Tryon Fine Arts Center announces the opening semester of Pacolet JAM, a new traditional music program for youth. Ten weeks of classes at Tryon Fine Arts Center begin Wednesday, Sept. 10 and will end with a performance by the students on Nov. 12. Classes will resume for ten weeks in January. The program, affiliated with JAM, Inc., provides small group classes in banjo, fiddle, guitar and singing.

“Our initial plan for the first year was to involve approximately 20 students in JAM, but interest from parents and students encouraged us to launch a program to serve 30 young musicians,” says Marianne Carruth, TFAC Arts in Education Director.  “We still have room for a few students in our banjo class and we’d love to fill it up!”

Ages for the classes have been extended to include third – seventh graders in Polk and neighboring counties in North and South Carolina.

The foothills area is home to many traditional singers, dancers and musicians. The JAM program draws on this source of master musicians both as advisors and as teachers for the program. Teachers for the program are:  Phil Johnson: guitar, Gaye Johnson: singing, Corey Clark: banjo and Carley Underwood: fiddle. The program is being managed by musician and teacher/administrator Becky Osteen.

Work on the program began a year ago with an advisory board made up of local musicians, educators, community leaders and interested parents. These dedicated and resourceful Advisory board members are Tim Brannon, Summer Bruce, Bob Buckingham, Marianne Carruth, Woody Cowan, Bibi Freer, Bill Ingham, Phil Johnson, Gaye Johnson, Russ Jordan, Robert Nelson, Jessica Pym, Carolyne Rostick and Sue Z. Truitt.

“Thanks to generous support from local, regional, and national foundations as well as passionate local musicians and patrons,” continues Carruth, “we’re able to offer this remarkable program and topnotch teachers at a very affordable cost.”

Funding for the program has been provided through grants from the Ann L. Turner & Geoffrey M. Tennant Foundation, the D’Addario Foundation, the Wayne Henderson Foundation and individual donors. Money was also raised at a private concert with Wayne Henderson and Helen White and at a public at TFAC concert in July featuring local bands and luthier/musicians Gerald Anderson and Spencer Strickland.

To find out more about the JAM, Inc. history and mission, visit www.regionaljam.org.  For participation as a sponsor or a student in the new Pacolet JAM at Tryon Fine Arts Center, contact 828-859-8322 to reach Marianne Carruth or email marianne@tryonarts.org.

 

-article submitted
by Marianne Carruth