Fall Newsletter 2012 - News of the Family...

Any of you with notable news you’d like to share with the Gathering community should send a copy to the Gathering office, and we’d be happy to publish it here... Longtime Gathering attendee Conway Saylor, who teaches at The Citadel, was honored with the South Carolina Governor’s Professor of the Year awards for 2012. She was chosen from 35 candidates nominated by their colleges... Former Youth Scholar Alex Reidinger was recently married to Duncan Boatright... Mando & Banjo Week staffers Mike Marshall and Caterina Lichtenberg are expecting their second child right around the time you’ll be reading this... This summer, our Youth Scholarship Fund sponsored 25 students: David Benedict, Kaitlin Kemp, Karin McQuade, Mackenzie Johnston, Nathan Godshall, Nora Flaherty, Olivia Smith, Rachel Ward (Celtic); Grayson Wickel, Jordan Boatman, (Old-Time); Indigo DeSouza, Maya Critchfield, Quincy Dean, (Contemporary Folk); Hannah McLeod, Lance Mapp, Mitchell Derrow, Natalie Royal (Guitar); Amelia Quinn-James, Anne Gerhardt, Ellie Propst, Julian Pinelli, Megan Carey, Phoebe Propst (Fiddle); and Chris Sexton (Mando & Banjo). While the Austin Friends of Traditional Music sponsored Bren Koch & Ellie Salinas (Old-Time), Interpretive Simulations & Blue Ridge Irish Music Society sponsored Erin Neely (Celtic), Dream Guitars sponsored David Fee (Guitar), The Kerrville Folk Festival sponsored an unnamed recipient, the Wilkes Acoustic Folk Society sponsored Abby Huggins (Old-Time) and Tosco Music Parties sponsored David “Lando” Pieroni and Mike Royal (Guitar). A group of long-time Guitar Week attendees who call themselves “The Shepard Posse” after the dorm they always stay in, sponsored Sara Tobin (Contemporary Folk). This made a total of 35 Youth Scholars for 2012... Key deposit donations to our Youth Scholarship fund this year totaled $8,636, and the total for all donations was $12,306. Our profound thanks to all of you who gave financially to help cultivate a love for traditional music and dance in the next generation... Teachers please note that the Swannanoa Gathering offers teacher renewal certification hours for any of our weeks. Contact your local school board for prior approval.... Don’t forget to support your local Public Radio and Television stations. Where would we hear our music without them? For other folk news, don’t forget the magazines Sing Out!, The Old-Time Herald, Acoustic Guitar, Dulcimer Players News, Fingerstyle Guitar, Acoustic Musician and Fiddler.