Southwest Virginia 4-H Educational Center is excited to present the Washington County Junior Appalachian Musicians at the Youth Music Festival at the Heartwood on Saturday, May 14, 2016. The students, ages 9 to 13, have been learning old-time traditional musical instruments since October. The concert will be held on the Inside Stage at the Heartwood at 1 pm.
JAM students have enjoyed learning fiddle, banjo, guitar, and lap dulcimer from noted local traditional artists. Tammy Martin, Washington County JAM lap dulcimer instructor, is a professional string and percussion musician as part of the Appalachian/Celtic trio, Fire in the Kitchen, and an educator in Washington County schools. Ryan Bernard, who teaches banjo at JAM, is an alumnus of the ETSU Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music program. Ryan was also a part of the curatorial team that designed the newly-constructed Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol. The fiddle teacher, Barbara Walton, has taught music in Washington County schools for over thirty years and plays in several local bands. Gill Braswell, owner of Capo's Music Store, taught guitar for JAM. Gill has performed as both an actor and a musician in regional theaters across the country, including the historic Ryman Auditorium and The Grand Ole Opry. Wil Robertson, who also teaches guitar for Washington County JAM, has been playing guitar and working with children for over 35 years.
Washington County JAM is supported in part by the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. Program partners include Capo's Music Store and The Crooked Road. Southwest Virginia 4-H Educational Center will start its second year of Washington County JAM in September. For more information or to register a student, email programs@swva4hcenter.org or call 276.676.6180.
Junior Appalachian Musicians is an established 501(c)(3) educational non-profit organization with programs currently in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, with long-term goals of expanding to West Virginia, Kentucky and Georgia. For more information, visit www.jamkids.org.