Of course, for some of these very reasons, gaining access to the festival circuit is no easy task. Not only are you in competition with some big acts that blanket the circuit every single year, but also festival organizers are increasingly wary of sifting through endless CDs in an attempt to find fresh acts for their events. Rather, they often go with the old standbys, listen for word-of-mouth on emerging acts and naturally gravitate toward somewhat well-known names that will draw a crowd. That's only to be expected. However, many organizers are still music lovers who take joy in discovering new talent. You can still get to them. It's just a matter of persistence, savvy and a bit of luck.

Phil Simon of Greenfield, Mass.-based Simon Says Booking says festivals are always on the lookout for artists who are creating a buzz in the region. "The best way to get festivals is to get your name out there in general by playing clubs and colleges and private parties and other things, and spreading the word through traditional avenues," he says. "You will get on the radar for festival promoters." In addition, it might be wise to at least attempt to set up a team before heading out into the festival blue yonder on your own. "Management and publicity connections are very helpful to getting in with festival buyers," Simon says. "A good booking agent can sometimes get you into a festival that you might not have been able to get into on your own. Also, presence on message boards and on the festival's website itself sometimes can generate the type of buzz necessary to pull a slot you might not have gotten normally."

While it's generally too late to get your name into consideration for most of this summer's festivals (Many of them book acts in January, so you would be wise to start working on them in the previous fall), you can still use this season as a good opportunity to research your options for 2006. If you start your research now, you can find the festivals that fit your genre of music and then ideally head on out to those events yourself to check out the scene. This can get expensive (tickets plus potential campground fees), but it's worth it if you're really serious about breaking into the festival circuit. And be smart. Don't hit massive festivals like Bonnaroo (June 10-12, Manchester, Tenn.) and Merlefest (April 28-May 1, Wilkesboro, N.C.) if you've never played even a small festival in the past (that is, unless you're just there to party, which is certainly acceptable). The truth is that you're unlikely to get into such big events without some kind of connection (or a really plugged in booking agent) and a big national buzz behind you. Be realistic about where you are as an artist today. Start small and work your way up. You'll get there.

Artists who have broken into the festival game say it wasn't easy but well worth it. Even the smaller festivals are a great venue for artists trying to grow their fanbase. Some festivals are run by nonprofit groups trying to raise awareness for their cause (these are often easier to crack, although they may pay far less or even not at all. Just remember, you can still sell that merch!).

Take Matt Turk, who hopes to play anywhere from four to eight festivals this year depending on which ones ultimately come through. He plays the club circuit mostly in the Northeast and has been working on some festivals in the region for months. He's already booked into some nonprofit festivals, including Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival on June 18-19 at Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y. and Tribes Hill Music Festival in Valhalla, NY, on June 25 and Sept. 10.

And he also has feelers out to Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, a major event that takes place every summer in the Berkshires in east-central New York State. He has yet to get in. "It's very competitive," he says. "And that's okay. It doesn't freak me out." As he calls to check on his status, he takes the opportunity to make contacts. "I'm just meeting people, really," he says. "That's all you can do. If they're not going to book you, you can't get discouraged." He also advises against being too pushy. "You certainly can't piss people off," he says. Another goal for Turk is to get into the annual (and quite large) New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, which takes place this year from April 22 to May 1. Although he's never been booked there, Turk still attends the festival to network with other musicians and others who could help him gain access. He views it as all part of the puzzle.

Musicians can also break into festivals by pitching themselves to play some of the specialty and side stages. In Turk's case, he will play the cultural stage at Music Midtown in Atlanta on June 10-12. The mainstage at that festival always has big acts (this year includes Tom Petty, Kid Rock, The White Stripes, the Pixies and Lou Reed-just to name a few). Turk isn't ready for that yet, but he doesn't rule out getting on that mainstage at some point. "If I stay positive, it will happen," he says.

That can be hard to remember as you send kit after kit and keep leaving voicemails with organizers in an attempt to get an answer. Such self-promotion can feel fruitless and immensely frustrating at times, but a positive attitude can help you keep looking forward. Ron Aja, festival director at the Clearwater festival noted above, says he specifically tries to include a good number of unknown and emerging acts along with a big headliner. In 2003, Natalie Merchant headlined; In 2004, it was Ani DiFranco. "We try to balance that," he says. "We try to get diverse types of music and bring some emerging artists in. Maybe they don't have a huge fanbase, but they have a loyal following." (He says John Gorka is a good example of that). But he says festivals also need the big acts to help draw large numbers of people, who hopefully get a chance to see some artists they hadn't heard before while they're there. "It's something called the stumble factor," says Aja.

Aja advises prospects to send him a package that goes beyond the standard CD and press kit. "We get hundreds of unsolicited submissions every year," he says. "Everyone has a CD, and everyone has a Web site. It's hard to book based on a CD, and an overly produced CD really doesn't help." Aja's advice? Send in a live CD or DVD that truly shows organizers what you sound like on stage and how you interact with the crowd. "That's much more beneficial to me," he says.

One final note: While many of the larger music festivals tend to skew more toward the Folk, Bluegrass and Jamband genres, many are open to all kinds of music. So keep looking for the ones that fit your style. Several festivals have started branching out beyond their roots to attract more people. "In this economy, you've really got to spread this out," says Ellicott. "You can't just cover one genre." Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean that some genres won't have a more difficult time than others. Notes Simon: "I have not seen much in terms of festival opportunities for Metal bands, Hardcore, Punk, or Cover bands, but there are always exceptions to the rule, of course." The bottom line is that you don't know until you try. Research festivals in your area. Attend some of them. Check out the scene. Festivals are a great opportunity-as long as you're willing to do the legwork and never give up.

(Mike Grebb is a writer, journalist and singer/songwriter based in Washington, D.C. He has written for numerous publications, including Wired and Billboard. He just completed his debut solo record, Resolution, which is available at www.mikegrebb.com).