Helen White was a musician and school guidance counselor in Sparta, North Carolina, in 2000 when she noticed a gap in generational learning, particularly music. “She didn’t see local kids at community events,” says Brett Morris, who serves as the executive director of Junior Appalachian Musicians, Inc. (JAM). “Not only did Helen want to preserve old-time and bluegrass music and dance for future generations, but she also cared deeply for people. She always believed music was a way for people to connect and to form meaningful relationships.” Helen advocated for underserved youth, wanting to provide them with safe and healthy activities.
Playing mountain music gives people from Central Appalachia a sense of pride, and Helen introduced kids to traditional instruments, including fiddles, banjos, guitars, and mandolins, as well as to the culture of their local communities. “Helen was inspired by the former Mount Rogers Combined School in Grayson County, Virginia,” Brett says. “They didn’t have a marching band. Instead, the school’s music program focused on old-time music.” Helen founded Junior Appalachian Musicians, Inc. (JAM) in 2008 as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Her partner was well-known musician and luthier Wayne Henderson, whose name recognition helped promote the program.
JAM began to spread throughout Appalachia, with affiliates in North Carolina and into South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, and West Virginia. “We have nearly sixty affiliates,” says Brett. “Some counties have several JAM programs. We also have some affiliates known as YAM (Youth Appalachian Musicians) instead of JAM. It can get a little confusing, but we are all working towards the same goals.”
Brett says Helen wanted the program to be “effective, sustainable, and high quality.” Helen gathered people and funding to ensure the regional parent organization was strong and offered resources and help to others. Brett, a musician, has been with JAM for twelve years. She worked for Helen for a couple of years and then assumed her role as executive director of JAM when Helen retired. Sadly, Helen passed away in 2019. “She is sorely missed.”
Brett works from the JAM headquarters in Independence, Virginia. There is a satellite office in Knoxville since 2021. “That’s how our footprint has recently expanded into East Tennessee and adjoining areas,” says Brett. The organization continues to grow in its resources and locations.
The model for the program is simple: JAM is designed for children beginning in fourth grade, and the after-school program introduces old-time and bluegrass music through small-group instruction. “We provide instruments at no cost to the kids,” says Brett. “We have created a bit of a curriculum to avoid reinventing the wheel, although we want our teaching artists to rely on their local oral traditions as much as possible.” Instructors are encouraged to teach students to learn music by ear. Children not only learn traditional music, but they have opportunities to perform in small and large groups. Program offerings are enhanced with field trips, and visiting artists help introduce the rich music history unique to each local community. Advanced students also have instructional opportunities, and many JAM alumni become teaching artists and musicians.
JAM's funding comes from private foundations and donors. “We work with other arts organizations, including South Arts out of Atlanta.” Each JAM program is individually funded and operated. JAM affiliates are eligible to receive a wide variety of free support and resources.
In addition to the work being done in each affiliate, JAM creates new programs, provides resources for existing programs, and partners with many prominent festivals to feature performances and offer learning and networking connections to current students and program alumni. Festival partnerships include the Earl Scruggs Music Festival, IBMA’s Wide Open Bluegrass, The Old Fiddlers Convention in Galax, FloydFest, and many others.
JAM’s Traditional Music and Education Summit was held for the first time this spring in Little Switzerland, North Carolina, for nearly 80 JAM teachers and music education professionals. This professional development and JAM certification event for teachers provided methodologies and instructional skills. “Pre-covid, we had many regional day camps for kids,” says Brett. “We are just about back to normal now.”
JAM has a YouTube channel, and several instructional videos are available on its website. The JAM Songbook was created by Pete Wernick, an internationally recognized music educator and musician, along with JAM Ambassador Liam Purcell. The book is used in classes by JAM students and Wernick Method students. Perfect for all jammers, the book features 39 bluegrass/old-time standards, most with two-and-three chord songs that can be played in any key. Chord diagrams for guitar, banjo, and mandolin are included, as are positions for fiddle and bass.
Visit the JAM website at www.jamkids.org.
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