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.
