The Northeast Regional Folk Alliance organization, which runs the truly impressive music conference I go to in the Hudson Valley every November, decided to do a one-day version of the event in the Boston area. I think the idea was to give musicians and presenters in the (folk) music-rich Boston area who might not have thought to go to the full NERFA a taste of what it was like, in the hopes of luring them to the big NERFA. Or at least fulfilling some of the NERFA mission among some folks who might not otherwise experience it. The event was this past Saturday. I was not ready for it. It’s the end of the semester and extremely busy (along with other unexpected complications that arose at the end of the week), and I’m mostly just hoping to make it through the next week or two still breathing, before I really start to focus back in on my music career. In addition, I’d submitted my materials for the juried showcase but wasn’t chosen, so it didn’t seem likely I’d have much of a chance to get my music in front of people who wanted to hear it. And my confidence level waxes and wanes, and I’ve definitely been in a waning phase. So I did not feel psychologically, or even practically, prepared for the event. And I wasn’t sure if it would work – a lot of what makes NERFA as great as it is happens in and around the formally-scheduled things, including in the guerrilla showcases into the wee hours of the morning. But to cut to the chase: it was both extremely enjoyable and fantastically useful. And had some benefit in getting my confidence back. One of the best things about NERFA, that I did not anticipate before I’d been to my first conference, is that most of the people involved, on all ends of the process, are great people. I had feared competitiveness and obnoxiousness, and it’s really not like that. So, even though I’m an introvert, there are people I’ve come to know and like over the few years I’ve been involved, and people (not just from the Boston area) I was happy to see and catch up with. It’s also always fun to hear good music, and the showcases are a great opportunity to enjoy rising talent. But the rest of this conference was surprisingly useful for me. The first part was networking. As with networking in my other profession, I’ve found it works best when I really just think of it as communicating with, and helping, people I like. There were a couple musicians there who I’d listed when I’d submitted for gigs recently and the place asked for “other musicians you’d work well on a co-bill with.” In a case or two they’d been contacted (even if in one instance it didn’t end up working out) which builds good will, and we talked about the possibility of trying to do some shows together. It was in conversation with one of those people that I joined a collective conversation with some people I don’t know; she introduced me to someone who is involved with booking two different venues, who responded by saying “oh yes; I know who you are – I’ve seen you play at Passim and I think my husband has you on our list of people to contact.” Sure enough, I met her husband shortly thereafter, who said all sorts of great things about my music and my voice, and by the end of the conference I was booked as an opening act – in October 2012 – for this great (and well-conceptualized) concert series. I ran into other people I’d met at NERFA who knew my music and had advanced it in various ways, which made me feel like I actually knew what I was doing. (And explaining NERFA to some local friends who were there and had never been made me feel like old hat at this kind of thing.) A few other things went well in the day. First, Vance Gilbert was doing a performance workshop. Despite my decision not to do his workshop the following day, I screwed up my courage to be ready and on deck – sitting right up front and ready – to have a performance critique, even if he’d make me take my glasses off. (What matters less in this context is the critique itself than being a good sport in a room full of people who might consider paying attention to your music.) I didn’t get chosen. He only got to two people and they were essentially people he’d promised to work with in advance, but I felt proud of my willingness to put myself out there, considering my previous wimpiness on the topic. And I talked to him afterwards about doing a private session, which might be more helpful anyway, because he won’t be in performance mode himself. Second, I submitted Crawfordsville for the On The Griddle workshop, which is the one where they play a short cut (40 seconds here, as opposed to 60 at the big NERFA) of a track, anonymously, and then the panel comments on it. Interestingly the way it ran here was less useful for publicity (because unlike at big NERFA you weren’t asked whether you wanted to identify yourself afterwards), but it also made it a little less stressful, and made things move more efficiently. I learn a lot listening to the critiques of others’ music, but I was also astonished that almost all the feedback on my song was positive and indicated that the lyrics and production had caught their attention and they wanted to hear more of the song – even the WUMB guy. Next step is to screw up my courage to submit my CD to WUMB. Third, when I got there I submitted my name for the lottery for the open mike – there were only 12 slots and essentially every musician there who didn’t have a showcase submitted a name, so the odds were low. But I was chosen! So I did get to play a song, and it went well, and the person introducing me knew my music and said nice things about my and my voice when he introduced me. I gave some CDs to some people and talked to some DJs (especially folks on the Griddle panel), met some musicians I didn’t know and reconnected with some I hadn’t seen for awhile. I have new ideas, and new inspirations. It was a successful day!