PRESS RELEASE:
The Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC) has opened registration for the Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) program for the 2016-17 school years. Classes will take place at Canton Middle School on Tuesday afternoons from September 20 – April 18, from 3:30 – 5:00 p.m.
Now in its sixteenth year in Haywood County, JAM is offered to students in 4th grade and older who want to learn Appalachian music from talented local musicians. About the program, Lindsey Solomon, Executive Director of the HCAC, says, “Not only does JAM expose students to the music of our region, and show them how to learn together, but we have former students that have decided to make this kind of music their life’s work – earning scholarships to local workshops and colleges. It’s exciting to see what music education can do for students at a young age.”
JAM students will learn banjo, fiddle, or guitar in the traditional way mountain music has been taught for generations. A string band class will be offered to advanced students by instructor referral. JAM instructors for the 2016-17 program include Cary Fridley, Robby Robertson, and Travis Stuart.
Students in Haywood County are eligible for the Junior Appalachian Musicians program. Students in adjoining counties may participate if space is available. Lessons are $150 per student for the school year (approximately $5 per class) with siblings charged just $50. Classes will be held each Tuesday afternoon from 3:30pm to 5:00pm at Canton Middle School beginning Tuesday, Sept. 20, following the public school calendar.
Please contact the Haywood County Arts Council with enrollment questions by calling 828-452-0593 or emailing info@haywoodarts.org. For more information about JAM, as well as other sponsored programs or events, visit the Haywood County Arts Council website at haywoodarts.org. The JAM Program is supported by the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.
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