AUGUST 20, 2009 ISSUE
Join the JAM!
Junior Appalachian Musicians Registering Now
Youth members in Watauga County have the unique opportunity to learn the traditional instruments and musical styles of the Appalachian region through the Watauga Arts Council’s Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) program. The Arts Council is currently accepting registrations for the 2009-10 session.
JAM will offer lessons on traditional fiddle, banjo, guitar and mandolin to students in third through 12th grades. The council is also accepting information from students interested in dulcimer and dance classes and could offer those classes if they garner enough interest. About 21 of the 54 spaces in the program are still available, said Mark Freed, coordinator of JAM.
JAM classes start on September 11 and continue through April, with a possible final concert in early May. Classes will meet at the Jones House in downtown Boone on Thursday evenings for one hour—at 5:30 or 6:30 p.m. depending on experience level. The cost is $100 for 28 lessons. Instruments are available for rent for $25 for the yearlong session. Some scholarship assistance may be available upon request.
Cecil Gurganus and Randy and Deborah Jean Sheets return to the program as regular instructors. Gurganus will work with fiddlers, and Deborah Jean Sheets will teach guitar players. Randy Sheets will continue to work with banjo students. New to the program is Martha Spencer, who performs with her family in the Whitetop Mountain Band from Grayson County, Va. Spencer will most likely teach fiddle. The council will hire other instructors as classes are filled.
To register or for more information, contact Freed at 828-264-1789 or mark@watauga-arts.org.
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