by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
When 1,400 members of the Folk Alliance fill hotel rooms in the Adam’s Mark Hotel, spend money all over town and perform at the Florida Theatre for three nights starting Thursday, it should be viewed as an unexpected perk for the area’s economy.
This year’s annual International Folk Alliance Showcases are in Jacksonville for the first time and maybe not the last. But the three-day conference wasn’t supposed to come to Jacksonville at all.
“We plan these things years and years and years in advance,” said Janet Braun, the conference manager. “We were supposed to be in Pittsburgh this year but they knocked down their convention center. They told us they were rebuilding and would have nine rooms ready. We had a contract for 24 rooms. That was about 18 months ago and in the world of conference planning, that’s a short time.”
Braun and the board members of the North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance and the Network of Cultural Centers of Color told Pittsburgh thanks but no thanks, and quickly began looking at alternatives. Logistics were also a big issue, especially considering one of the highlights of the annual conference is the arrival of two FolkTrains. After considering both Austin, Texas and Baltimore, Md., the Folk Alliance selected Jacksonville.
Over the next three days virtually every facet of folk music will be addressed. Along with many performers, the conference will attract broadcasters, producers and fans.
“There’s a lot going on and a lot of networking going on,” said Braun.
The 2,500-member group, which is headquartered in Silver Spring, Md. just outside of Washington, D.C., is truly international with members in the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe. Braun said the membership is about 80 percent American, 15 percent Canadian and 5 percent international.
“The minister of culture to the Swedish Consulate will be here,” said Braun.
The first conference was held 13 years ago in Malibu, Calif. and has since been held in Toronto, Cleveland and, last year, Vancouver. While coming to Jacksonville wasn’t planned, with strong ties to the Broward Folk Club and the Friends of Florida Folk, a Florida conference seemed inevitable.
In addition to networking and entertaining, the conference will also provide educational opportunities for its members and the curious alike. Daytime seminars and workshops will be complimented by nightly performances at the Florida Theatre.
The Folk Alliance will also present three lifetime achievement awards during the performances. Hazel Dickens, Harold Leventhal and Bill Monroe will all be recognized for their impacts on folk music and dance.
Braun said a return engagement in Jacksonville isn’t out of the question, but isn’t likely either. Past snowstorms in Vancouver and Toronto certainly helped make Jacksonville a popular choice — “The conference is always in February and we’ve been trying to get to Florida,” said Braun — but odds are good the conference will continue its nomadic ways.
“I recently did an e-mail survey of our membership and they liked the idea of moving around each year,” said Braun.