The Vail Music Residency was a week long residency for Davidson College students and area high school students with 12 principal musicians from the United States and Canada. The Residency included master classes, chamber music concerts and a Gala Benefit Concert. There was also a special choir reunion held during the week. The event, held during the week of April 21-25, 1997 served also as a fund raiser for the college's radio station WDAV and for three music scholarships:The Donald Plott Memorial Scholarship, the Mary Nell Saunders Scholarships, and the Zachary F. Long, Jr.Mussic Scholarship. The residency was underwritten by Jim and Peggy Vail.