Coordinator Wendi Bourne
(pictured below left)
has some BIG
CHANGES in store for Swing Week students in 2009!
Swing
Week
will offer nearly twice as many classes to choose from than in
previous years and will run
concurrently with Bluegrass
Week. DANCING will remain an integral part of Swing Week, since a
main focus of this week is to educate musicians and dancers alike
as to the music and dance styles’ interdependence.
DANCERS will be offered classes in the morning and in the
afternoon. Each evening, there will be swing dancing to live
music – a different band each night – in
our beautiful outdoor pavilion. Practice sessions, late night DJ
sessions, and dancing at jam sessions are just
a few of the dance opportunities available
to dance students!
Michael Gamble & Jaya Dorf
(photo, top right)
will return as instructors
for their third
year, and we are
pleased to welcome Evita Arce & Nathan Bugh
(photo,
middle right),
experienced teachers from
New York City,
who will round out our dance staff in 2009. All
students will be given the opportunity to work with
BOTH sets of
dance teachers.
MUSIC STUDENTS will be offered TWO morning class sessions this
year (instead of one long one), so that they may experience a
wider
variety of classroom experiences. Students may wish to take,
say, a guitar class during the
first session and a vocal class during the second session. Watch
this page for a list of classes to be offered. This is an exciting
change that should make class sizes smaller, allow more levels of
each instrument so that students at a similar level of playing
ability can be grouped
together, and will also allow students a
chance to work with more of our wonderful staff, if they so
desire.

Music Classes will include instruction in the genre of swing music
on Fiddle
(Alexander Mitchell
(photo
bottom left)), Guitar
(Tom Mitchell and Steve Abshire), Mandolin (Roger
Bellow and Seth Rosen), Vocals (Sue
Matthews and Liz
Masterson
(mini)), Bass (Ralph
Gordon), Percussion (Steve
Larrance), Piano (Robert
Redd), Horns (John
Jensen),
Ukulele (Gerald Ross), and Lap Steel
Guitar (Gerald Ross).
Click
HERE to
see the Swing Week daily schedule to get an idea of what your day will be
like… this will be updated as we decide what all the
classes will be. Click
HERE for a
sample Morning Class Schedule.
Swing Week will be also enhanced by visits with
guest master artist,
Rusty Mason
(photo, middle right).
Andrew Guterman (drums)
(photo bottom right),
Kathy
Reitz (bass), and Marv Reitz (reeds) will be on hand as dance and
"auxiliary" musicians. There will be concerts on Tuesday
and Thursday, evening jams, and a dance every night.
To register,
specify “Swing Week,” your instructor and class.
Do you have questions
about Swing Week?
Feel free to call 304.637.1209 or email
augusta@augustaheritage.com, or
email Swing Week Coordinator,
Wendi Bourne at
swing@augustaheritage.com.
|
Classes and Staff
Swing Week
Coordinator, Wendi Bourne

Swing Week Daily Schedule
Sample Morning Class Schedule
|
|
Guest Master Artist |
Rusty Mason
 |
Meanderings with Rusty |
|
Staff Musicians |
Marv Reitz
 |
Reeds |
Kathy Reitz
 |
Bass |
|
Andrew Guterman |
Drums |
|
What level should I take? |
|
Swing Bass |
Ralph Gordon
 |
|
Swing Dance
|
Michael Gamble & Jaya Dorf
|
Swing from the Ground Up
 |
|
Evita Arce & Nathan Bugh
Nathan
Evita |
Intermediate/Advanced Swing Dance
|
|
Swing Fiddle |
Alexander Mitchell
 |
Intro to Swinging on the Fiddle
 |
|
Intermediate Fiddle
 |
|
Swing Guitar |
Tom Mitchell
 |
Sean Blackburn Memorial Cheap
Guitar Tricks
 |
|
Steve Abshire
 |
Playing Nice with Others:
The Swing Guitarist in the Rhythm Section
 |
|
Seth Rosen
 |
Swing Guitar for Folkies
 |
Gerald Ross
This class will be held on
Monday and Wednesday ONLY, and will take place from 6:30 -
7:45
 |
Intro to
Swing Lap Steel Guitar using the C6 tuning
 |
|
Swing Horns
|
John Jensen

 |
Step Up To the Bandstand: An Intro to Swing Horns
 |
|
Play Another
Chorus: Jazz and Swing Horns for the Experienced Player
 |
|
Peter Ecklund
 |
Peter will be coaching a
student band, and Wendi has left his morning schedule free
so that he can be available into the wee hours for jamming
with students!
Be sure
to check out Peter Ecklund's Swing Ensemble
mini-course
at the
bottom of this page
(for all instruments!!). |
|
Swing Mandolin |
Roger Bellow
 |
Western Swing Mandolin (beg.
& int.)
 |
|
Seth Rosen
 |
Swing Mandolin Jazz
(int. & adv.)
 |
|
Swing Percussion |
Steve Larrance
 |
Swing Drumming and Percussion
 |
|
Swing Percussion for the Non-percussionist
 |
|
Swing Piano |
Robert Redd
 |
Intro to Swing Piano
 |
|
Advanced Swing Piano
 |
|
Swing Ukulele |
Don "Noodle" Whitley
 |
Uke
from Scratch
 |
|
Gorilla Uke - The Uke's Role in a Jam Session
 |
|
Gerald Ross
 |
Swing Ukulele: The Basics
 |
|
Swing Ukulele:
Chord
Substitutions/Soloing
 |
|
Swing Vocals |
Sue Matthews
|
Ready, Set, Go
 |
|
Get Behind the Mic
 |
|
Liz Masterson
 |
Swing Vocal Repertoire
 |
|
Mini-Courses (Optional)
6:30pm to
7:45pm Monday through Thursday, unless otherwise noted.
Mini-courses cost an additional $45, and some classes may
require a small materials fee.
|
|
Cowboy
Songs & Yodeling |
Liz
Masterson 
|
 |
|
Fiddle from Scratch |
Tom Cunningham |
|
|
Flatfooting |
Footworks
Percussive Dance Ensemble |
|
|
Hammered Dulcimer from Scratch |
R. P. Hale
 |
|
|
Sound
Systems for Acoustic Musicians |
Flawn Williams
 |
 |
|
Introduction to Swing Dance |
Ishah Franks |
|
|
Swing Ensemble |
Peter Ecklund 
|
Swing Improvisation
(for all instruments)
 |