PacJAM musicians on stage

Pacolet Junior Appalachian Musicians, PacJAM, celebrated the completion of the spring semester on March 30, entertaining their friends and families in concert and dance. Students demonstrated newly acquired skills on guitar, banjo, fiddle and mandolin, and singing, respectively and as a group.

PacJAM mandolin student Alex West was the guest caller for the dance segment of the show, under the tutelage of PacJAM dance instructors Claude and Elaine Graves, along with musical accompaniment by PacJAM instructors Carley and Autumn Arrowood, Phil and Gaye Johnson, Phil Jenkins and Becky Osteen.

Carley, Autumn, and brother Ethan, a PacJAM guitar student, performed a very special trio number honoring the Easter holiday, called “By The Mark.” Alex and fellow student Alainna McCall on fiddle gave a fantastic rendition of “Old Joe Clark” and all students joined in a special jam of “Cumberland Gap” and “The Old Bell Cow,” to name just a few of the evening’s musical highlights.

“These students have shown tremendous progress and dedication to learning to play this music, individually and as a group, and hopefully, they’ll enjoy these Appalachian cultural arts for life, passing on their knowledge for future generations to enjoy as well. Thanks to the great teachers and wonderful TFAC staff and facility we are so fortunate to have access to, we’ve had a wonderfully successful two years at Tryon Fine Arts Center, and I’m extremely glad to be a part of this fun and highly educational program” said PacJAM Program Director Becky Osteen.

The PacJAM program is sponsored by the Ann L. Turner and Geoffrey M. Tennant Foundation, the Wayne O. Henderson Foundation, Duke Energy and D’Addario, as well as gifts from donors to Tryon Fine Arts Center’s Arts in Education program through the Annual Fund.

It’s time to register for PacJAM Summer Camp scheduled for July 18-22 from 8:30 until noon. Tuition for camp is for the whole week. A sibling discount of 20 percent is offered to families who enroll more than one child. Students will have two hours of instruction on their choice of guitar, banjo, fiddle or mandolin along with one hour of enrichment studies in dance or folklore daily.

The week will culminate in a noonday public student performance on Friday, July 22, and a potluck lunch afterwards for student families. Look for other daily noon performances that same week by various artists in several venues around Tryon for your lunchtime enjoyment. Forthcoming details will be announced in the Tryon Daily Bulletin.

Spread the word and don’t delay. Contact pacjam@tryonarts.org, tryonarts.org or call 828-859-8322 to reserve your instrument class of choice for children ages 8 – 14 to participate in this fantastic week-long immersion in Appalachian Music and Cultural Arts. Some instruments will be available if you need one for use at day camp.

PacJAM’s fall 10-week semester will begin on Wednesday, Sept. 14 and enrollments are now being accepted as well. Spread the word and register soon to insure your child can receive instruction on his first choice of instrument, with rentals available for home use, if needed, as some classes fill quickly.  For information, please call 828-859-8322 or email pacjam@tryonarts.org.

– Submitted by Susan Brady