Wonderful Learning at Swannanoa

Nathaniel is halfway through Dulcimer Week at the Swannanoa Gathering at Warren Wilson College in Asheville, NC. The Gathering consists of an entire week of classes, jams and concerts on a mountain farm college campus, with an abundance of delightful spots for practicing and jamming. Nathaniel, who has gotten to attend through a Youth Scholarship, is taking all of his classes from 2006 National Mountain Dulcimer Champion, Jeff Hames, and the morning "experienced skills" class only has one other student. Tonight, Nathaniel will play "Black Mountain Rag" during the Open Stage performance.

Yesterday, Nathaniel and his dad visited a great dulcimer shop, Song of the Wood, in Black Mountain, NC, which is only 6 miles from the campus. The folks who run the shop are wonderfully friendly and helpful, Nathaniel had a fine time playing several different McSpadden dulcimers while he was in the shop. He also picked up a cherry capo to match the head on his new dulcimer.