I just signed up for 4 classes each day at Swannanoa, a flute class with Nuala Kennedy, a fiddle technique class with Andrew Finn Magill, and a fiddle class with Liz Knowles that extends for two class periods each day.
Is this too much? Will I wear myself out trying to absorb the lessons? On the other hand, since I’ll be down there and have all this available (and play two instruments), it seems hard to not want to take all the classes I can. All the teachers are first rate to boot.
This will be my first time at Swannanoa, have been to Irish Arts Week in the Catskills once.
That seems pretty focused to me on Irish flute and fiddle. I go to a world music camp in California called Lark in the Morning
Camp, or just Lark Camp (which actually has three separate camp sites nestled in the Mendocino Woodlands). There you don’t have to sign up for classes, you just show or not show up. The list of classes and styles are endless http://www.larkcamp.com/staff.html#Music . I focus on taking a limited number of classes, mainly John Skelton’s Irish flute class and I really got into a Swedish music class. Other than that, I’ll sit in on perhaps a Dale Russ Irish fiddle class (I love Liz Knowles’ playing so I’d try to sit in a bit on her class if I were at Swannanoa even though I don’t play fiddle at all), sit in with the Klezmer band a bit and maybe I’ll go to another campsite and checkout the Middle Eastern music.
Anyways, I’ve heard great things about that camp. Maybe one of these years when the kids are grown up…
I’ve been to Swannanoa several times, and to the Celtlc week twice. Here’s my take:
You just never know what kind of instructor you’ll get. They are all wonderful musicians and wonderful folks; that doesn’t mean they’re all teachers. That’s not a dig in any respect; just the way it is.
Even those who are good teachers can focus on many things, some of which might resonate with you and some of which might not; some of which might overwhelm your particular capabilities, or not.
What I’ve always done: signed up for 4 classes. After attending the first (and maybe second) day, you can then decide whether (i) to drop some because of #1 or #2 above, or (ii) drop because you’re overwhelmed. So, no need to decide now, I claim.
I couldn’t make it this but am already thinking about next year; it’s a grand time.
I’m guessing your head will get pretty full pretty quickly, but with a notebook and a recording device, you can then take your time with all the info at home.
Be sure to save plenty of time and energy for the sessions that spontaneously generate everywhere each evening. I found 2 classes was about the right level for me, and I say go with the suggestion that starting big and then cutting back is a reasonable way to proceed. Enjoy, it is a great camp.
L
Taking four classes leave you no time in the day to practice. I’ve only gone once, but I took three: Bodhran I, Singing Scottish Folk Songs, and Whistle II.
Bodhran I doesn’t really take much practice. For the singing class I thought I’d just kind of sit in the back and mainly watch, but then there were only six of us, lol.
I used the time when I didn’t have any class to review my recording of the whistle class, and try to learn some of the stuff we went over. Then the evenings were free for the session tents.