SaskMusic, along with showcasing artists Berk Jodoin and Ellen Froese from Saskatchewan, will be attending and presenting at the annual Folk Alliance International Conference, February 1-5, 2023 at the Westin Crown Center Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri. The theme of the 2023 Folk Alliance International Conference is Facing the Future: Sustainability in Folk Music.
This is SaskMusic’s first year back in person after participating virtually for the past three years.
The 35th annual conference provides the world’s largest gathering point for folk music artists and industry from around the world, with an estimated attendance this year of 2000 delegates. The event encompasses a wide array of genres including Appalachian, Americana, Blues, Bluegrass, Celtic, Cajun, Global Roots, Hip-Hop, Old-Time, Singer-Songwriter, Spoken Word, Traditional, Zydeco, and various fusions).
During the day, conference panels cover relevant industry topics, along with networking and peer gatherings for agents, labels, festivals, and artists, speed meetings, artist mentorship meetings, and Affinity Group sessions for communities like BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, Women, Folks 55+ Folks with Disabilities, and more. In the evenings, Official showcases present an event-curated selection of artists chosen from thousands of international submissions, while Private showcases turn hotel rooms into tiny music venues, with presenters from around the world offering their curated selection of artists in an intimate, acoustic setting.
This year we are partnering with Alberta Music, Manitoba Music and Music BC under the BreakOut West banner to sponsor an official showcase stage. Berk Jodoin was selected by Folk Alliance through their official showcase submission process for this opportunity.
Sat, Feb 4 in the Liberty Room
6:00 pm The McDades
6:45 pm Ben Sures
7:30 pm Suzie Ungerleider
8:15 pm Raine Hamilton String Trio
9:00 pm Harry Manx
9:45 pm Berk Jodoin
As well, we are partnering with Alberta Music, Manitoba Music and Music BC under the BreakOut West banner to present a private showcase room with artists from the 4 provinces:
BreakOut West Room #641, full artist schedule: breakoutwest.ca/folkalliance
Berk Jodoin and Ellen Froese will be performing in the BOW room and additional private showcase rooms as follows.
Ellen Froese
- Wed night, Feb 1, 11:00-11:30pm: Independent Venue Week Room 840
- Wed night, Feb 1, 12:00-12:30am: BreakOut West Room 641
- Thur night, Feb 2, 10:30-11:15pm: The Music Bin Room 854
- Thur night, Feb 2, 11:30pm-12am: BreakOut West Room 641
- Fri night, Feb 3, 10:30-10:50pm: JWP Promotions Room 749
- Sat night, Feb 4, 12:00-12:20am: Yellow Canary Room Room 738
Berk Jodoin
- Wed night, Feb 1, 11:00-11:30pm: BreakOut West Room 641
- Wed night, Feb 1, 1:30-2:00am: Access|Song Camp Italy Room 730
- Thur night, Feb 2, 12:00-12:40am: The Music Bin Room 854
- Fri night, Feb 3, 11:00-11:30pm: BreakOut West Room 641
- Fri night, Feb 3: 12:00-12:15am: Ontario & Friends Room 740
- Sat night, Feb 4: 12:30-1:00am: Indigenous Voices Room 556
About Berk Jodoin
Indigenous singer/songwriter Berk Jodoin hails from the Northern community of Pierceland, Saskatchewan. Berk tells stories that most people would choose to ignore. His carefully crafted songs captivate listeners emotionally, fusing his influences like Steve Earle and Waylon Jennings to create soulful storytelling with just the right amount of gravel. Half Breed, his newly released second album, is even more cultivated and polished than his self-titled debut, with the writing and narrative displaying more experience, maturity and vulnerability. Berk hopes that sharing these stories with audiences through song can help to bring awareness and understanding to the difficult issues that he writes about.
About Ellen Froese
Ellen Froese is what you'd call a “prolific artist”; committed, too. For someone who only just passed the threshold of their mid-20s, she's amassed a resolutely solid body of work with a variety of projects. For Each Flower Growing, Froese's fourth full-length, produced in collaboration with the Sheepdogs' Sam Corbett, is her most accomplished statement to date, drawing on her established sound as a folk & country-based singer/songwriter while incorporating a wider frame of reference in the rich production, supple instrumentation, and overall sonic soundworld. It's much harder to pin down than any simple description can convey, making it all the more worthwhile to check out. Froese recently completed a string of live dates with beloved fellow Saskatchewanians The Deep Dark Woods, and a residency at the legendary Cameron House in Toronto for the month of November. The album is out now via Victory Pool.
About Folk Alliance
Folk Alliance International (FAI) is an international arts non-profit and NEA-designated National Arts Service Organization based in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. Founded in 1989, they’re a community of passionate and driven artists, managers, agents, DJs, festivals, record labels, fans, and more. They exist to keep the tradition of folk music thriving through preservation, presentation, and promotion.
Folk is more than just a genre of music. They’re committed to the ethos of folk by creating a welcoming and inclusive space for all, no matter what it takes. They understand the value of folk music and where it fits in with the broader arts community and have dedicated their lives and careers to pushing the genre forward and breaking boundaries. They’ve built their community over the years to include an expanded global network of more than 3,000 cultural sector entrepreneurs and leaders. Through responsive programming built on the foundation of community building, and dedicated resources intended to support those who create this art form, they hope to continue sharing the music of the people for years to come.
This year’s theme will address the sustainability of the folk genre, careers and businesses in the music industry, and the environment that supports us.
How were the artists selected?
Berk Jodoin was selected for an official showcase by Folk Alliance through their own official showcase submission process, from amongst thousands of applicants from around the world. This selection reserved a spot for Berk in our private showcase room. Ellen Froese was then selected for our additional private showcase spot following a SaskMusic open call for submissions. Due to a low number of applications received this year, an internal jury was held with our final artist selection then being approved by Folk Alliance.
SaskMusic thanks Creative Saskatchewan for their support of this project under the Market & Export Development Program.
