FAI 2027: Chicago, Illinois, United States
January 27-31, 2027
- FAI 2027
- Artists
- Attending
- partners
Our Board of Directors
FAI is governed by a volunteer board of directors representing leadership in the folk music industry worldwide. The board is elected by the voting members of the organization each fall, and an annual general meeting of members is held during the conference each year. (The above photo is of current and past board members at this year's conference.)
Director of Operations and Programs
Ashley
Shabankareh
Director of Operations and Programs
Trombone Shorty FoundationNew Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Ashley Shabankareh (she/they) is a New Orleans musician, music educator, and arts administrator. Ashley is the Director of Operations and Programs for Trombone Shorty Foundation, and they also work as an Adjunct Professor at Loyola University New Orleans and Xavier University. Ashley has worked with numerous arts organizations during her career, including Artist Corps New Orleans, Upbeat Academy Foundation, New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, New Orleans Jazz Museum, and Preservation Hall Foundation. Ashley currently serves as the Board President for Folk Alliance International. Ashley is an avid performer and has performed alongside Allen Toussaint, Aretha Franklin, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Theresa Anderson, and in her own group, Marina Orchestra.
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Teaching Artist
Charlie
Mosbrook
Teaching Artist
Roots of American MusicCleveland Heights, OH, USA
Charlie Mosbrook has served as FARM president during the past three years overseeing the creation and development of Virtual Connections, FARM’s year round on-line programming as well as the re-introduction of the organizations in-person conference. Charlie also serves as president to Folknet of Cleveland, Ohio, presenting three independent concert series and an annual festival. As a performing artist, Charlie is a member of Rampd, Music to Life, FAI Cultural Equity Council, and serves as a teaching artist with Roots of American Music in Cleveland, Ohio. Charlie serves as an advocate for disability rights within his local government as chair of the Cleveland Heights Transportation and Environmental Sustainability committee.
Cleveland Heights, OH, USA
Head of Project Management + Marketing
Mariah
Czap
Head of Project Management + Marketing
Exceleration MusicDurham, NC, USA
Mariah Czap is the Head of Project Management and Marketing at Exceleration Music, where she oversees release strategy for Roots labels including Bloodshot, Yep Roc, Down the Road and Red Zero Records. Previously, she spent over 12 years at Yep Roc Records as Co-General Manager and Head of Digital, leading global campaigns for artists like Watchhouse, Jobi Riccio, Robyn Hitchcock and Michaela Anne. Deeply committed to the independent music community, Mariah currently serves on the Board of Folk Alliance International and previously spent four years on the Board of A2IM, supporting advocacy, education and growth within the indie music sector.
Durham, NC, USA
Executive Director
Dee
Fretwell Carreon
Executive Director
Sing Me A Story FoundationAshland, OR, USA
Dee Fretwell Carreon is a nonprofit and higher education leader dedicated to using creativity, collaboration, and experiential learning to drive meaningful social impact. As Executive Director of the Sing Me a Story Foundation, she leads an international organization that transforms children's stories into original songs, partnering with artists and institutions to inspire hope and connection. At Southern Oregon University, she directs the Center for Professional Development and Global Initiatives, where she advances professional education, global partnerships, and immersive learning opportunities that empower students and strengthen communities. Dee is a sought-after speaker on nonprofit innovation, global collaboration, experiential education, and the transformative power of the arts. She speaks widely on global collaboration, innovation, and the future of hands-on learning.
Ashland, OR, USA
Director
Laia
Canals
Director
Tempi - Roots Music DenmarkCopenhagen, Denmark
Laia Canals is a dynamic leader and connector, committed to strengthening global networks within the folk and roots music industry. Currently, she serves as the Director of the National Organization for Roots Music in Denmark and as Chairperson of Nordic Folk Alliance — FAI’s only international chapter — where she excels in enabling the collaboration between Europe and North America. Over the last two years she served on the Folk Alliance International Board of Directors, where she crafted international brand strategy as the Chair of the Global Expansion Committee and Nominations Committee. Additionally, Laia is a member of the Strategic Committee of the European Folk Network and a Keychange advisor for EU.
Copenhagen, Denmark
Club Manager
Abby
Altman
Club Manager
PassimCambridge, MA, USA
Abby started working at non-profit arts organization Passim shortly after moving to the Boston area in 2013. She is now the manager for Club Passim, a 110-seat year-round listening room in Cambridge, MA. As the Club Manager, she supervises and trains the club staff, manages and engineers many shows in the club, and coordinates the campfire. and Down Home Up Here festivals. She also administers many of Passim’s grant programs, including the Iguana Music Fund, Brian O'Donovan Legacy Fund, and Eastern Front Songwriter Grant. With no formal sound education, she learned audio engineering on the job and takes pride in now passing that training on to new staff members. She has played violin for several years, though she much prefers being at the sound board to being on the stage. She’s the only person to have two Passim tattoos.
Cambridge, MA, USA
Founder / CEO
Ayappa
Biddanda
Founder / CEO
Shiva SoundsNashville, Tennessee, USA
After working at Concord for 22 years, Ayappa Biddanda is the award-winning Founder/C.E.O. of Shiva Sounds, providing Marketing & Artist Development services for musicians, management teams, record labels, cultural organizations, festivals, and creatives. He graduated from The University of Tennessee with degrees in American Studies and in Political Science and earned his Master’s of Public Policy from UCLA with a concentration in Art & Social Action. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Folk Alliance International. His favorite band is Counting Crows.
Nashville, Tennessee, USA
CEO/Owner
Lauren
Branson
CEO/Owner
Little Birdie PRNashville, TN, USA
Lauren Stephens Branson is an industry veteran with nearly two decades of experience in music and media. Raised in Nashville, she built her career across major and independent record labels before spending nine years as Senior Director of Media Relations at BMI. In 2024, she founded Little Birdie PR, guided by the unwavering passion that has defined her entire career to help artists and songwriters tell their stories with clarity, authenticity, and impact.
Nashville, TN, USA
Founder and Executive Director
Elizabeth
Cawein
Founder and Executive Director
Music Export MemphisMemphis, TN, USA
Elizabeth Cawein is a music advocate, strategist and scholar. She founded Music Export Memphis, a first-of-its-kind nonprofit export office for music, in 2016 following a decade in music publicity and marketing with roots, Americana and folk artists. Elizabeth is a DJ (WYXR 91.7FM Memphis), a professor (Mike Curb Institute for Music at Rhodes College), and a student (PhD, School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy, University of Memphis) - across all these roles she is focused on centering working musicians as cultural assets. She serves on the board of directors for Folk Alliance International, is a past Recording Academy Memphis chapter board adviser, and a sought-after speaker and thought partner. Her TED Talk on music cities has 1.4 million views and counting.
Memphis, TN, USA
Musician, Music Curator, Creator Team Manager
Andee
Connors
Musician, Music Curator, Creator Team Manager
Pandora / SiriusXMAshland, Oregon, USA
Andee Connors has been a touring, recording, and performing musician for 40 years. He owned aQuarius recOrds in San Francisco for 22 years, and has owned and operated the tUMULt record label since 2000. Andee is a frequent panelist and mentor at various conferences including FAI, SXSW and more. He currently manages the Creator Services team at Pandora, and is the head of programming for metal, punk, experimental, and new age music.
Ashland, Oregon, USA
Artist, Producer
Mary
Lowman-Bragg
Artist, Producer
Mary BraggNashville, TN, USA
Single Lock Records recording artist Mary Bragg has quietly become one of Nashville’s most respected artists/songwriters/producers. The Swainsboro, GA native has been heralded by No Depression, NPR, Folk Alley, Rolling Stone, and Vice/Noisey, for her “gorgeously crafted and executed songs” and “sublime distilling of Southern grit” (World Cafe). Her 2019 album Violets as Camouflage marked the beginning of her production career, and was named one of the year’s best by NPR. Bragg tours extensively, both with her band and solo, playing headline and festival dates to ever-growing audiences across the US, Canada, and Europe. Having opened tours for the Indigo Girls, The Secret Sisters, Mick Flannery, and Caroline Spence, Bragg is gearing up for a robust chapter with her new album, Secrets to Strangers, due out October 16, 2026. She is a member of the Recording Academy, has an undergraduate degree in journalism (UGA), a master’s degree in songwriting and production (Berklee), is fiercely community-minded, and she met her wife at Folk Alliance.
Nashville, TN, USA
Partner
Robert
Meitus
Partner
Meitus Strohm LLPBloomington, IN, USA
Meitus is a partner at Meitus Strohm LLP, representing musicians, record labels, filmmakers, authors, and other creatives. He is a professor of law at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law and received his J.D. from Maurer, his masters of international affairs from Columbia University, and his B.A. from Wabash College. He is a Grammy voting member and was named a top music lawyer by Billboard. Meitus has authored several journal articles, including “Revisiting the Derivative Works Exception of the Copyright Act Thirty Years After Mills Music” and promotes acoustic shows through his nonprofit Bloomington Roots.
Bloomington, IN, USA
Folk Radio Promoter and DJ
Art
Menius
Folk Radio Promoter and DJ
Art Menius RadioRougemont, NC, USA
Art Menius, 43-years into his career in American roots music, operates a radio promotion service, Art Menius Radio, advises Si Kahn, and hosts “The Seagrass Folk Hour” on 100KW WHQR-FM in Wilmington, NC and “The Revolution Starts Now” on WHUP-FM, Hillsborough, NC. He has been a festival, conference, and concert producer, fundraiser, sponsorship and marketing director, emcee, stage manager, writer, and arts non-profit executive. Associate Festival director of MerleFest (1997-2007), Director of Appalshop (2007-2010), and ED and AD of The ArtsCenter (2012-2014). Member Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame. The first Executive Director of IBMA, the first President of FAI, its Manager 1991-96, and again on the FAI board 2007-2013 and again since 2023.
Rougemont, NC, USA
Managing Editor
Hilary
Saunders
Managing Editor
No DepressionNew York City, NY, USA
Hilary Saunders is the managing editor at No Depression and her previous work has appeared in Paste, ESPN, Next City, The Jewish Daily Forward, and more. She’s a proud member of the Recording Academy, National Press Club, and Society of Professional Journalists, an alumna of the University of Miami, and an unironic believer that rock and roll can save the world.
New York City, NY, USA
Executive Director
Clayton
Shelvin
Executive Director
The FreightSan Francisco, CA, USA
Clayton Shelvin is a performing arts administrator and fundraising professional with over 15 years of experience in driving organizational change in the arts non-profit sector. Clayton’s work is rooted in equity, community partnership, and social justice. He currently serves as the Executive Director of The Freight, a historic music venue in Berkeley, CA. Prior, he was the Director of Programming and Talent Buyer at the Acadiana Center for the Arts. He has worked for various music, theatre and dance companies including The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (New Orleans), American Theatre Wing (NYC), Alonzo King Ballet LINES (San Francisco), and Carnegie Hall (NYC), and served on various regional and national boards. He started his fundraising consulting business in 2020, and works with clients to reimagine arts fundraising. Clayton hails from Lafayette, LA. He is a member of The Recording Academy and serves as an Entertainment Commissioner for the City of San Francisco. His career has been deeply influenced by the local musicians and artists that he encountered throughout Louisiana. He currently resides in San Francisco.
San Francisco, CA, USA
Head of Creative & Managing Partner
Tony
Tarleton
Head of Creative & Managing Partner
acronym RecordsToronto, Ontario, Canada
Currently the owner, Head of Creative at Toronto based acronym Records. Over 30 years of experience in the Industry working at both Major and Independent Labels including Universal Music Canada, EMI Music Canada and other major Independent Labels. acronym Artists have won, been nominated for Junos 5 times since 2017, WCMA’s, the SMA’s and have appeared on the Long List for the Polaris Music Prize in 2019 and 2025.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Founding Member/Project Manager
Tufara
Muhammad
Founding Member/Project Manager
Datule’ Artist Collective & Highlander CenterLittle Rock, Arkansas, USA
Tufara Waller Muhammad is a multidisciplinary artist, political strategist, popular educator and cultural organizer. She has worked for over 30 years at the nexus of art, culture and justice in the US South and Global South. Tufara Waller Muhammad draws on six generations of her multiracial familial lineage of civically-engaged artists, organizers, spiritual leaders animated by faith and a commitment to justice, healing, cultural preservation, transformation, and manifestation of systems and structures within communities, institutions, and governmental entities.
Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
Found/Executive Director
Brandi
Waller-Pace
Found/Executive Director
Decolonizing the Music RoomFort Worth, TX, USA
Brandi Waller-Pace (she/they) is a Fort Worth-based musician, educator, and scholar-activist. She is Founding Executive Director of Decolonizing the Music Room. Brandi holds a bachelor’s and master’s in Jazz Studies from Howard University and is pursuing a PhD in Music Education at the University of North Texas. An eleven-year veteran music educator, she co-wrote district music curriculum, participated in racial and systemic educational equity work, and 2019 and 2020 served on the Texas African American Studies Course Curriculum Advisory Team which helped formulate curriculum standards for Texas’ first state-approved African American History course. As a musician she most often performs jazz, neo-soul, and old time. Brandi created and runs the Fort Worth African American Roots Music Festival, which highlights blackness in early American music. She has co-produced and curated artist lineups for events with Bluegrass Pride, The Bluegrass Situation, and PineCone.
Fort Worth, TX, USA
Export Development Program
Tina
Wroblewski
Export Development Program
Folk CanadaToronto, ON, Canada
Tina Wroblewski, Colombian-born, Toronto-based Producer and Cultural Promoter, is the International Coordinator at the International Indigenous Music Summit (IIMS) The Export Development Program Coordinator (EDP) Folk Music Canada (FMC) Presenter and Audience Engagement Coordinator for Tkaronto Music Festival, responsible for connecting partners and the Outgoing work around Folk music Canada Conference, IIMS and other international projects. She founded “Proyecto Prizmacolor”, a project in Medellín that works to transform educational spaces through the promotion of art and culture. She has served as a jury for awards, including the JUNO Awards, as well as a consultant, curator, and artist liaison for a variety of festivals and conferences.One of the leaders of Eagle Meets the Condor, a Pan-American project with IIMS, Fluvial Conference, and partners in North and South America, she currently serves on the Board of Directors of Folk Alliance International.
Toronto, ON, Canada
Program Director
Ben
Wright
Program Director
Bluegrass AmbassadorsChicago, IL, USA
Ben Wright is a Chicago-based banjo player, educator, and cultural diplomat. As a founding member of the Henhouse Prowlers, he has toured 30+ countries, blending performance with outreach through the band’s nonprofit, Bluegrass Ambassadors. Wright uses music to build connections, showing students and communities that curiosity and cultural respect can open doors where language cannot. He has produced international collaborations, led workshops at universities and festivals, and built programs that highlight both bluegrass tradition and its global resonance. His mission is simple: use music to foster empathy and global citizenry.
Chicago, IL, USA
Singer-Songwriter
Raye
Zaragoza
Singer-Songwriter
Raye ZaragozaLos Angeles, CA, USA
Raye Zaragoza, a galvanizing presence and self-assured artist, she describes her work as music that “fights for, represents, and celebrates those left too long outside the spotlight.” Deemed “one of the most politically relevant artists in her genre” by Paste Magazine, Zaragoza is both tender and tenacious as she examines life, self, identity, immigration, and the times in which, for many, simply existing is political. Raised in New York City and living in LA, Zaragoza independently released her past three records, and is currently working on her 4th. In addition to her music, Zaragoza is a songwriter for Netflix's animated children's series Spirit Rangers and has just finished touring nationally in the reimagined Broadway production of Peter Pan, bringing representation and a fresh perspective to the classic story.
Los Angeles, CA, USA
