1000 x 90

Jones House Resumes In-Person Fall Music Lessons for Boone Junior Appalachian Musicians Program Beginning September 7

The Jones House will resume in-person fall music lessons as part of the Boone Junior Appalachian  Musicians (JAM) program, a 14-week semester beginning on September 7 and 9. This program offers  music lessons for children and adults in traditional styles of music rooted in the Appalachian region.  Lessons are available for fiddle, banjo, guitar, ukulele, and mandolin. 

Boone JAM is an affiliate of the broader Junior Appalachian Musicians program, with members  extending across the Southern Appalachian region in North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, and South  Carolina. The overarching goal of the JAM program is to expose individuals to the traditional music styles  of the region through active, hands-on engagement. 

This initiative was brought to Boone and the Jones House in 2004, largely due to the efforts of Town of  Boone Cultural Resources Director Mark Freed. Since then, Boone JAM has introduced hundreds of  students to traditional Appalachian music. Currently organized by Cultural Resources Coordinator  Brandon Holder, the program draws upon a pool of talented local music instructors, some former JAM  students themselves. 

“Boone JAM helps students of all ages not only learn to play a traditional instrument, but also to grow in confidence, to develop a sense of community among other musicians, and to stay connected to our  region’s rich musical heritage,” Holder said. 

Each JAM semester consists of 45-minute lessons taught in small groups over the course of 14 weeks.  Lessons take place at the Jones House weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays between the hours of 4:30 PM  and 7:30 PM. The fall semester begins the week of September 7 and will culminate in a public recital  in December.  

Tuition is $75 for students ages 7-17 and $125 for students age 18 and over. Rental instruments are  provided for a cost of $50 per semester. Discounts are offered to families with multiple children  participating, and scholarship assistance is available upon request. 

Registration for music lessons is open online at joneshouse.org through September 1. For more  information about Boone JAM or private music lessons call the Jones House at 828-268-6280 or email  brandon.holder@townofboone.net

In compliance with Town of Boone ordinances, masks must be worn at all times inside the Jones House.  Boone JAM receives funding and support from the North Carolina Arts Council, the National Endowment  for the Arts, and the Town of Boone.