Folk Alley brochure

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Welcome to Folk Alley!

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hy folk music?” a friend of mine once asked. It’s a reasonable question. In 2003, when FolkAlley.com was officially launched, folk was still thought of as a dusty remnant of a mid-20th century adoration of the acoustic guitar. We had the qualifications to bring folk music forward into a digital world (WKSU had been hosting traditional music on the radio for decades), but would people listen? Could we find an audience?

The answer was a resounding “Yes!” In the crazy logic of the modern age, the Internet – a medium seemingly at a right angle to the anti-electric nature of folk – actually makes it brilliantly easy for fans to find exactly what they want on their playlists. In Folk Alley’s case, that means music that is authentic with instrumentation and storytelling that owes as much to immigrants toting fiddles to Appalachia, field workers writing songs to mask the heavy lifting, and jugbands traveling the Mississippi as it does to Dylan’s break-out singer/songwriter style, Fairport Convention’s British folk rock and the improvisational style of the Grateful Dead.

Folk Alley celebrates the brilliant explosion of music that makes it impossible to confine trad-based, roots-filled, happily unplugged musicians who revel in the chance to redefine the word “folk” and take it well into the next century.

Join us at FolkAlley.com – there’s always time to listen to good music!

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Who We Are

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olk Alley is a non-profit, member-supported music service that supports and promotes contemporary and traditional folk, Americana and roots music through FolkAlley.com, the Folk Alley Radio Show and a 24-hour music stream, available online and through radio stations across the U.S. Produced by public radio driving force WKSU, on the Kent State University campus, Folk Alley is recognized as the industry leader for folk and roots music content. Launched in September 2003, FolkAlley.com is the “coffee house on the Web,” providing worldwide access to streaming audio, exclusive interviews and live performances by top artists.

The music mix that keeps listeners coming back for more includes the best of contemporary singer/songwriters, traditional folk, bluegrass, world, Americana, Celtic, acoustic instrumental and legendary voices – everything that makes folk music truly essential.

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Al Bartholet – Director

In 2001, Al Bartholet became the fourth person to be named general manager of WKSU since the station went on the air in October 1950. Before that, he was WKSU’s director of development and operations coordinator. Al first came to WKSU as a Kent State University student, serving as music director and coordinating all of the station’s jazz, folk and blues programming. He was the guiding force behind forming Folk Alley and building it into an internationally recognized source for traditional and contemporary folk music.

In 2013, Al transitions into a full-time role at Folk Alley.

Jim Blum – Host

Jim has been sharing his love of folk music on WKSU for 30 years, as a host and a past organizer of the Kent State Folk Festival. He grew up in the Northeast Ohio Snow Belt and lives there today in a timberframe house with his family of rescue cats and dogs (the woofers often travel with him to MerleFest, a trip which also includes hikes in the mountains). Jim, a vegetarian, also enjoys sampling India Pale Ales, cross country skiing, gardening and mountain biking.

Linda Fahey – Senior Director of Content

Linda Fahey’s love for folk started during her days growing up in the Boston area. While teaching natural history and environmental science courses at a small college, she presented folk concerts in and around Saranac Lake, NY until a job offer from Garrison Keillor led her to work for ‘A Prairie Home Companion’ as Associate Producer. After PHC, Linda went to work for Red House Records. Today, when she’s not focused on all things folk, Linda is usually paddling her kayak, hiking with her husband and 2 dogs (Luna and Savannah) in the Adirondacks or obsessively following the Red Sox.

Barb Heller – Host

Barb lives in Canton, NY and is a popular host on North Country Public Radio (NCPR). With degrees in biology and chemistry from St. Lawrence University, Barb did the most logical thing after graduation – she became a folk singer. When Danny Gotham left his duties as host of a bluegrass show on NCPR two decades ago, she accepted the challenge and added “DJ” to her skill list. Barb is a familiar face at the Gray Fox Bluegrass Festival, where she regularly serves as emcee.

Matt Reilly – Host

Matt Reilly began his radio career in Austin, TX, working for Triple A KGSR. In 2004, Reilly moved to Philadelphia to work for WXPN, a national vanguard in Triple A music, where he served as the station’s Assistant Music Director and hosted Jamnation, The New Music Show and The Indie Rock Hit Parade. Reilly and his wife, Jennifer, returned to Austin in July 2008 to be closer to family. He is currently a member of the music department at KUT, a recognized leader in eclectic music.

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Kim Ruehl – Music Writer & Critic

Kim Ruehl is a freelance music reporter whose criticism and feature articles have appeared in Billboard, Seattle, and CityArts magazines, as well as online at NPR.org, NoDepression.com, and About.com/Folk Music. She lives in Asheville, NC, where she’s writing a book about Zilphia Horton – the rural Tennessee teacher/musicologist who influenced Eleanor Roosevelt and Rosa Parks, helped turn “This Little Light of Mine” into an activist anthem and introduced Pete Seeger to “We Shall Overcome.”

Elena See – Host

Elena first connected with her inner folkie while working as an assistant producer for public radio’s ‘A Prairie Home Companion’ with Garrison Keillor. From Minnesota, she headed to Maine to work as the music director for Maine Public Broadcasting, and then to Washington, D.C. where she programmed the classical music channels for Sirius XM Satellite Radio and was a host on the folk channel, The Village. Currently, Elena works as a national host and producer for classical music service C24, which, since it’s based in Minnesota, brings her home.

Gene Shay – Host

For more than 50 years, Gene Shay has been the “dean of American folk DJs,” producing folk radio shows every Sunday since 1962 (currently on Philadelphia’s WXPN). A founder of the Philadelphia Folk Festival, he has been called the “Godfather of Philadelphia Folk Music.” Gene was a Charter Board Member of the North American Folk & Dance Alliance, serves on the Board of The Philadelphia Folksong Society and is a voting member on the Board of Governors of NARAS in Philadelphia.

Matt Watroba – Host

Matt Watroba started his life in radio by accident. In 1986, he found himself in the studios of Detroit’s WDET promoting an upcoming music festival. By November, he took over as host of the three-hour folk music show on Saturday afternoons, which he called “Folks Like Us,” for its successful run of over twenty years. As a performer, Matt has played festivals and concerts all over the U.S. and Canada, as a solo, with his group Jukebox Folk or with his longtime musical partner Robert Jones.

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Our Music

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he centerpiece of FolkAlley.com is the 24-hour music stream offering the best in contemporary singer/songwriter, Celtic, bluegrass, Americana, acoustic instrumental and traditional folk to listeners around the planet. That’s only the beginning! Visitors to Folk Alley’s web base have a variety of choices to scratch their roots music itch.

Folk Alley Sessions Intimate one-on-one interviews with the best in folk and roots allow music fans a look into the people behind the microphones. Thanks to Folk Alley’s relationship with Kent State University, most Sessions include video performances as well, taped on campus in Franklin Hall. Sessions can be streamed on-demand from FolkAlley.com or, for Folk Alley members, downloaded as portable MP3 files. Archives are added to monthly and already include interviews with Sam Bush, Solas, Janis Ian, the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Eric Bibb, Carrie Rodriguez, David Bromberg, the Greencards, Jorma Kaukonen, Sara Watkins, Strawbs, David Wax Museum and many others. By building partnerships with KMFA in Austin, TX and a long list of venues, Folk Alley extends its ability to bring listeners musical conversations with everyone from up-and-and-coming artists to the legends of folk.

Live from Folk Alley There’s something thrilling about music played live – every performance is a unique representation of an artist’s talent. Folk Alley embraces the concert performance with Live from Folk Alley. Captured at venues in Northeast Ohio, Upstate New York and at remote events (taking advantage of relationships with NPR, the Kent State Folk Festival and others), Live from Folk Alley takes the online audience straight to the stage. The Decemberists, Punch Brothers, Martin Sexton,

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Karan Casey & John Doyle, Beoga, Nanci Griffith, Belleville Outfit, Richard Shindell and more of the best in folk have already found their way into the archives. Thanks to the Folk Alley Mobile Recording Studio, a wider net has been cast to capture the freshest sounds for listeners. Live from Folk Alley concert recordings are archived on FolkAlley.com and are available for on-demand streaming. Many shows are also made available as an MP3 download as a special Folk Alley member benefit.

Open Mic Not every Folk Alley artist is a seasoned pro. The Open Mic area of FolkAlley.com gives anyone – from amateur to beginning professional to experienced performers – an opportunity to post their original songs and interact with fans and fellow musicians. Open Mic artists are able to create unique pages and upload songs, bios, images and links. Listeners can stream one or all songs and assemble playlists of their favorite music. Each month, an Open Mic musician is chosen as the spotlight artist with songs included in the Alleycast and a profile in the Alley Chat newsletter.

Connecting with the Music For listeners accessing the Folk Alley stream through FolkAlley.com, a pop-up playlist allows them to follow along with the music. By clicking on each song, visitors find links that connect them to song pages on Amazon.com and iTunes if they wish to make a purchase. Those registered on FolkAlley.com may also rate and comment on songs and share music with their social network – bringing more folk fans to the best place for music online.

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On the Road

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n order to bring the freshest sounds to folk fans, Folk Alley hits the road in search of outstanding live performances.

Through relationships with venues and festivals, we have been bringing you exciting music ranging from up-and-comers all the way to music legends. Along with concerts that have been featured in Live from Folk Alley from venues including the Kent Stage in Kent, Ohio, Happy Days Lodge in Cuyahoga Valley National Park and BluSeed Studios in Saranac Lake, New York, artists have been captured at the Kent State Folk Festival (Ohio), BlissFest (Michigan), Nelsonville Music Fest (Ohio), the Folk Alliance International Conference (Tennessee) and the Americana Music Awards & Conference (Tennessee).

Folk Alley has been part of the team coordinated by NPR to broadcast live from the world-renowned Newport Folk Festival (Rhode Island), producing content on-site from Folk Alley’s Mobile Recording Studio.

A gift from a generous donor, the converted RV acts as a moving billboard and allows staff the ability to capture audio across the country – from concerts to intimate backstage interviews. More events are being added to the schedule so that we can offer you unforgettable musical moments happening live on stages throughout North America.

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Multi-Platform Listening

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t is true that you can enjoy Folk Alley anywhere you have access to a computer. Along with listening at FolkAlley.com, the stream is available through iTunes, NPR Music, Windows Media, TuneIn, and Live365. Folk Alley contributes content to the NPR Music section of NPR.org/music, and can be streamed through the websites of Philadelphia’s WXPN and WKAR in Lansing. The Village, a SiriusXM internet station, features Gene Shay’s weekly Folk Alley program, plus a monthly Folk Alley special.

In an age of expanding technology, many cities now offer our syndicated weekly two-hour Folk Alley Radio Show, taking the program back to its public radio roots. Listeners of Iowa Public Radio, West Virginia Public Radio and stations in Ohio, Texas, California, Oklahoma, Washington, Tennessee, Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania can tune their radios to the best of Folk Alley.

Each month, the most recent content from Folk Alley is assembled in the Folk Alleycast podcast. Downloadable from FolkAlley.com, iTunes and NPR.org, the free podcast includes exclusive interviews, live performances and original songs and a spotlight on an Open Mic Artist of the month – all chosen with the listener in mind.

For the ultimate in portability, smartphone users can download a free Folk Alley app for iPhone or Android phones. Plug in speakers and your phone becomes a stereo – or tap into your car’s MP3 player and take Folk Alley on the road. The apps make it simple to stream Folk Alley wherever your life takes you!

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Folk Alley Membership

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olk Alley is a non-profit, member-supported music service that operates similarly to a public radio station. A few times a year, our hosts and staff go online to raise operating funds the old-fashioned way – one donation at a time. Like most public radio stations, your member-level gift earns bonuses. Annual gifts of $60 or more earn the coveted fund drive-free stream that allows members to hear the music they love without the host appeals. Members can also download many of our Folk Alley Sessions and Live from Folk Alley content directly to their computers or MP3 devices, such as an iPod or smartphone. Other benefits include money off car rentals and hotels, discounts on CD purchases from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, live performance downloads from FestivaLink.net and more. Plus, higher level supporters may be able to pick from t-shirts, mugs and folk CDs as a special thank you gift.

Donations to Folk Alley are used to pay staff salaries, secure streaming bandwidth, equipment and for other operating/production costs. Each gift is important to Folk Alley and we are especially grateful for generous support from folk “angels,” whose major gifts make possible projects including the Folk Alley Mobile Recording Studio. Because of Folk Alley’s 501c3 status, financial contributions to Folk Alley are tax deductible in the U.S., and many employers will match your charitable donation in support of folk music.

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The Folk Alley Mobile Recording Studio

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n 2009, Folk Alley began a new phase in our development by adding a mobile recording studio that allows us to capture live performances across America (sorry UK, Europe and Australia – it’s too big to cross an ocean!). Thanks to a generous gift from a Folk Alley angel, our 32' vehicle has carried staff to festivals large and small – spreading the word about FolkAlley.com while providing you with fresh music by everyone from industry stars to the next big thing. Visit our Live from Folk Alley and Folk Alley Sessions pages to hear archived audio and see exclusive videos from the Newport Folk Festival, Blissfest, the Kent State Folk Festival, Green River Festival, Nelsonville Music Fest, the Folk Alliance International Conference and more. And, if you see us on the road, make sure and come up and say hi – we love meeting new folk fans!

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Connect with Folk Alley

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ust like your favorite coffee shop or a summer campfire, Folk Alley is a place to come to be with your friends and talk about your favorite music.

If you play your own songs, you can create your own Open Mic page and post and share your music. Like Folk Alley on Facebook and keep in touch with new features on FolkAlley.com, news and pictures from our road trips and other fun updates. Follow @FolkAlley on Twitter and have the latest folk news tweeted to you daily (tweets are also scrolled at FolkAlley. com) – along with live tweeting from events and for special occasions like the annual Grammy Awards ceremony. Videos from Folk Alley Sessions or live performances are also posted on YouTube at FolkAlley.com.

The best way to keep in touch with Folk Alley is through our monthly email newsletter, the award-winning Folk Alley Chat. Each issue includes details on the latest Open Mic featured artist, new Folk Alley Sessions and Live from Folk Alley concert recording, along with a list of recently added CDs. Those registered at FolkAlley.com automatically receive new Chat issues in their inboxes. Registration at FolkAlley.com is free and opens access to rating and commenting on songs and blog posts.

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Underwriting & Sponsorship

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long with donations from listeners and members, Folk Alley is also supported by corporate underwriting and sponsorship, similar to its public radio cousin. There are many ways to sponsor and underwrite with Folk Alley: in the stream, in our nationally syndicated 2-hour Folk Alley Radio Show, on the website, in the Folk Alley Chat E-newsletter, and at live events.

A variety of banner ad sizes are available and packages can be created around a budget. Messages are limited to offer the most impact per impression. Folk Alley’s audience is demographically desirable and covers a broad geographic area. Contact Al Bartholet at bartholet@folkalley.com for rates and additional information.

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