Junior Appalachian Musicians Program
HCAC offers this after-school program for students in grades 4-12 to learn to play fiddle, banjo, and guitar in Appalachian styles from well-known musicians. The JAM is designed to acquaint area young people with their local cultural heritage through instruction in mountain music. Learn more at www.JAMkids.org.
Each week, our talented instructors share their knowledge of regional traditional music with children in after-school classes at Folkmoot in Waynesville. The emphasis is on community, learning the old-time styles of playing and singing music, developing our ears and creativity, and continuing the folk process here in the mountains that has been going on for 200 years or more.
JAM is a friendly place for students to come after school where it’s safe to create and fulfilling to work together. The friendships formed at JAM are different than anywhere else, and being in a band and playing music with your friends can be the experience of a lifetime.
2024 - 2025 JAM Year
General Information:
Students can choose from guitar, banjo, or fiddle. Classes occur every Tuesday from 3:30 – 5 pm.
Location: Folkmoot USA at 112 Virginia Ave. Waynesville, NC 28786.
Cost: $100 per semester. Each additional child is $80/household.
Eligibility: Open to all Haywood County students, 4 – 12th graders.
PLEASE NOTE: JAM follows the same closures as Haywood County Schools. If Haywood County Schools are closed JAM will not meet.
Fall Semester September 3 - December 17, 2024
Registration CLOSED for FALL
Last Session/ End of Semester Performance: Tuesday, December 17
Spring Semester January 14 - April 29, 2025
Registration Deadline: Tuesday, January 14 at 5 pm
Open House/ First Session: Tuesday, January 14 at 3:30 pm
Last Session/ End of Semester Performance: Tuesday, April 29, Meet instructors, instrument “petting zoo” and performance by instructors
Our Instructors
The instructors are role models for all JAM students, but especially the girls, as seeing a woman play who has mastered her instrument is not something every little girl grows up seeing. The girls in JAM can be leaders if they want to, and they have strong role models in Cary, Maddy, Travis, Sarah, and Keilan. They do their part to help create an environment where all musicians are shown respect and admiration for their musical accomplishments. Depending on the number of students and their skill level we will have four instructors teaching banjo, guitar, fiddle, and band or advanced.
Thank You to Our 2023 - 2024 School Year Sponsors
Wayne Henderson Foundation
This project was supported by the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.