The Jackson County Junior Appalachian Musicians Program (JAM) is an after-school program providing students age 8 and up instruction and performance opportunities in Mountain Heritage Music on traditional Appalachian instruments such as guitar, banjo, fiddle, and mandolin. In addition to small group instruction on their instruments, the students learn local music history, music theory, ear and rhythm training, and dance. Local guest artists and professional musicians perform for the students to expand their understanding of the wide variety of traditional music that exists. They learn to play music with each other in supervised jam sessions and more advanced students participate in a string band.
Classes are held after school on Wednesdays at the Jackson County Library in downtown Sylva from 4 – 5:30 PM. We welcome Jackson County public school, private school and home school students, grades 3 and up. The registration fee is $100 per semester. Loaner instruments are made available for free to the students who need them. Please contact Kim Oliver, Program Director at jcncjam@gmail.com for more information. You can also like and follow us at www.facebook.com/jcncjam.
The Jackson County JAM program is partially funded by the NC Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources, as well as the Jackson County Arts Council and the Fontana Regional Library. Support also comes from registration fees, fundraising events and donations from the public.
Jackson County JAM is an affiliate program of the regional Junior Appalachian Musicians, Inc., headquartered in Independence, Virginia. (www.jamkids.org.)
