Traditional Music
Concentration in the Music Major
Our Traditional Music program, much like Warren Wilson itself, is firmly tied to the Appalachian region. You’ll embrace change and innovation while celebrating the many artistic lifeways and expressions of previous generations.
Focus your music studies on the string band and vocal traditions of Southern Appalachia and the surrounding region. You’ll take courses in Appalachian history and music, music theory, vocal harmony, and music cultures while taking advantage of private instruction in banjo, fiddle, guitar, mandolin, bass, flatfooting, voice, or songwriting. You’ll also have the opportunity to join ensembles such as Beginning String Band, Tunewriting Ensemble, Old-Time String Band, and Bluegrass Band.
Why Traditional Music at Warren Wilson?
- Accomplished Faculty: Our faculty have won awards from International Bluegrass Music Association, Merlefest, and RockyGrass, have recorded for Organic Records, Acoustic Disc, CMH Records, the Fiddle Masters Series, and Adhyâropa Records, and have been featured in Bluegrass Unlimited, Bluegrass Today, the Bluegrass Situation, the Picky Fingers Banjo Podcast, and the Mandolins and Beer Podcast.
- Diverse Roots: The program fosters an inclusive, intergenerational artistic community where you’ll acquire a shared musical language and develop your own unique voice. We celebrate the African, European, and Indigenous roots of Southern Appalachian music and the unique perspective that each listener and practitioner brings.
See how Traditional Music students put our education into action
Work
You can work on any crew as a student but many Traditional Music students choose to be on crews such as:
- Music Assistant
- Sound Lab
- Library Archives
Popular Courses
Appalachian Music and Dance
You’ll explore the music and dance traditions of the southern Appalachian region by tracing their historical development from their Scots-Irish and African folk roots to the present day. You’ll focus on topics such as ballads and folk songs, sacred singing, dance music, early hillbilly recordings and radio, bluegrass and early country music, clogging, and square dancing.
Exploring Music Vocations
How do people make careers in music? What kind of paths might a music major pursue to prepare for their post-graduation goals? This course, designed for upper-level music majors, explores these important questions. It provides an opportunity to learn from people who have made careers in various aspects of the music business. It also requires students to think through their own remaining work as music majors and prepares them to undertake their own signature work project.
Kevin Kehrberg, Ph.D.
Research Interests
- Vernacular music in America, particularly sacred music
- Intersections of music, race, and ethnicity. See “Somebody Died, Babe.“
- Gamelan music of Indonesia
“As a professor, I love that Warren Wilson students are unafraid to take risks, to challenge themselves, and to engage a topic or a work of art despite whether it aligns with their opinions or preferences.”
Ben Krakauer, Ph.D.
Research Interests
- Folk music revival in South Asia and North America
- Critical issues in popular music
- Composing, arranging, and improvising in new acoustic music
“At Warren Wilson, I seek growth opportunities for my students, colleagues, and myself by approaching learning with curiosity, compassion, collaboration, and critical engagement.”
Natalya Weinstein Miller, MA
Research Interests
- The diverse roots of bluegrass fiddling
- Instrumental klezmer music in America
- Regional WNC old-time fiddlers and repertoire
“I love how music constantly fills the air at Warren Wilson College, whether it’s a songwriting class in the amphitheater, a marimba outside of the percussion studio, the full voices of the choir down at the pavilion, or the rhythms of the West African Drum ensemble.”