Alliance International to:
- Increase understanding of the rich variety, artistic value, cultural and historical significance, and continuing relevance of folk music among educators, media and the general public. (Education),
- Provide a bridge to and from folk music organizations and needed resources, and to help those organizations link with their constituencies. (Networking),
- Influence decision-makers and resource providers on the national, state, provincial, and local levels — ensuring the growth of folk music. (Advocacy),
- Support and encourage the development of new and existing grassroots folk music organizations. (Field Development),
- Strengthen the effectiveness of folk music organizations by providing professional development opportunities. (Professional Development).
To help accomplish these goals, NERFA holds an annual four-day conference where artists, agents, booking agents, venue and festival promoters, recording industry professionals, graphic artists, folk DJs, journalists, photographers, publicists and production professionals get together to exchange ideas, learn by attending workshops, panel discussions and seminars, participate in an exhibit hall, attend formal showcases of juried performing artists, and go to private and guerilla showcases hosted by performers, agents and promoters. NERFA has expanded its outreach by holding more local one-day conferences within its region, as well as NERFA Showcase concerts at venues around the region and NERFA Presents Young Folk showcases at various festivals in both the U.S. and Canada.
2015 Boston Music Award Winners, The Blue Ribbons was formed by singer/songwriter/keyboardist James Rohr. They have been building a base of devoted fans with their original and soulful music. Described as “Ray Charles and Tom Waits on a pirate ship with Sun Ra and Captain Beefheart,” they combine “upbeat disillusionment and celebratory fatalism with musicianship” – Charan Devereux; Boston Globe.
Together and individually, the members of The Ribbons have performed and/or recorded with lots of other people who make good music too.
All very active musicians, each member of The Blue Ribbons brings his influences and experiences to the music and this is at the heart of their creativity. Anything goes in this band, and it usually does.
Sarah Kilborne is a performance artist, author, and activist. Her work has been featured on The Today Show, in the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and more. She’s written books for both children and adults (fiction and non-fiction) and has performed as both a singer and dancer with a variety of people. In 2013 she produced and co-starred in a music video for marriage equality, Yes Sir That’s My Baby, which lead to the creation of The Lavender Blues. In addition to performing, Sarah is currently writing a book about the women featured in the show. She is also founder of the equal rights campaign Kiss for Equality and has written about LGBT issues for Slate, The Huffington Post, The Advocate and more.
Axel Belohoubek (Accompanist) is a professional pianist, multi-keyboardist, composer, and vocalist with more than 35 years in the music industry. Known for his style diversity, meticulous sound design, and exceptional chops, he has worked on projects from tour preproduction for David Bowie and Madonna to original scoring for advertising, corporate industrials, television series, documentaries, and independent film. Originally a classically trained pianist, he also performs with jazz, rock, R&B, EDM, Latin, Irish, and other bands, produces artists in his own recording studio (additionally playing guitar, bass, percussion and more), and teaches privately.
A virtuoso multi-instrumentalist and award winning songwriter with a distinctive voice, Molly has turned the heads of even the most seasoned industry professionals. She began performing on stage when she was 11, and recorded her first album, The Old Apple Tree, at age 13. Since then, she’s appeared on A Prairie Home Companion and at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, was featured on the cover of Flatpicking Guitar Magazine, won first place in the prestigious Chris Austin Songwriting Competition at Merlefest, and, this fall, received a Momentum Award from the International Bluegrass Music Association in the instrumentalist category. Her lovely voice, impeccable guitar playing, and sensitive song writing make her a star on the rise. She has already received more than two million YouTube views and is currently gearing up to release her first solo EP.
