Junior Appalachian Musicians, Inc. (JAM) has announced its partnership with South Arts of Atlanta, Georgia. The two non-profit organizations will be collaborating on In These
Mountains: Central Appalachian Folk Arts & Culture, a special project that will focus on developing seven new after school JAM programs throughout Eastern Tennessee.

JAM was established in 2008 to serve as the parent organization and resource center for all Junior Appalachian Musicians programs. True to its name, JAM programs teach children to play and dance to traditional old time and bluegrass music, and include instruction on instruments common to the Appalachian region such as fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin, dulcimer and bass. Programs are augmented by enrichment sessions, which provide the students with cultural and historical background of the music, as well as ballad singing, mountain dance, visiting artists, field trips, performances, and learning to play in a string band. During the 2017-2018 school year, JAM provided 42 programs and more than 1,600 children in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia with free training, technical assistance, performance and learning opportunities, and materials such as instruments. In addition to these resources, JAM works with rural and at-risk communities throughout Appalachia to develop new programs where they are needed most.

South Arts is a non-profit, Regional Arts Organization whose mission is to advance Southern vitality through the arts. Their work responds to the arts environment and cultural trends with a regional perspective through a portfolio of activities supporting the success of artists and arts providers in the South. South Arts was founded in 1975 to build on the unique heritage of the South and to enhance the public value of the arts.

In These Mountains will leverage resources offered by South Arts and JAM to develop Junior Appalachian Musicians programs for children beginning as early as fourth grade in the East Tennessee counties of: Campbell, Claiborne, Cocke, Sullivan, Unicoi, Union, and Washington. JAM will provide the outreach, assistance and training to parents, traditional musicians, and representatives from schools and arts/youth serving organizations who are interested in planning and managing JAM programs for their communities. Planning groups associated with a qualified nonprofit organization, school system or local government will also be eligible to apply for start-up funding provided by South Arts.

In These Mountains will ensure the passing of traditions from one generation to the next, while encouraging and supporting life long learning for all participants. In addition to serving as a safe after school activity, new JAM programs will provide intergenerational opportunities to share, teach, learn, preserve, document and carry forward the folks arts and culture of Central Appalachia. Through cultural programs such as JAM, children who are actively engaged in traditional music education will be more connected and better prepared to strengthen their communities for future generations.

For more information about JAM and In These Mountains, please contact JAM DirectorBrett Martin at brett@jamkids.org or 276-773-0573.