The Swannanoa Gathering :: Fiddle Week

It is an instrument that has made its way into the core of many different traditions and it speaks an international language understood worldwide.

The Swannanoa Gathering is a series of week-long workshops in various folk arts held in July and August on the campus of Warren Wilson College just east of Asheville in the heart of North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains. Since the invention of the violin, the music of its unschooled alter-ego, the fiddle, has excited people to dance, evoked the devil and the spiritual, echoed the human voice and h

eart. Fiddle Week at the Swannanoa Gathering celebrates that universality with classes in traditional and contemporary styles ranging from Irish to Mexican, from Cajun to blues. The week also includes classes in guitar, focusing on accompaniment in various styles, and there are related offerings for the fiddle's bigger siblings, the cello and bass. The class schedule has been structured in such a way as to allow students to explore a rich variety of fiddle styles each day. Each instructor teaches different levels in their area of expertise, and students are asked to place themselves in the appropriate level. Most classes are taught at the intermediate or advanced level, but we continue to offer a few introductory classes for students who want to gain confidence in learning and playing by ear, and for those who are newer to the instrument. Intermediate classes are also appropriate for advanced players who would like to explore a style that is new to them, or for experienced players who need to get more fluent playing by ear. The advanced classes are designed to build on previous experience in the style. The beginning fiddle class is designed to help brand-new fiddlers get off to a good start, and Joe Craven's Blues and Improvisation classes are open to all levels and all instruments. During the last hour of the day, there will be a special class time for students of any skill level to form bands, along with students from Mando & Banjo Week. With the guidance of instructors, band members arrange and rehearse with the option of performing at the student showcase on Friday evening. Fiddle Week runs concurrently with Mando & Banjo Week, and students may take classes in either program. New this year is a Luthier's Exhibit, featuring several instrument builders including the highly respected Maine violin maker, Jonathan Cooper, who will be building a violin during the week and will also have finished instruments on hand to sample.

06/25/2023

Hello fiddlers! Just a head's up that Beth Magill will have some wonderful fiddle-themed banners that she made especially for fiddle week! These are great to put in your practice/teaching studio, your local jam session or on stage! Check out the sample below and be sure and swing by Jackson Grimm's (our music vendor) table to check out Beth's banners. See you soon!

06/18/2023

Fiddlers, meet your week's fiddle luthier! Gordon Gross of Piedmont Violins! Gordon will be there to resolve all of your setup needs. Come find him in the luthier's exhibit with Bystrom Bows in Jensen third floor! See you soon!!

06/15/2023

I would like to bring to your attention one of our luthiers for Fiddle Week this year! The wonderfully talented Sarah Bystrom at Bystrom Bows.

Sarah is an exceptional bow Luther and repair person. If you need any bow work down while at Fiddle Camp... Sarah is the person to talk to! Check out her page or site here:

Sarah Bystrom, Bow Maker Sarah Bystrom is a Nashville based violin bowmaker who also provides bow and violin family instrument repairs.

Fiddle Week Classes - June 25-July 1, 2023 - Swannanoa Gathering

06/11/2023

No Fiddle Week would be complete without our week's beloved emcee Joe Craven. Joe is a total creative genius and I'm sure you'll agree with me by the end of the week if you've never been to our camp before. Apart from being an amazing musician he is one of the greatest performers I have ever watched. We got a chance to do a tour in Alaska a few years ago and I learned so much ever night just by watching him in action. You will have So. Much. Fun.

Joe is teaching an improvisation class and a blues class, two essential things to know as a fiddle player. Read all about them here:
https://swangathering.com/catalog/fd/classes/

And check out Joe's unbelievable music (that Django through a Latin lens album? I mean come on!) here: https://joecraven.com/projects/

Fiddle Week Classes - June 25-July 1, 2023 - Swannanoa Gathering THE WORLD OF CHOP (Casey Driessen) Percussive string playing knows no bounds, nor should it! In this intermediate/advanced class I intend to enrich your rhythmic center and repertoire through the exploration of grooves based in different global traditions. I will share from my recent travels through...

06/08/2023

darol anger's page is an absolute fiddle god. He is one of the most iconic fiddlers of his generation and one of those people that within a few notes you know that it's him. A bluegrass player through and through, playing with the likes of David Grisman and so many others, Darol has an amazing way of introducing seemingly every other musical influence he has heard into his playing.

This year Darol will be our bluegrass powerhouse and I am so excited to have one of my all time fiddle heroes teaching. If you haven't already, check out Darol's recording of his tune "Coal burnin' Grease Fire." It will change your life:
https://darolanger1.bandcamp.com/track/the-coal-burnin-grease-fire

Also check out Darol's classes and come study with Darol this summer!
https://swangathering.com/catalog/fd/classes/

06/06/2023

I'm so so excited to have Sara Caswell this year. Sara is one of the best jazz violinists in the world and a consummate teacher. Sara speaks the bebop language inside and out (little jazz joke there) and she has a way of teaching it par none. She teaches at Manhattan School of Music, Berklee, the New School, NYU and has done loads of workshops on improvisation, jazz, and violin-related subjects.

Apart from teaching improvisation, Sara is teaching something we haven't offered in a longtime: music theory! I mean we could all benefit from more music theory knowledge right? Don't be scared by this... knowledge is power! Plus, you have one of the best violinists in the world teaching you so you are in the best position you can be in. Check out Sara's classes here:
https://swangathering.com/catalog/fd/classes/

Sara also just released an amazing album that is already one of my favorite albums of 2023. Listen to it here:
https://saracaswell.bandcamp.com/album/the-way-to-you

The Way to You, by Sara Caswell 9 track album

06/04/2023

It's pretty hard for me to not gush over Evan Price. I had been a big fan of his from his days with Turtle Island String Quartet and then later in life would discover that same violin player was the guy taking all of the searing violin solos with the Hot Club of San Francisco. For swing, Evan is THE guy. He has all the licks and he's going to teach them to you this summer.

If you've ever been interested in what made Grappelli sound like Grappelli, Venuti like Venuti, Stuff Smith like Stuff Smith, Evan is the person to study with. He also has a world-class group comprised of fellow Swannanoa Gathering staffers Don Sternbierg, Evan Price, and Greg Ruby. In fact they released an album last summer! Check it out here:
https://donstiernberg.bandcamp.com/album/rhythm-twist

And Evan's classes here:
https://swangathering.com/catalog/fd/classes/

05/31/2023

This is Katie Glassman's first Fiddle Week and we're pretty excited to have her for many reasons. She is a world-class fiddler in Western Swing, Country Western, and Texas contest fiddle styles... all things that we have never really offered at Fiddle Week! I have long wanted to see more of these styles offered at Fiddle Week so one of my first decisions was to call on Katie who is an absolute master.

What's more is she is a full-time fiddle educator. She has a whole pedagogy and teaching methodology developed around teaching these styles so you're studying with the best person possible to learn some of this musical language! Put on your cowboy/cowgirl hat and get Western with Katie this summer! You can check out Katies classes here:

https://swangathering.com/catalog/fd/classes/

Check out Katie's insanely good music here:

https://katieglassman.com

Katie Glassman and Snapshot Fiddler, singer, songwriterPerformance – Recording – Instruction

Rhythm Twist, by Don Stiernberg, Evan Price, Greg Ruby and Kevin Kehrberg

05/30/2023

Kevin Kehrberg is one of the best bassists I've ever heard. There I said it.

Not only can Kevin play oldtime, classical, swing, and jazz.. he can play thousands of tunes from these genres from MEMORY! Most importantly, he has a rock solid time feel and is one of the most comfortable players to have in the rhythm section on any gig or in any jam session. We are so pleased that we have Kevin right here in our own backyard of Warren Wilson College because he's chair of the music department!

The bass is after all the biggest Fiddle, so our Fiddle Week programming wouldn't be complete without the "big fiddle" as they call it. If you have always been curious to add some bass chops to your skill set for a jam session come study with Kevin this summer! Kevin just teaches one 75 minute class, so you'll still have time to study with your favorite fiddle instructors! Check out Kevin's classes here:

https://swangathering.com/catalog/fd/classes/

Kevin's music (with fellow Fiddle Week instructors Greg Ruby Music and Evan Price) and mando/banjo instructor Don Sternbierg here:

https://gregruby.bandcamp.com/album/rhythm-twist

Rhythm Twist, by Don Stiernberg, Evan Price, Greg Ruby and Kevin Kehrberg 12 track album

05/25/2023

Greg Ruby Music and I share a love of swing that knows no bounds! I discovered swing at the age of 14 after hearing a cassette tape of Stéphane Grappelli and have wanted to sound like the French violinist ever since.

Greg has been a great friend and mentor of mine over the years, giving me plenty of opportunities to cut my teeth playing all my favorite Grappelli licks and hone my craft as an improviser. Greg is a pretty integral part of this camp and not just because he's coordinator of Guitar Week!

Swing has in many ways become the lingua franca of Fiddle Week amidst all of its diverse genres and Greg is a pillar of our swing community. He'll be teaching guitar but also leading the swing ensemble. Come learn swing with one of the best swing guitarists in the country: Greg Ruby!

His classes:

https://swangathering.com/catalog/fd/classes/

And check out his amazing music (which has been featured on the series Parks & Rec!):

https://gregruby.bandcamp.com

Greg Ruby Greg Ruby began playing swing and early jazz music while leading the bohemian life of a busker in the 1990’s. As part of Django Reinhardt renaissance of the early 2000’s, Greg formed the seminal group Hot Club Sandwich and later joined Pearl Django in 2002. He continues to lead his own groups in...

05/22/2023

Liz Knowles Music is one of greatest musical influences. I first heard her when I was probably 12 years old, studying Irish fiddle at Celtic Week. I have always admired her technical virtuosity and her tone, two things I have spent a lifetime trying to emulate.

I've also been in the very privileged position to be able to tour with her and hear her practice and talk about music. She is the reason I bought a book of Bach partitas. I even transcribe and teach differently thanks to Liz.

Pretty much everyone who takes her class agrees she is one of the best teachers that Swannanoa has ever had and I think you will too. Come learn Irish music at Fiddle Week with Liz Knowles! Check out her classes here:

https://swangathering.com/catalog/fd/classes/

And her music here:

https://www.lizknowles.com/music

Listen | Liz Knowles

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