BRIEF HISTORY OF SWALLOW HILL

What is Swallow Hill | Staff | Board of Directors | Honorary Advisory Council

Over the years, Swallow Hill has changed locations four times. In 1980, it had just three classrooms and an office. Today it has expanded to 18 classrooms, a recording studio, a café, offices and two concert halls. In 1994, Seth Weisburg, a former Executive Director, described Swallow Hill as a "musical community center." As we celebrate our 28th anniversary, the voices of Swallow Hill remind us of a rich history and a promising future.

Let's take a trip through time from the 1960s to today.

1960s. The Roots of Swallow Hill
Swallow Hill's roots are shared with the Denver Folklore Center (DFC). Harry Tuft established it in 1962 in the Swallow Hill neighborhood of Denver. It eventually expanded to fill most of a city block. The DFC held an instrument store, repair shop, music school, concert hall, record store and bead store.

Folk musicians in Denver for a performance would stop at the Denver Folklore Center for supplies, visit Harry and often put on an informal show. Among the artists who passed through the DFC were Ramblin' Jack Elliot, Judy Collins, Joan Baez, Doc Watson and the Reverend Gary Davis.

1970's. Swallow Hill is Founded
The Denver Folklore Center Concert Hall was founded in September 1971. Some of the performers who made appearances in the hall include Bonnie Raitt, Ry Cooder, Elizabeth Cotton, Taj Mahal, Utah Phillips, Katy Moffatt and Bette White. In 1976 the Rocky Mountain News described the Denver Folklore Center as "something with a personality, an identity, all its own ... a showcase for local talent which respected that talent ... a business ... operated on a personal, friendly basis ... a place of good reputation among artists in many other cities."

By the late 1970s, however, the Swallow Hill neighborhood was in decline and financial concert hall losses forced Harry Tuft to rethink the future of the Folklore Center. Harry and many of the Center's supporters decided to create a non-profit organization to preserve folk music and provide a venue for performances, and Swallow Hill Music Association was born.

February 1979 saw the formation of the first Board of Directors: Geoff Withers, Roz Brown, Emmie Hewitt, Bill McCreary, Tom McMillan, Elissa Meyer and Larry Shirkey. In March, the newly formed Swallow Hill Music Association took over the concert hall and music school from the DFC. A three-day benefit concert on March 16-18, 1979 helped to celebrate Swallow Hill's opening.

1980s. Swallow Hill's Early Years
The 1980s saw Swallow Hill through many beginnings. The Denver Folklore Center and Swallow Hill Concert Hall moved to 440 South Broadway in April 1980. The building was an old two-story house with a business storefront tacked on. The DFC's store and repair shop were on the first floor--three lesson rooms, an office and restrooms. Unable to find a suitable concert hall space at a reasonable price, Swallow Hill arranged concerts at various locations in the Denver area.

Throughout the 1980s, the official newsletter called Simple Gifts was published, Swallow Hill put on their first student-teacher concert, and the music school closed and reopened. Swallow Hill Music Association celebrated its 10th anniversary and found its first permanent home on Pearl Street.

1990s. Growing Pains
Swallow Hill entered the 1990s with its first capital campaign to remodel the new Pearl Street building. Projects to improve the facility were underway and the Swallow Hill Choir was formed. But among these exciting events, there was also tragedy. The unexpected death of young student and performer Stephanie Sibson in 1990 was a great loss for Swallow Hill. Her family and friends worked to improve the library and dedicated it in her memory—The Sibson Library, now temporarily located in the Café.

The 1990s brought the beginning of the Thursday night jam sessions and the first Folkathon, a "non-stop, three-day folk orgy," named by Harry Tuft. It included fine local talent, food and crafts, children games, all-night jam sessions, and dance demonstrations. Swallow Hill also opened a record store featuring folk and traditional music recorded by Colorado artists.

Swallow Hill programs were booming, but the school's outgrowth was outpacing available space. Faculty and students had to be turned away and programs were put on hold. By 1995, the Board of Directors and the staff weighed their options: remodel the Pearl Street building, which would still not provide the amount of space needed, or look for a new location. In 1997, the location for Swallow Hill's current home at 71 East Yale Avenue was found, and the new facility was opened to celebrate Swallow Hill's 20th anniversary in 1999.

2000s. Ever Expanding
Many people have contributed to Swallow Hill's success. In particular, Julie Davis believed so much in Swallow Hill's mission that in 1984 she became instrumental in reviving the music school, directing it from 1986 to 1995, in addition to her teaching duties. In 2002, the school was officially named after her. She has continued to be a member of the faculty to this day. Now the Julie Davis Music School at Swallow Hill provides a valuable and affordable extra-curricular educational resource to the community, with more than 50 music instructors involved in more than 240 adult classes and 70 children's classes annually.

In 2004 Swallow Hill achieved the coveted SCFD Tier II status. The Scientific and Cultural Facilities District is the main source of funding for Swallow Hill. By acquiring Tier II status, Swallow Hill has access to more discretionary funds and is now at the same level of the Colorado Symphony, Opera Colorado or the Colorado Ballet.

With more than 2,100 members—some of whom are also volunteers—Swallow Hill now provides a place to celebrate music that is rarely heard elsewhere in the Rocky Mountain Region.

What is Swallow Hill | Staff | Board of Directors | Honorary Advisory Council