Q&A: Lisa Schwartz

Folk Spot Denmark is an opportunity for folk musicians and industry professionals to meet and establish new connections. In 2023 delegates from near and far joined to experience Tønder Festival and the selected orchestras.

We have spoken to some of these to gain a little insight into their work with folk music elsewhere, and their experience with Folk Spot Denmark.

Lisa Schwartz tf

Name: Lisa Schwartz

Company: Alchemy Arts Consulting / Cambridge Folk Festival

Title: President / Senior Consultant

Based in: Maryland, The United States 

What was your purpose for participating at Folk Spot 2023?

I am the programmer and curator for the Cambridge Folk Festival in England where we have a legacy of presenting emerging artists from around the world.  I was very excited to attend Folk Spot and to see some new Danish and Nordic artists that I could possibly present

What trends and tendencies do you see in folk music right now?

I’ve always considered all music to be Folk music and I think the rest of the world may be following suit and not becoming so hung up on genre labels.  During the pandemic, people learned to consume music differently.  They took chances and pushed outside of their comfort zones, ’trying out’ new music online and expanding their taste.  Now that we can attend festivals and concerts again, I see people giving new music a try where they wouldn’t before.

What is your impression of the Danish folk scene versus folk music in the USA? (Differences and similarities)

Honestly, I think that the Danish folk scene seems to be more sophisticated than the US folk scene with less reliance on clearly defined genres and more pushing the boundaries.  The level of musicianship is very high and the dedication to craft is as well, but there is no expectation that anything will be handed to them. Unfortunately, in the US, many of the artists believe that they are ‘owed’ or ‘due’ a break. I have not seen this in Denmark.

Did you make some new contacts relevant for your future work?

Absolutely! I am looking forward to continuing to build relationships with several of the delegates as well as artists I met this year

Which were the best musical experiences during Folk Spot Denmark and Tønder Festival?

I really enjoyed all of the Folk Spot artists, but standouts for me were Solsort, Danish Fiddle Quartet, Optur, Erlend Viken Trio and Høst.  From Tønder, highlights were Jeremy Dutcher, Aoife O’Donovan, Gentlemen’s Circle, The Dead South and Mec Lir.

Which were the best musical experiences during Folk Spot Denmark and Tønder Festival?

I really enjoyed all of the Folk Spot artists, but standouts for me were Solsort, Danish Fiddle Quartet, Optur, Erlend Viken Trio and Høst.  From Tønder, highlights were Jeremy Dutcher, Aoife O’Donovan, Gentlemen’s Circle, The Dead South and Mec Lir.