A Summer week at Swannanoa

Bluegrass Guitarist David McGuirt

In auditioning for the adult scholarship to Swannanoa Gathering, for me, third time was the charm. I can say without a doubt that I was truly delighted and so very grateful to Charlotte Folk Society to be last year's winner of the adult scholarship to attend "the Gathering." What a treat! Though I had been a couple times before, this year it was not in the family budget for me to go unless I was lucky enough to win the scholarship.

I chose to register for Fiddle/Traditional Song Week, held the week of July 4th. Fiddle Week because that week offered several guitar accompaniment courses I was particularly interested in. And more importantly, my daughters, Casey and Emmy, wanted to register for classes in Traditional Song Week, which ran concurrently. It was a week tailor-made for our family. For the past several years on that week, there have been classes for mandolin, guitar, fiddle, upright bass, and tons of great singing classes. Something to suit everyone in our family!

This year Casey, Emmy, and I rented an apartment just across the street from Warren Wilson College, the gorgeous campus which is the site of the summer music workshop series. We could get up in the morning and walk across the street and be on campus.

I would be hard-pressed to name a single favorite thing about participating in Swannanoa Gathering. The instructors are phenomenal. You meet so many friendly folks from all over the country, all over the world for that matter. You can play music as much or as little as you like. You can attend concerts, go on walks, eat really great and healthy food in the cafeteria. I personally like the serve-yourself ice cream stand in the cafeteria, where I attempted to cap each and every meal with a scoop (or three).

Studying the course offerings, I considered registering for one of the singing classes but ended up signing up for all guitar classes. I took two rhythm accompaniment classes and two swing guitar classes. The swing guitar classes taught by Asheville's Hank Bones were really great. Hank is a great teacher and such a wonderful player. It was a treat to be coached by him. A week studying that genre is really just enough to dip your toes in the water; but I left with plenty to work on in the coming year.

Another highlight, for me, is the evening faculty concerts. To get to hear so many seasoned players on one bill and sometimes in impromptu cross-collaborations with one another is a rare opportunity, and it's all included in the tuition for the week.

To those considering whether you should audition for this year's Charlotte Folk Society adult scholarship to Swannanoa, I say, stop considering and just go for it! I consider myself a mediocre musician at best. But I am passionate about the guitar and learning to play. I am also passionate about encouraging others to grow and develop in their music-making endeavors. This past year I began teaching adult group guitar classes at The Violin Shoppe. I have tried to foster the same sense of joy and camaraderie that fills the environment at Swannanoa. Making music with others is foremost about creating a joyful communal experience. If you're the lucky recipient of the 2012 Charlotte Folk Society Spencer-Bryant Adult Scholarship to Swannanoa Gathering, I can promise you, you'll have a joyful communal experience drenched in great music. Best of luck to all who audition.