Booking Policies for Summerfest

Barrel of Music Productions, Artistic Directors, New Bedford Summerfest Folk Music and Arts Festival

Barrel of Music Productions books professional folk, acoustic, blues and ethnic artists. We are particularly supportive of Anglo and Celtic artists and bands. Artists who perform traditional American material, including music and songs from Appalachia and New England, are encouraged to apply. Contemporary singer/songwriters with a strong sense of melody and strong musicianship, who are knowledgeable about traditional music, are also among our favored artists.

WE ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2011 FESTIVAL!!

The Summerfest is held on the first full weekend in July. The dates for 2011 are July 2-3, 2011. We will be accepting applications until January 15, 2011.

The format of the festival is one of showcases and workshops. The workshops are the heart and soul of the festival and doing workshops is non-negotiable. The workshops are not audience participatory nor are they teaching or "how to" or "learn to play..." sessions. We do NOT do songwriting workshops or educational workshops or workshops designed for schools. We do NOT program workshops around single acts or performers. In our workshops, artists, both contemporary and traditional, individuals and bands, are scheduled together with a common theme. Our intent is for all the participants and the audience to have a good time. Some past workshops have included:

Please take a look at the Saturday schedule for 2010. This is the format of the festival. Titles and subjects change each year.

There are seven (7) stages, in the festival. The stages are set in the historic district of New Bedford, utilizing the Whaling Museum theater, gardens in the district and environs. All sites are covered for both artists and audience.

There are artisans' booths set up along the cobble-stoned streets with the stages situated along the route. If you are a crafter and interested in applying for inclusion in the festival, please contact the coordinator of the Arts and Crafts portion of the festival.

Our criteria for performers considered for the festival must be folk (contemporary or traditional), ethnic (Anglo/Celtic or World), and acoustic. Although we book some local musicians, most of the festival is made up of national and international touring musicians who generally do not perform in the Southeastern Massachusetts area.

The festival can support a limited number of acts, so in addition to the qualifying statements listed above, performers booked are also chosen based on the ability to participate in the our workshops; name recognition with the public; a following in New England; or some special contribution.

We welcome the submission of CDs and promotional materials from interested artists with the understanding that we book a limited number of artists each year, which means our booking process is very selective. Presently, we do not accept electronic press kits for application.

We prefer that qualified artists contact us first by email at korolenko8523 at charter dot net

After contacting us first by e-mail artists may send materials to:

Barrel of Music Productions
565 Sanford Rd.
Westport, MA 02790