Appalachian Music Program and Course Listings
Taking advantage of the music and dance heritage of its Southern Appalachian
location, Warren Wilson College offers classes in Appalachian music and dance. These
include instruction in some of the common Appalachian instruments, old-time stringband and bluegrass ensembles, Appalachian flatfooting and clogging, and survey courses in the history of Appalachian music and dance.
Appalachian Music
- MUS 113 Appalachian Music History (1 cr)
- MUS 160 Appalachian String Band (1 cr)
- MUS 161 Beginning Guitar (1 cr)
- MUS 162 Finger-Picking Guitar (1 cr)
- MUS 163 Flat-Picking Guitar (1 cr)
- MUS 164 Old-Time Banjo (1 cr)
- MUS 165 Bluegrass Banjo (1 cr)
- MUS 166 Fiddle I / Mandolin I (1 cr)
- MUS 167 Fiddle II / Mandolin II (1 cr)
- MUS 169 Old-Time Singing (1 cr)
- MUS 232 Appalachian Music and Dance (4 cr)
- MUS 294 ST: Bluegrass Band (1 cr)
Appalachian Dance
- APS Appalachian Flatfooting and Clogging (1 cr)
Resources
The Kitteridge Music Library and the Martha Ellison Library house large
collections of recordings of Appalachian music, and at the College Archives
students can listen to field recordings and concert performances from years past.
Appalachian Music & Dance Events
Monday Lunchtime Old-Time Jam Session
Students and faculty join together every Monday at lunchtime throughout the
school year for an old-time music jam session.
Appalachian Music Concert Series
The Appalachian Music Concert Series at Sage Cafe presents a monthly concert
of Appalachian music from the region and beyond.
Fiddles and Folklife Festival
Each April, traditional musicians and crafters from the Appalachian region come
to Warren Wilson campus for the annual Appalachian Music and Folklife Festival,
a day of music, dance, and crafts, concluding with an evening square dance and
cakewalk.
The Old Farmer's Ball
www.oldfarmersball.com
The Asheville dance community joins together at Warren Wilson every Thursday in Bryson
Gym for this weekly contra and square dance. This dance, which was founded in 1982,
has helped make the Asheville area one of the most thriving contra dance scenes in
the entire country. In addition to numerous local musicians, it has become a
frequent stop for many nationally-known touring bands and dance callers.
The Swannanoa Gathering
www.swangathering.org
During the month of July, musicians and dancers from across the country and around
the world gather on the campus of Warren Wilson College for week-long sessions
of traditional music and dance. Classes with world-renowned instructors fill the
days, and concerts, dances, and jam sessions last long into the night. Programs
include: Dulcimer Week, Sing Swing & String Week, Celtic Week, Old-Time Music & Dance Week, Performance Lab, Contemporary Folk Week, Guitar Week, and Fiddle Week.