how does the Swannanao Gathering compare to Augusta?
how does the Swannanao Gathering compare to Augusta?
I went to Augusta last summer (2007) and loved it. My mom wants me to try the Swannanoa Gathering this year, how does the greatness of Augusta compare with the gathering?
Re: how does the Swannanao Gathering compare to Augusta?
I have two friends heading up there this weekend. They go every year and LOVE it. I can't speak for comparisons between those two, but I can say that the Swannee one is highly recommended!
Re: how does the Swannanao Gathering compare to Augusta?
Well, I've never been to Augusta, but this will my third year going to Swannanoa, and it's wonderful ! The instructors are first rate, (of course you didn't need me to tell you that, anyone can see that by looking at their website), and the staff is so very friendly and helpful. I can't wait to meet Martin Hayes !
The campus is beautiful, and not to big so walking to your classes doesn't wear you out. The weather is usually really nice too, it might be warm during the day but it cools off at night. This mist rolling in through the mountains is really something to see..... And on top of all that the FOOD is delicious. Not your normal institutional fare at all. They grow a lot of their own produce, and raise a lot of their meat. So it's all fresh and tasty, and they have better vegetatian options.
The sessions go on until at least 3 or 4, and in the earlier hours there is always many to chose from. The beer tent also makes for good craic
The instructor concerts are really one of the highlights of the week, open only to Gathering students. They're so spontaneous you never know what you'll see, but it's always great.
Re: how does the Swannanao Gathering compare to Augusta?
"Furthering this thought... how do those both compare to the Catskills Irish Arts Week, in East Durham, NY?"
Hmm... Swannanoa happens during the same week as the Catskills. I wonder if that's not disadvantageous to both of them?
The Catskills Irish Arts Week is specifically Irish (not pan-celtic), and has double the number of teachers (~60 at CIAW to the 27 at Augusta/Swanannoa), though the teaching staff is every bit as good--many of them are the same people that teach at the other weeks. If Irish music is what you like, there's just much more of it in the catskills.
The class locations for CIAW are very spread-out over several miles (you'd want to be able to bike/drive/carpool to your class), and the sessions take place in similarly spread-out venues, but most of the main events all happen in the pavilion at the center of town. There are also presentations, lectures, featured guests, and the like (none of which I see on the Augusta/Swannanoa websites).
Accomodations are often fairly spartan and spread out. You need to book a room individually at one of the hotels/resorts, or reserve a campground, and the quality of food depends on which restaurant/pub/resort you decide to visit each day. Some are much better than others. There are good options (including vegetarian), but they often involve driving. On the other hand, the catskills are in the mountains of New York (obviously), so the midday heat is much milder than you'd find down south.
While the classes, concerts, and lectures are fantastic, I think the sessions are CIAW's real draw. They take place (mainly) in the various pubs around town (hooray for readily-available alcohol!), and often go until people feel like leaving or until the bar kicks them out, which is often *quite* late (the addition of an espresso table at Furlong's last summer made for many people still playing at 8am--Ow). CIAW's relative proximity to the Boston/NYC/Philly/DC trad epicenters also means that you always have a couple-dozen ITM fanatics/pros coming out just to play tunes for the weekend. Sessions aren't obviously limited to students, but the geography of the festival means this isn't typically an issue. The relatively large number of musicians--upwards of 500 students--at CIAW also means that you can pick and choose what sort of session you want to join or listen-to (though the decision process often involves driving from pub to pub, poking your head into each).
All in all, for better and/or worse, the catskills festival feels more like a comparable festival in Ireland (like Willie Clancy week) than anything else I've seen in America yet. It's big, spread-out, and occasionally messy, but there's a fantastic feel to the whole thing...
Re: how does the Swannanao Gathering compare to Augusta?
I've heard good things about Swannanoa before. Sounds like the kind of camp I was hoping for at the Mark O'Connor camp I went to 7 years ago but sadly never got. The talent of musicians were great but didn't learn a whole lot from the workshops. There were concerts and that was it. Jamming was sadly non-existent.
With all the great teachers they have had at Swannanoa lately I wish I had the money to go to Irish week. Donogh Hennessey and John Doyle are my favorite rhythm guitarists and Donogh was there last year and Doyle is coming this year. Just wish it wasn't so expensive.
Re: how does the Swannanao Gathering compare to Augusta?
yeah, it is expensive, but it's really worth it. the time that you spend there seems to go on and on, and it's like living in a little bubble of music that is untouchable to the rest of the world. it's the only workshop i've been to, so i have no way of comparing it to the others, but i've had various musical experiences aside from the gathering, and it's still my top favorite.
Augusta Heritage Center is best known for intensive week-long workshops that attract several hundred participants annually. Thousands more attend our public concerts, dances, and festivals. Augusta’s full-time staff, plus volunteers, seasonal staff, and work-study students, produce a great variety of quality workshops. These world-renowned workshops and festivals have brought together master artists, musicians, dancers, craftspeople, and enthusiasts of all ages.
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.
For one week every July, the town of East Durham, New York is alive with the sounds and sights of traditional Irish music, dance, crafts and culture. ~ Planning is well underway for another sensational week in the historic Irish American hamlet of East Durham for the 14th Annual Catskills Irish Arts Week hosted by the M.J. Quill Irish Cultural and Sports Centre. We have assembled another terrific faculty of teachers and entertainers who will continue to make the CIAW the place to be for serious fans of Irish traditional music and dance. You’ll see many familiar names on the faculty page and some first-time visitors to the Catskills as well as the legend continues to grow.
Re: how does the Swannanao Gathering compare to Augusta?
I've been to Swannanoa four times ('02, 04, 05, 07) and visited at Augusta in 2006 when I was picking up a drum from Albert Alfonso.
The first thing I'll say is that both are very good camps and that you wouldn't go wrong with either of them (or, I'm sure, the Catskills-haven't been there yet). Both camps get great instructors (there's a fair bit of overlap between the two, e.g., John Doyle, John Skelton, Angelina Carrberry and Martin Quinn are at both camps this year). Both camps are housed on small private college campuses in beautiful areas with lots of great outdoor opportunities, and both are very well-run.
In the end, I think the decision should be based on what you're looking to get from camp. Swannanoa hits both the Irish and Scottish worlds, with a bit of Cape Breton thrown in. Augusta is more exclusively Irish, with a nod to Cape Breton. Swannanoa should get the nod if you also have an interest in Scottish styes and culture.
The major difference between the two is in how the instruction is scheduled. At Augusta, you take one class and focus on that all day long. Swannanoa divides the day into four class periods, with the opportunity to take something different in each class period. So, if you wanted instruction on more than one instrument, or wanted to do an instrument and songs, Swannanoa would seem to be the better choice. If you want to intensively focus on one thing, Augusta might be the better bet. Group lessons are group lessons wherever you take them, however, and the major things I get from going to camp are finding out what I need to work on over the next year and renewed enthusiasm and motivation.
Each camp offers "potluck" classes on different topics each day, and both provide lots of opportunities to play informally with others during and afterhours. Swannanoa has an explicit "slow" session each day (led by instructors) for those who are building repertoire or figuring out their instrument. The quality of the sessions varies at each camp, with lots of open low-level sessions and more closed higher-evel sessions in various nooks and crannies.
Swannanoa tends to draw more folks than Augusta does these days, and my sense is that the demographic is younger at Swannanoa; there's a fair amount of raging teenage hormones, but not so much as to interfere with things and it can be a vast source of amusement to us older farts.
There is a difference in vibe. The craic is good at both, but to me, Swannanoa feels more diverse, laid back, and relaxed, while Augusta is a bit more "serious" and focused. Again, it'll depend on what you're looking for in a camp.
The food is better at Swannanoa. If you're bringing a significant other who isn't a musician, they'll find Asheville a much more interesting place than Elkins, if that is a factor.
If money was no object, I'd go to both. I feel more at home at Swannanoa than I did at Augusta, so that's where I go when I have the money to go to camp.
Re: how does the Swannanao Gathering compare to Augusta?
Hannah,
Pete Clark and Jamie Laval are doing classes in intermediate and advanced Scottish fiddle this year, while Jim Malcolm and Margaret Bennett will be anchoring classes on Scottish songs and traditions. All in all, there's more weight on the Irish side of things, but you can still get your Scottish fix.
Re: how does the Swannanao Gathering compare to Augusta?
sorry I frased that question wrong, I meant like.... Are most of the sessions and stuff irish? (I play irish by the way) How many of the people that go there take the Scottish classes, like half or less?
how does the Swannanao Gathering compare to Augusta?
how does the Swannanao Gathering compare to Augusta?
I went to Augusta last summer (2007) and loved it. My mom wants me to try the Swannanoa Gathering this year, how does the greatness of Augusta compare with the gathering?
Any opinions would be appreciated. Thanks!
Hannah
# Posted on March 25th 2008 by keelin
Re: how does the Swannanao Gathering compare to Augusta?
I have two friends heading up there this weekend. They go every year and LOVE it. I can't speak for comparisons between those two, but I can say that the Swannee one is highly recommended!
# Posted on March 25th 2008 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: how does the Swannanao Gathering compare to Augusta?
Furthering this thought... how do those both compare to the Catskills Irish Arts Week, in East Durham, NY?
Similarities? Differences?
# Posted on March 25th 2008 by browndog
Re: how does the Swannanao Gathering compare to Augusta?
Well, I've never been to Augusta, but this will my third year going to Swannanoa, and it's wonderful ! The instructors are first rate, (of course you didn't need me to tell you that, anyone can see that by looking at their website), and the staff is so very friendly and helpful. I can't wait to meet Martin Hayes !
The campus is beautiful, and not to big so walking to your classes doesn't wear you out. The weather is usually really nice too, it might be warm during the day but it cools off at night. This mist rolling in through the mountains is really something to see..... And on top of all that the FOOD is delicious. Not your normal institutional fare at all. They grow a lot of their own produce, and raise a lot of their meat. So it's all fresh and tasty, and they have better vegetatian options.
The sessions go on until at least 3 or 4, and in the earlier hours there is always many to chose from. The beer tent also makes for good craic
The instructor concerts are really one of the highlights of the week, open only to Gathering students. They're so spontaneous you never know what you'll see, but it's always great.
Hope to see you there !
~Leila
# Posted on March 25th 2008 by red_haired_girl
Re: how does the Swannanao Gathering compare to Augusta?
"Furthering this thought... how do those both compare to the Catskills Irish Arts Week, in East Durham, NY?"
Hmm... Swannanoa happens during the same week as the Catskills. I wonder if that's not disadvantageous to both of them?
The Catskills Irish Arts Week is specifically Irish (not pan-celtic), and has double the number of teachers (~60 at CIAW to the 27 at Augusta/Swanannoa), though the teaching staff is every bit as good--many of them are the same people that teach at the other weeks. If Irish music is what you like, there's just much more of it in the catskills.
The class locations for CIAW are very spread-out over several miles (you'd want to be able to bike/drive/carpool to your class), and the sessions take place in similarly spread-out venues, but most of the main events all happen in the pavilion at the center of town. There are also presentations, lectures, featured guests, and the like (none of which I see on the Augusta/Swannanoa websites).
Accomodations are often fairly spartan and spread out. You need to book a room individually at one of the hotels/resorts, or reserve a campground, and the quality of food depends on which restaurant/pub/resort you decide to visit each day. Some are much better than others. There are good options (including vegetarian), but they often involve driving. On the other hand, the catskills are in the mountains of New York (obviously), so the midday heat is much milder than you'd find down south.
While the classes, concerts, and lectures are fantastic, I think the sessions are CIAW's real draw. They take place (mainly) in the various pubs around town (hooray for readily-available alcohol!), and often go until people feel like leaving or until the bar kicks them out, which is often *quite* late (the addition of an espresso table at Furlong's last summer made for many people still playing at 8am--Ow). CIAW's relative proximity to the Boston/NYC/Philly/DC trad epicenters also means that you always have a couple-dozen ITM fanatics/pros coming out just to play tunes for the weekend. Sessions aren't obviously limited to students, but the geography of the festival means this isn't typically an issue. The relatively large number of musicians--upwards of 500 students--at CIAW also means that you can pick and choose what sort of session you want to join or listen-to (though the decision process often involves driving from pub to pub, poking your head into each).
All in all, for better and/or worse, the catskills festival feels more like a comparable festival in Ireland (like Willie Clancy week) than anything else I've seen in America yet. It's big, spread-out, and occasionally messy, but there's a fantastic feel to the whole thing...
# Posted on March 26th 2008 by Georgi
Re: how does the Swannanao Gathering compare to Augusta?
I've heard good things about Swannanoa before. Sounds like the kind of camp I was hoping for at the Mark O'Connor camp I went to 7 years ago but sadly never got. The talent of musicians were great but didn't learn a whole lot from the workshops. There were concerts and that was it. Jamming was sadly non-existent.
With all the great teachers they have had at Swannanoa lately I wish I had the money to go to Irish week. Donogh Hennessey and John Doyle are my favorite rhythm guitarists and Donogh was there last year and Doyle is coming this year. Just wish it wasn't so expensive.
# Posted on March 26th 2008 by JD-DHguitar
Re: how does the Swannanao Gathering compare to Augusta?
yeah, it is expensive, but it's really worth it. the time that you spend there seems to go on and on, and it's like living in a little bubble of music that is untouchable to the rest of the world. it's the only workshop i've been to, so i have no way of comparing it to the others, but i've had various musical experiences aside from the gathering, and it's still my top favorite.
# Posted on March 26th 2008 by hannahseng
Re: how does the Swannanao Gathering compare to Augusta?
You may do well to contact James Keane, who has recently taught at each...
Contact James at keanebox@nyc.rr.com
# Posted on March 26th 2008 by Ceolagusrince
Re: how does the Swannanao Gathering compare to Augusta?
I much prefer Swannanoa. It's just better.
# Posted on March 26th 2008 by seisflutes
Re: how does the Swannanao Gathering compare to Augusta?
For those of us who might be in the dark over all this ~
Augusta Heritage Center
of Davis & Elkins College
Elkins, West Virginia, U.S.A.
http://www.augustaheritage.com/
Irish/Celtic Week ~ July 20 - 25, 2008
http://www.augustaheritage.com/irish.html
Augusta Heritage Center is best known for intensive week-long workshops that attract several hundred participants annually. Thousands more attend our public concerts, dances, and festivals. Augusta’s full-time staff, plus volunteers, seasonal staff, and work-study students, produce a great variety of quality workshops. These world-renowned workshops and festivals have brought together master artists, musicians, dancers, craftspeople, and enthusiasts of all ages.
Swannanao Gathering
Folk Arts Workshops at Warren Wilson College
Asheville, North Carolina, U.S.A.
http://www.swangathering.org/
Celtic Week ~ July 13 - 19, 2008
http://www.swangathering.org/Catalog/CL/sgclsched.html
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.
Catskills Irish Arts Week ~ July 13 - 19, 2008
The Michael J. Quill Irish Cultural & Sports Centre & Festival Grounds
East Durham , New York, U.S.A.
http://www.east-durham.org/irishartsweek/index.htm
For one week every July, the town of East Durham, New York is alive with the sounds and sights of traditional Irish music, dance, crafts and culture. ~ Planning is well underway for another sensational week in the historic Irish American hamlet of East Durham for the 14th Annual Catskills Irish Arts Week hosted by the M.J. Quill Irish Cultural and Sports Centre. We have assembled another terrific faculty of teachers and entertainers who will continue to make the CIAW the place to be for serious fans of Irish traditional music and dance. You’ll see many familiar names on the faculty page and some first-time visitors to the Catskills as well as the legend continues to grow.
# Posted on March 26th 2008 by ceolachan
Re: how does the Swannanao Gathering compare to Augusta?
I've been to Swannanoa four times ('02, 04, 05, 07) and visited at Augusta in 2006 when I was picking up a drum from Albert Alfonso.
The first thing I'll say is that both are very good camps and that you wouldn't go wrong with either of them (or, I'm sure, the Catskills-haven't been there yet). Both camps get great instructors (there's a fair bit of overlap between the two, e.g., John Doyle, John Skelton, Angelina Carrberry and Martin Quinn are at both camps this year). Both camps are housed on small private college campuses in beautiful areas with lots of great outdoor opportunities, and both are very well-run.
In the end, I think the decision should be based on what you're looking to get from camp. Swannanoa hits both the Irish and Scottish worlds, with a bit of Cape Breton thrown in. Augusta is more exclusively Irish, with a nod to Cape Breton. Swannanoa should get the nod if you also have an interest in Scottish styes and culture.
The major difference between the two is in how the instruction is scheduled. At Augusta, you take one class and focus on that all day long. Swannanoa divides the day into four class periods, with the opportunity to take something different in each class period. So, if you wanted instruction on more than one instrument, or wanted to do an instrument and songs, Swannanoa would seem to be the better choice. If you want to intensively focus on one thing, Augusta might be the better bet. Group lessons are group lessons wherever you take them, however, and the major things I get from going to camp are finding out what I need to work on over the next year and renewed enthusiasm and motivation.
Each camp offers "potluck" classes on different topics each day, and both provide lots of opportunities to play informally with others during and afterhours. Swannanoa has an explicit "slow" session each day (led by instructors) for those who are building repertoire or figuring out their instrument. The quality of the sessions varies at each camp, with lots of open low-level sessions and more closed higher-evel sessions in various nooks and crannies.
Swannanoa tends to draw more folks than Augusta does these days, and my sense is that the demographic is younger at Swannanoa; there's a fair amount of raging teenage hormones, but not so much as to interfere with things and it can be a vast source of amusement to us older farts.
There is a difference in vibe. The craic is good at both, but to me, Swannanoa feels more diverse, laid back, and relaxed, while Augusta is a bit more "serious" and focused. Again, it'll depend on what you're looking for in a camp.
The food is better at Swannanoa. If you're bringing a significant other who isn't a musician, they'll find Asheville a much more interesting place than Elkins, if that is a factor.
If money was no object, I'd go to both. I feel more at home at Swannanoa than I did at Augusta, so that's where I go when I have the money to go to camp.
Hope that helps,
Jeff
# Posted on March 26th 2008 by jeff_willner
Re: how does the Swannanao Gathering compare to Augusta?
I've been to both, Swannanoa felt to me to be a much more intimate setting, but both are wonderful.
# Posted on March 27th 2008 by Michael Eskin
Re: how does the Swannanao Gathering compare to Augusta?
Hahaha..... Raging teenage hormones at Swannanoa
Yeah, I guess I'm contributing to that.....
~Leila
# Posted on March 27th 2008 by red_haired_girl
Re: how does the Swannanao Gathering compare to Augusta?
Ahhh! i want to go to both now.
How much of scottish music is at Swannanoa?
# Posted on March 30th 2008 by keelin
Re: how does the Swannanao Gathering compare to Augusta?
Hannah,
Pete Clark and Jamie Laval are doing classes in intermediate and advanced Scottish fiddle this year, while Jim Malcolm and Margaret Bennett will be anchoring classes on Scottish songs and traditions. All in all, there's more weight on the Irish side of things, but you can still get your Scottish fix.
www. swangathering.org
# Posted on March 31st 2008 by jeff_willner
Re: how does the Swannanao Gathering compare to Augusta?
sorry I frased that question wrong, I meant like.... Are most of the sessions and stuff irish? (I play irish by the way) How many of the people that go there take the Scottish classes, like half or less?
# Posted on May 2nd 2008 by keelin