Reprinted From CanadianBands.com

Winterfolk, which slipped onto the Toronto winter landscape last January, is back this year, last year's lessons and triumphs in hand. The creative team has once again assembled an impressive list of artists and industry professionals for the three day indoor folk festival. From January 30 to February 1, concerts, workshops, seminars, and special presentations will take place in five venues in the College and Spadina neighbourhood of downtown Toronto. All venues are non-smoking, within walking distance of each other, and are easily accessible by TTC. This year's Winterfolk focus is on supporting local singer-songwriters, showcasing guitar players, and sharing music and industry information. Most artists at Winterfolk are invited to perform; but about a third of all Winterfolk artists have applied to showcase - they hail from cities across Canada and the United States.

In addition to being accepted into the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals by special recommendation (it usually takes two years), Winterfolk is partnered with the City of Toronto's Winterfest activities, which means a higher profile and more advertising for this year's event. Despite these new developments, Winterfolk remains self-supporting; organizers have neither applied for nor received any government funding or grants.

So what is it that sets Winterfolk apart for artists and audiences? According to singer-songwriter Lynn Harrison, who has been involved since last year, "I like the fact that it has a somewhat rebellious spirit...that is, what kind of crazy idea is it to hold a folk festival in the middle of winter?! The idea made me laugh at first and that was refreshing." For fellow singer-songwriter David Newland, who was an MC last year and will be performing this year, it was the urban nature of the festival that set it apart: "It was really neat to see folks and folkies with guitars in the general throng, and to know they were a part of something unique and special."

One of the most interesting parts of Winterfolk will be the various workshops. Festival Director Brian Gladstone has been searching for a different name for them; he feels that music fans aren't aware that workshops are actually a great opportunity to get an insight into the mechanics of songwriting or playing an instrument. At last year's festival, he says, "The audience gained a greater knowledge and appreciation of their own artistic abilities [by attending workshops]. This was another area in which the boundaries between performer and audience member became blurred." Unexpected things can happen when players and writers find themselves on stage together. Winterfolk provides a chance for an audience to get an inside look. In addition, artists are encouraged to become even more a part of the festival - most of the workshop performers also have solo shows booked throughout the weekend.

Also significant is the participation of so many industry and media representatives. Seminars on record labels, media relations, building an audience, retail distribution, and applying for showcases will give artists the opportunity to ask questions and get real answers. Borealis Records partner Bill Garrett will be hosting a seminar entitled "The Record Label - Why, When, and What For," during which he hopes to have an open dialog with artists about their needs, what they can expect from a record label, and how best to present themselves to record executives: "We participate in a lot of conferences and panels with other industry people; but it's rare to have the chance to do that at a festival."

The one thing that strikes me most about Winterfolk is the personal commitment made by those involved, from organizers and volunteers to performers. Gladstone says his aim is "to involve artists, make them more than performers. I want them to feel a part of Winterfolk, to be proud to be a part of the Winterfolk experience." Newland has thrown his hat into that ring, determined to make a mark on the city: "The music that I play and that the other acts play has an audience, a fervent audience in fact. That audience has not yet coalesced fully, especially in busy urban environments like Toronto. But by showing up, by continuing to play, and to enthuse, and to build on the good momentum that is already there, I can help make that audience into a tangible, sustainable market for folk music. We are not marginal - we just haven't yet achieved critical mass. With some hard work, we will."

Check out the website at www.winterfolk.com for a complete list of venues, artists, and schedules. And come out to Winterfolk to find out why the chance taken to create this festival and support the folk community it represents was well worth the risk.