Following a week of Folk Unlocked, I am feeling rejuvenated. I tip my bowler to Aengus Finnan and the entire Folk Alliance International staff and volunteers for producing an amazing event unlike anything I have ever seen. The reimagined conference accomplished most of the goals we hope for while keeping us all safely at home.
It has been exciting a part of the folk music community during the past year. The resilience and creativity you have all shown while remaining committed to bringing this music into the homes of so many isolated people has inspired me. This has been a remarkable period of time in the story of folk music. I want to thank Annie Capps, Briana Lane, Nicholas James Thomasma, Karen Rigotti, and Smitty Smith for their weekly and often daily commitment to the creation and daily maintenance of FARM Virtual Connections. We are grateful to all of you who have shared this experience with us. This has something special.
While we have all learned how to connect virtually, we are also eager to be with you again. We have designated April 15 as a date that we plan to make a decision about the conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan in late October. We are currently gathering all of the information available to make an informed decision. Our first commitment is to your health and safety. Our hope is that we can safely gather.
Before I sign off I want to thank everyone who has helped to support FARM financially during these difficult times. The loss of the 2020 conference has limited our ability to generate the revenue we depend on to support our ongoing programming. Your sponsorships and donations continue to help us to survive and generate Virtual Connections and hopefully a conference this coming fall. I encourage everyone with the ability to visit our sponsorship and donation opportunities. It is deeply appreciated.
Thank you for keeping us all in song during these difficult times.
Charlie Mosbrook
President – FARM