Participation Type
Panel
Session Title
Session 3.12 (Education) Pass it On: After-school Traditional Music Education Programs
Session Abstract or Summary
We know the importance of keeping the music of Appalachia alive for future generations, and we also know that we cannot rely solely on school music programs or private teachers to do this important work. Four after-school non-profits covering areas of Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, Georgia and South Carolina are teaming up to share their ideas and challenges, hoping not only to learn from each other, but to learn from conference attendees as well as to promote similar programs in other areas of the country. These programs not only teach youngsters to play traditional instruments, but they also foster playing in groups either for fun or for performance. Panel participants include representatives from JAM (Junior Appalachian Musicians), Kentucky Pick & Bow, Georgia Pick & Bow, and POSAM (Preserving our Young Appalachian Musicians). After their presentations, there will be time for questions among the panel and questions from the audience.
Presentation #1 Title
Georgia Pick & Bow Traditional Music School, Inc.
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
The Georgia Pick & Bow Traditional Music School, Inc., based in Dahlonega, Georgia, is a non-profit 501(c)3 which teaches fiddle, guitar, banjo, mandolin, and bass at Lumpkin County’s middle school site encompassing the neighboring elementary and high school, and guitar and fiddle in the two other elementary school sites of Lumpkin County. The students may begin in 4th grade and can stay in the program all the way through high school. Now in its 8th year, the program has grown from 30+ students to 110. A number of those students come from home-schooling families not only in Lumpkin County but in three surrounding counties as well. The program has purchased instruments to rent to those who need them, and tuition fees are based on a sliding scale with no child ever turned away for financial reasons. There have been four very successful week-long summer day camps which give instruction in the student’s major instrument, plus three elective choices related to Appalachian arts, including pottery, folk art, storytelling, singing, weaving, and flatfoot and community dancing. Two performing bands meet weekly to rehearse and prepare for performances around the area to help raise needed funds.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Ann Whitley-Singleton was raised in North Carolina, moved to Atlanta, Georgia in 1974, and now lives in Dahlonega, Georgia. She is a retired educator who taught second and third grade and then served nineteen years as an elementary school media specialist, retiring in 2010 to devote herself to music and traditional music education. A long-time traditional musician, she began volunteering for the Georgia Pick & Bow program in 2009, and has been its Executive Director since the fall of 2012. She also teaches fiddle for the program.
Presentation #2 Title
POSAM (Preserving our Appalachian Musicians)
Presentation #2 Abstract or Summary
POSAM (Preserving Our Southern Appalachian Music, Inc.) is the -501(c)3 which supports the Young Appalachian Musicians (YAM) program in the Upstate of SC. YAM teaches traditional music by ear on the guitar, fiddle, banjo and mandolin. The program has 12 after-school programs with approximately 300 students and a TAM (Traditional Arts and Music) YAM Camp, week-long day camp for 3rd-8th graders. It also has 6 Evening Music Programs (EMP) for 3rd graders-adults in 3 counties. The camp and after-school program charge tuition on a sliding scale based on the child's lunch status; EMP charges a very reasonable flat rate. POSAM has bought instruments which are rented to students. Sweet Potato Pie Kids is the performing band for the YAM program; they were recommended by their instructors and auditioned for the position on the band. They performed over 50 gigs last year. YAM provides after-school lessons and a summer day camp for for 3rd-8th graders, as well as an evening music program for 3rd graders-adults to learn how to play traditional Appalachian music on acoustic stringed instruments. The program is offered in Upstate SC (primarily in Pickens County) and is currently taught to around 500 students.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #2
Betty W. McDaniel, Ph.D-Lives in Pickens SC. She is a retired educator who taught kindergarten and elementary grades, served as a remedial reading/math teacher, media specialist and assistant principal for 37 years. She currently is an adjunct professor in the graduate education department at a local university. She created and is now director of the Young Appalachian Musician program in Jan, 2008.
Presentation #3 Title
Kentucky's Passing the Pick and Bow
Presentation #3 Abstract or Summary
Letcher County Kentucky’s Passing the Pick and Bow program is a part of WMMT 88.7 FM’s Traditional Music Project. WMMT is housed within the Appalshop, a non-profit multi-disciplinary arts and education center, located in downtown Whitesburg, Kentucky. The Pick and Bow Program is a low cost, afterschool music program in Letcher County, Kentucky. Pick and Bow focuses on teaching young students traditional Appalachian old-time music, and the students may choose between fiddle, guitar, banjo, or mandolin. The students may rent instruments from WMMT for the school year or use their own personal instruments. The program is available for any and all students, and no child will be denied participation regardless of household income, disability, home school status, etc. The students perform in two recitals per year, and it’s a wonderful way for the children to showcase their newly found talents to the public. Some students also perform during the Appalshop’s annual Seedtime on the Cumberland Festival, and it’s broadcasted on our beloved WMMT 88.7.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #3
Matthew Carter is WMMT 88.7 FM’s Program Director and Traditional Music Project Coordinator. He was born in Pike County, Kentucky and has been a lifelong music fan and musician. Matthew has been a programmer with WMMT for several years, and was previously a guitar instructor for the Pick n Bow Program. He is currently one of four owner/operators of the co-op music store, Roundabout Music Company, in Whitesburg.
Presentation #4 Title
Junior Appalachian Musicians
Presentation #4 Abstract or Summary
Junior Appalachian Musicians, Inc (JAM, Inc) is the regional supporting organization for nearly 30 affiliated JAM and YAM programs throughout Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. JAM is an after-school program model which teaches traditional Appalachian music to children grades 4-8. The program reaches over 1,000 students each year. JAM, Inc provides each affiliated program with resources such as teacher and administrator training opportunities, instructional and administrative guides and materials, student performance opportunities, instruments on loan, donations of strings and other accessories, assistance with program evaluation, and an extensive website. JAM, Inc also provides outreach, assistance and training to communities who are developing new JAM programs. The office for JAM, Inc is located in Independence, Virginia. JAM is a program for children in grades 4-8 to learn the old time and bluegrass music and dance traditions of the Southern Appalachians. As the regional organization, Junior Appalachian Musicians, Inc supports nearly 30 programs with resources, materials, and opportunities. Brett Morris Martin is the Executive Director. JAM, Inc: PO Box 44, Independence, VA 24348, (276) 773-0573, brett@regionaljam.org
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #4
Brett Morris Martin is JAM, Inc’s Executive Director and President, and only primary staff person of the organization. Brett is a native of Grayson County, Virginia and grew up in a musical family. She plays fiddle, clawhammer banjo, bass, and guitar, and heads up the band “Hard Cider” with her husband. She began working with JAM, Inc in 2012. Prior to her involvement with JAM, Brett worked as a special education teacher and as a grant writer and non-profit coordinator. Her formal education includes a B.A. in Public Policy and Community Service from Emory & Henry College, where she also completed a B.A. in English and coursework for Secondary Education and Special Education degrees. These fields of study and her love for local music and culture make Brett an advocate for sustainable communities and place-based learning.
Georgia Pick & Bow Traditional Music School, Inc.
The Georgia Pick & Bow Traditional Music School, Inc., based in Dahlonega, Georgia, is a non-profit 501(c)3 which teaches fiddle, guitar, banjo, mandolin, and bass at Lumpkin County’s middle school site encompassing the neighboring elementary and high school, and guitar and fiddle in the two other elementary school sites of Lumpkin County. The students may begin in 4th grade and can stay in the program all the way through high school. Now in its 8th year, the program has grown from 30+ students to 110. A number of those students come from home-schooling families not only in Lumpkin County but in three surrounding counties as well. The program has purchased instruments to rent to those who need them, and tuition fees are based on a sliding scale with no child ever turned away for financial reasons. There have been four very successful week-long summer day camps which give instruction in the student’s major instrument, plus three elective choices related to Appalachian arts, including pottery, folk art, storytelling, singing, weaving, and flatfoot and community dancing. Two performing bands meet weekly to rehearse and prepare for performances around the area to help raise needed funds.
