NOMAD Festival Cancelled (2008)

Subject: NOMAD Festival Cancelled
From: NOMADMan
Date: 28 Jan 08 - 02:03 PM

Hi Folks,

Here is a rather unhappy, but unavoidable announcement from the NOMAD Board of Directors.

Due to a lack of sufficient personnel in key organizing-committee positions, the Board of Directors of NOMAD, Inc. regrets to announce that there will be no NOMAD Festival in 2008. We will continue working to fulfill the other purposes and objectives of NOMAD.

For up-to-date information on NOMAD's plans, please visit the NOMAD Web Site.

NOMAD's Web Site

Regards,
John

Subject: RE: NOMAD Festival Cancelled
From: Jeri
Date: 28 Jan 08 - 02:19 PM

First I had the tiniest little clue there were any problems. I haven't been in years, but I know a lot of folks who'll be disappointed.

Packing it in nine months before the festival makes me wonder what exactly is going on, but there's too much I don't know about NOMAD and festival organizing.

Better luck for Nov 2009.

Subject: RE: NOMAD Festival Cancelled
From: MaineDog
Date: 28 Jan 08 - 02:49 PM

I have not been for several years, but I know folks who did go, and I had heard that it was never at all crowded (read under-attended). There were prior suggestions that it might shut down. Let's hope for revival, or that something even better will take its place.

MD

Subject: RE: NOMAD Festival Cancelled
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 29 Jan 08 - 09:43 AM

I'm surprised that no discussion has been taking place. NOMAD seemed to be popular. Any additional insight?

Subject: RE: NOMAD Festival Cancelled
From: Midchuck
Date: 29 Jan 08 - 09:59 AM

It was a good festival.

It hasn't appeared to be well attended since they moved it to New Haven.   Maybe that venue was so big it thinned people out so that it looked like not many. or maybe, with the last few presidents we've had, nobody wants to go anywhere near Yale.

I think they relocated too far from their organizational base.

Peter.

Subject: RE: NOMAD Festival Cancelled
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 29 Jan 08 - 11:03 AM

I'm really sorry to see it cancelled for 2008. We've been going for years, even before it moved to New Haven.

I have many opinions about why it was under-attended, including location, conflicts with the Getaway, fragmentation of the area folk community each with its own interests, etc. The reason stated for cancellation is "lack of sufficient personnel in key organizing-committee positions" which is certainly a good reason. It's the volunteer work of many people who put in countless hours that makes something like this work, and then the folk community needs to come out and support it!

I can only compare it to the one other indoor folk festival like it that I've attended, which is NEFFA. This one also moved last year, but before the move it was very well attended, even crowded. Last year I only went on Sunday, and attendance seemed pretty low. I'll be there on Saturday this year and will have a better idea of how it fared after the move.

If we don't support this music we love and people who work to produce events like NOMAD, there will be no more of any of it. Sad.

Subject: RE: NOMAD Festival Cancelled
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 29 Jan 08 - 11:12 AM

NOMAD is usually held on or about the same weekend as NERFA - the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance, and I've been heavly involved with that organization so I can't miss it.   I know that the NYC Eisteddfod also takes place in November, and coupled with the Getaway, perhaps there are too many choices that fragment our audiences.

Still, I'm a firm believer that you need a variety of events in order keep a "scene" healthy. You cannot point to a single club, venue or artist that created the folk revival - while there are a few that standout, the truth is everyone was working together. I think we need that.

The age old problem of "young blood" is also important. It is impossible to assume that youth will adopt old traditions, they need to make their own. I think organizations need to be open to such ideas.

I'm also the president of the Hurdy Gurdy Folk Music Club in NJ. The organization has been around since 1981, and while I've been a "friend" of the group since the beginning, it is only in recent years that I've become directly involved in the operations.   The club operates by the hard work of a dedicated group that has been around for years.   Our biggest challenge is to find new bodies that can step in our shoes when we step back, and to allow them the creativity to determine the future.

I'm not sure if NOMAD is having the same issues, but when I hear that they cannot find "sufficient personnel", I worry that they might have unknowingly put up barriers to prevent new people from contributing. It is too easy to do.

Subject: RE: NOMAD Festival Cancelled
From: GUEST,melinda
Date: 29 Jan 08 - 01:56 PM

Oh no! I loved NOMAD! I hope it comes back next year. I thought it was a perect complement to NEFFA - similar festivals half a year apart, and I got to see some of the same people in both places.

I thought the spacious school made it LOOK sparsely attended, but don't know why this would make a difference. If they have trouble getting volunteers, I don't know why. I wish I lived there.

Subject: RE: NOMAD Festival Cancelled
From: GUEST,Nancy King at work
Date: 29 Jan 08 - 07:57 PM

Conflict with the Getaway has been cited a couple of times. For the last two years we have regretted the conflict, but the November date was the only time the camp was available for the Getaway.   For 2008, finally, we have been able to move back to October, which we have wanted to do for a number of reasons, that conflict being just one. So. This year's Getaway will be October 3-5, at West River Center on the Chesapeake Bay, south of Annapolis.

I'm willing to bet the conflicting dates were not the main reason for NOMAD's cancellation, however. It's pretty hard to put on a volunteer-run event when you can't find volunteers -- that I know from experience. I sure hope NOMAD's friends will find a way to revive that gathering. Meanwhile, maybe we'll see some of you at the Getaway in October!

Nancy

Subject: RE: NOMAD Festival Cancelled
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 29 Jan 08 - 08:31 PM

We have the same problem with the Borderline Folk Music Club in Rockland County. We have to rely on the same 4 people to do everything including shelling out the money to cover the guarantees paid to the performers if attendance is not large enough. Everybody enjoys our concerts but nobody wants to do the work that it takes to arrange them.

                                                    SOL

Subject: RE: NOMAD Festival Cancelled
From: Midchuck
Date: 29 Jan 08 - 08:59 PM

Rutland, Vermont's First Night didn't happen this year either.

People asked, "Why didn't they have one this year?"

They didn't grasp that they were "they."

It's like things have gotten so big and expensive and impersonal that volunteer projects seem silly. People feel no sense of citizenship. I guess.

Peter

Subject: RE: NOMAD Festival Cancelled
From: Maryrrf
Date: 29 Jan 08 - 09:23 PM

No comment except that I know the feeling!

Subject: RE: NOMAD Festival Cancelled
From: pitheris
Date: 30 Jan 08 - 11:50 AM

Sad news.

My family has been volunteering at NEFFA for the past 20yrs.

Last year we decided to go to NOMAD for the 1st time.
We emailed a couple times to sign up for volunteering, but got no response. The person responsible for signing up volunteers had a personal emergency at the time, and was unable to coordinate new volunteers. We signed up at the desk and also paid for a 3yr membership.

Along with our 3 kids (16-25yr old), I convinced our nieces and nephews (6 more 18-24yr old) from various parts of New England to attend on Saturday. The kids all had a good time and were planning on going all weekend next year, and bringing friends (and instruments) with them.

I also found a new vendor who is interested in renting space.