6/7/2023
Dear Parent,
We are excited to announce that the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center is planning a Fall Semester Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) program to serve the young people of Townsend and Blount County. JAM seeks to preserve our important mountain music heritage by offering low cost lessons in fiddle, banjo, guitar, and other instruments of the Appalachian region to small groups of students in after school settings.
We are currently hoping to begin a program on Monday, September 18th, 2023. Classes will be offered at the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center, 123 Cromwell Dr. Townsend, once a week. Children will need to commit to attendance at all weekly classes. Transportation from school to the JAM site will not be provided. Parents will need to pick up students at 6pm. Cost will be kept low. The fees under consideration include, $8/week for those students who receive free or reduced fee lunch at school; and $15/week for students who are fully pay lunch.
Students will receive an after-school snack and instructional sessions once a week for this fee. Instruments will be provided on a loan basis for JAM students during the time of their participation in the program.
In order to help us plan the program we need to hear from you. If you and your child are interested please give us the information requested below.