History
Founded in 1991 by Warren Wilson College President Douglas M. Orr, Jr., 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 beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. With a limited enrollment and an 'open' format which allows each student to select their own curriculum from a variety of courses, we offer an intimate, supportive community experience for students of all abilities, featuring a staff of some of the finest performers and teachers in the world.

Class Format
The workshops take place at various sites around the Warren Wilson campus and environs, including classrooms, Kittredge Theatre, our Bryson Gym dancehall, the campus pond, gardens and patios, an outdoor amphitheatre, and various jam session tents. Each year we offer over 150 classes. Students are free to create their own curriculum from any of the classes offered for each week. Students may select a class choice and an alternate for each of our scheduled class periods, but concentration on a few classes is strongly recommended, since taking too many may not leave enough opportunity and/or practice time to absorb all the material presented, and class selections are required for registration. We ask that you be thoughtful in making your selections, since we will consider them to be binding choices for which we will reserve you space. After their first class meeting, students may switch into another open class if they find they have made an inappropriate choice, and are then expected to remain in those classes. Unless indicated in the class descriptions, classes have a maximum of 15 students, and when those limits are reached, classes will be closed and additional students waitlisted. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Some of our class descriptions define required skills in detail, but when the following terms appear, Beginner refers to those with no experience at all, or those who play some but are not yet comfortable with the basics. Intermediate students should have mastered basic skills, and be able to tune their instruments, keep time, play the principal chords and scales cleanly, and know how to play a few tunes with confidence (dancers should know basic steps and figures, and how to lead and/or follow). Advanced or Experienced students should be very comfortable with their instruments and able to focus on style, arrangement and ornamentation. Roman numerals after a class title indicate a difference in focus or skill level of the same subject, while capital letters denote different sections of the same class. Many of our classes may include musical notation or tablature, though in general, we emphasize learning by ear. Our classes have no age restrictions, but we require that younger students be sincerely interested in the subject and not a distraction to others.

Week Format
Each week commences with supper, an orientation session, and jam sessions and socializing on the Sunday before classes begin. Most classes will meet for morning or afternoon sessions, Monday through Friday. Friday evening's activities will close the week. Some classes may meet in the evenings for performance critiques, rehearsals, or jam sessions. Most of our programs also feature staff members in concerts open to the a public. See the Concerts page for details. In addition to the scheduled classes and instructor staff, we will have various 'potluck sessions', guest instructors and adjunct staff to call dances and lead picking sessions and 'slow jams', or tune-learning sessions. Evening activities might include open mikes, dances, staff concerts, student showcases, jam sessions, song swaps and more. Some concerts and dances will be open to the public. Please note that although there is no deadline for registrations, both class size and total enrollment are limited for each calendar week, so early registration is encouraged. Students enrolled for instrumental instruction should provide their own instruments, and most of our instructors encourage the use of small recording devices like tape- or mini-disc recorders as a classroom memory aid. Students wishing to videotape classes will be required to obtain the permission of the instructor prior to the first class meeting, and must sign a release form stating that no commercial use will be made of any recorded materials. The Swannanoa Gathering reserves the right to cancel, add, and/or substitute classes and personnel where necessary. Our program’s ‘open’ format, which encourages students to take several courses a day, allows a breadth of understanding of our folk traditions seldom found in workshops of this type. For example, a fiddler may take a class in her instrument in the morning, then, after lunch, a dance class that uses tunes from her fiddle class, and a folklore class in the afternoon describing the cultural context in which both tunes and dances developed. This may then contribute to a more complete grasp of the nuances of the style during her practice time, and a more authentic fiddle sound. We encourage all students to come to Swannanoa with an open mind and a willingness to try something new.

Children's Programs
We encourage those bringing children aged 6-12 during our Fiddle/Traditional Song, Celtic, and Old-Time Weeks to take advantage of the Children’s Programs described in the catalog, but remember, space is limited. Children must have turned 6 by July 1st to participate. No exceptions please. Program activities are scheduled during class periods, and parents are responsible for their children at all other times. We provide evening childcare for ages 3-12 at no additional cost. Those bringing children should indicate so on their registration form. Children under 12 may stay in a room with two adults, at least one of whom is a registered student, at no charge,other than the cost of meals. The accompanying adult should provide each child’s bedding, and both adults must request the arrangement. In the case of a single adult with child(ren), they will be housed together and charged an additional $115 for the week as long as space permits.

Youth Scholarships
Each year, we award Youth Scholarships for the cost of tuition and housing to several promising young musicians and dancers. Memorial scholarships are awarded during Celtic Week in memory of Tony Cuffe, during Old-Time Week in memory of Ralph Blizard, and during Contemporary Folk/Fiddle or Traditional Song Weeks in memory of Freyda Epstein, our dear friends and long-time staff members. One Guitar Week scholarship honors staffer Ed Dodson. Applicants should be under the age of 22 and should submit by May 1 a selfwritten letter of request for the specific week desired, giving background and contact information, including the applicant’s age, prior musical experience and stating why (s)he should receive a scholarship, plus a letter of recommendation from a mentor or other individual knowledgeable in the applicant’s area of folk music or dance. Please do not send recordings. Priority will be given to those who have not received a scholarship before. An application fee is not required. Scholarships are merit-based, limited and competitive. Tax-free contributions to the scholarship fund are welcome and may be included on the registration form.

Course Credit
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction has allowed 3 hours of Teaching Certificate Renewal Credit for each week of the Swannanoa Gathering. Interested teachers should contact their local school board for prior approval.

Other Activities
The Colleges facilities include a gymnasium, weight room, aquatic center and tennis courts, as well as a pond, nature trails and a working farm. Our mountain campus is beautiful but hilly, and those with physical problems may find it challenging. There are also a number of nearby scenic attractions, including historic Asheville and Black Mountain, the Biltmore Estate, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Folk Art Center, Pisgah National Forest, Great Smokies National Park and Mount Mitchell, the tallest peak in the eastern US. Contact the Asheville Chamber of Commerce for more information.

Airport Shuttle
For those travelling by air, we can offer free airport shuttle service only at the times listed below.
SUN. shuttle departs the Asheville airport for the College at noon, 3 pm, & 5 pm.
SAT. shuttle departs the College for the Asheville airport at 9 am and noon.
Shuttle space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Other commercial transport to and from the College is available at the Asheville Regional Airport. Drive time between the College and the Asheville Airport is approximately 30 minutes. Please make your travel plans accordingly, and note your flight info and desired shuttle times on your registration form, or contact us so we know who to expect on each shuttle run. Those staying over on Saturday may make arrangements to ride out to the airport on the Sunday shuttles.

How to Get Here
The Asheville-Swannanoa area is easily reached by car from the east and west by I- 40, and from the south by I- 26. From I- 40, take exit 55, and go north a quarter mile to Hwy 70. Go east approximately 1.6 miles to the next stoplight. Turn left onto Warren Wilson Rd. and go 1.4 miles to the College. See map. US Airways, Continental, Delta, Northwest and United provide daily service to the Asheville Regional Airport, a 30 minute drive from the College.