Private Showcases
Below is 2022 info. Stay tuned for 2023
2022 Private Showcase Hosts (click)
Note: We will only be running 9 rooms each night. Some rooms are only hosting for one or two nights.
Janet’s Planet – FULL
Contact: Janet Feld – janet@janetsplanetmusic.com
Trinity House Theatre – FULL
Contact: Angela Ward – abbondi1155@hotmail.com
Made in Colorado – FULL
Contact: Ellie Tomasso – ellietomasso@gmail.com
Baker Booking – FULL
Contact: Bruce Swan – bruce@bakerbooking.com
Jenny and Robin’s Room – FULL
Contact: Jenny Bienemannn – jenny@jennybienemann.com
Tip o the Mit Songwriters/ Redsky Stage – FULL
Contact: Sean Miller – sean@seanmillermusic.com
Folknet
Contact: Charlie Mosbrook – chmosbrook@gmail.com
Uncorked – FULL
Contact: Loretta Sawyer – writelor@aol.com
Traditional Room
Contact: Joan Hellmann – hellmann@umich.edu
New Folk Room
Contact: Andy Baker – andybakermusic@gmail.com
First Timer Room
Contact: Smitty Smith- info@farmfolk.org
The private showcase area is always an exciting and inviting place to be!! Private Showcases will run from 10:30pm to 2:30am each night of the conference (Thur, Fri, Sat).
It is always the goal at FARM to make sure everyone who wants to perform has at least one opportunity to do so. To that end, we are asking performers and bands to limit themselves to 3 showcases. We’ll be soliciting cooperation from hosts to help by not over-booking the same artist.
We expect to have fewer rooms this year. Estimating 8-10 Private Showcase Rooms open each night this year, utilizing as many as 20 hosts possibly only hosting a single night each. This will be based on our attendance which is expected to be a bit lighter this year and we need to be able to pivot for a number of reasons. We’re looking into the possibility of holding the Private Showcases in the conference rooms rather than hotel rooms. Stay tuned for more on that.
Important Dates:
June 15: Private Showcase applications period opens
Aug 15: Private Showcase Hosts are announced; Hosts may begin booking
Sept 1: Deadline for hosts to pay for showcase room and register for conference
Oct 1: Deadline for hosts to submit final lineup to be included in printed program
More Private Showcase Info
We did our best to anticipate all questions so please read through everything here before contacting us but if you can’t find your answer related to the application or other general questions contact Charlie via charlie@farmfolk.org. Any questions regarding First-timer room or to sign up you can contact Smitty at info@farmfolk.org.
Interested in hosting a Private Showcase Room?
Based on prior year’s experience, we expect there may be more people who are interested in hosting a room than we will be able to accommodate. We want to offer a wide range of opportunities for people to participate while not spreading the audience too thin. We appreciate your enthusiasm, but depending on how many people apply, we may not be able to give you a room to host. Even if you have hosted a private showcase room in the past, please do not assume that you will be selected to host this year, and under no circumstances should you offer a slot to a performer unless you are notified that you have been selected to host a room.
Thank you for you’re cooperation and understanding!
Private Showcase Info & Etiquette
We want to thank all of our hosts for hosting. Private Showcases take place from 10:30 PM to 2:30 AM Thursday, Friday & Saturday night time (which is more accurately Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning but for our purposes it’s still night time). It’s possible that rooms will be hosted by different folks on different nights. See the new Private Showcase program for complete listings.
Hosts may have their own rules in addition to this but here are a few reminders.
PLEASE BE COURTEOUS!
- Watch your volume: We certainly want you to be enthusiastic but remember that there are performers right next door and we want everyone to have the best opportunity to be heard.
- Watch your time: This may seem obvious but please arrive on time, end on time and get out of the way for the next performer. We ask that you do your pre- and post-set networking and socializing as quietly as possible or better yet, out in the lobby.
- Plan ahead: Prepare your set in advance and time it so you know how long it will take and then pad it for talking or tuning.
PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL!
Hosts are responsible for the condition of their rooms. Snacks and beverages are allowed; however, if you partake in a room’s offerings, not only do we expect you to clean up after yourself, we trust you’ll stay for at least one showcase!
NO AMPLIFIED INSTRUMENTS!
Sorry but while we know some folks are able to keep the volume down, it’s a can of worms we don’t want to open. This is an all acoustic performance. Please plan accordingly.
ADVERTISE YOUR SHOWCASE! We encourage you to spread the word about your showcases. It’s appropriate to make small handouts with your showcase schedule but don’t make so many that you waste a lot of paper. Get creative!!
PLEASE HAVE FUN!!
This is primarily for audience members but we hope our performers will have fun as well! We trust you’ll have a hard time deciding where to go, but make sure you schedule in some acts you’ve never heard before. Discovery is the best part of any conference!
Important Info for Hosts
- Once you have been confirmed as a host you will pay for your Private Showcase Room via the FARM Store Choose “FARM Private Showcase Room Fee”. Pay one fee per night that you will host a room. This fee must be paid by September 1.
- The fee for hosting a private showcase room is $35 per night.
- Things will look a little differently this year. Our private showcases will be in larger conference rooms rather than the traditional hotel room. This we hope will allow attendees to enjoy private showcases with more open space, allowing audiences and performers a better opportunity to protect their health.
- With this change, it is important to let you all know that private showcase hosts will need to plan to lodge in separate hotel rooms. FARM WILL NOT be providing hosts with rooms where they can sleep. Hosts will also need to plan any storage needs. The showcase rooms will be made available to hosts at dinner on the day of your showcases. Rooms will need to be cleaned up following each night to allow for other activities during the daytime hours.
- There will be plenty of chairs in the room.
- Private Showcases will be allowed Thursday, Friday & Saturday nights beginning at 10:30 pm and ending at 2:30 am. You are free to set your own schedule within this timeframe. (i.e. start later, end earlier)
- Absolutely NO amplification will be allowed, and all rooms must be quiet after 2:30 am.
- Full conference registration is required for ALL performers and hosts and host helpers.
- Some Private Showcase hosts may choose to charge the showcasing artists a small fee to help offset the cost of their room, refreshments and advertising. This is optional and at the discretion of each individual host. Set times and number of performers ‘in the round’ per set is also at the discretion of each host.
- Three Showcase Limit: It is always the goal at FARM to make sure everyone who wants to perform has at least one opportunity to do so. To that end, and to avoid over-booking the same artist, we are asking artists to limit themselves to 3 showcases (this includes Official Showcase, DJ Showcase, and all Private Showcases; however it does not include Performance Lane.) We expect that when booking, Private Showcase hosts will ask each performer if they have already booked three showcases and not book them if they have; and we expect performers to be aware of the number of showcases they have booked and not seek further bookings once they have three.
- FARM will once again host a First Timer Room, free of charge to musicians. A performance in this room DOES count towards the four performance limit.
We will need your final line-up by October 1. You will be provided with a template to use, we need to have the info in a very specific format.
How to Solicit Private Showcase MUSICIANS or HOSTS
Private Showcase Host contact information will be posted here starting in August.
Click HERE for info on how to join our listserve, which is the primary communications tool for soliciting gigs in private showcases. And while you’re on that page, signup for the newsletter email list (if you haven’t already). The newsletter will keep you very informed regarding the conference and all FARM activities.
Once you are signed up for the listserve and hosts are announced on August 15, performers and hosts can send emails to everyone else on the list serve, stating your interest in performing in a private showcase room.
Performers may also contact the hosts directly by email once the host emails have been announced (about August 1).
Some Private Showcase Hosts may choose to charge the showcasing artists a small fee to help offset the cost of their room, refreshments and advertising. This is optional and at the discretion of each individual host.
ABSOLUTELY NO guerrilla or any other type of in-room showcasing will be allowed in any other rooms or at any other times.
NOTE: Three Showcase Limit
It is always the goal at FARM to make sure everyone who wants to perform has at least one opportunity to do so. To that end, and to avoid over-booking the same artist, we are asking artists to limit themselves to 3 showcases (this includes Official Showcase, DJ Showcase, and all Private Showcases; however it does not include Performance Lane.) We expect that when booking, Private Showcase hosts will ask each performer if they have already booked 3 showcases and not book them if
they have; and we expect performers to be aware of the number of showcases they have booked and not seek further bookings once they have three.
Sign up to receive our newsletters to be notified when this information is updated.
NOTE TO FARM FIRST TIME ATTENDEES:
We will again have a Private Showcase room reserved for first time attendees (1st timers). If this is your first time registering for FARM, you are eligible! The 1st Timer room will feature a series of 30 minute In The Round performances, each consisting of three 1st time attendees. Spots in this room will be assigned based your request with priority based on REGISTRATION ORDER.
Email our First Timer Room Coordinator of your interests, and tell him any date / time preferences to help him schedule you.
NOTE: THERE IS NO CHARGE FOR PERFORMING IN THE FIRST TIMER ROOM. FARM IS HAPPY TO SPONSOR THIS PRIVATE SHOWCASE ROOM!