Jam sessions popular draw for Stecoah center
Stecoah – The music of Appalachia is as deeply rooted in the mountains of North Carolina as cornbread and pinto beans.
Traditions of the old-time string band music date back to the 1700s.
The rich history of mountain music can still be heard in a wide variety of genres, from gospel and bluegrass to blues and early country.
It has a strong religious center. It has lyrical themes of survival, love and heartbreak – all performed by the rhythms of banjo, fiddle and other instruments that complement each other to create the music of the region’s identity.
Appalachian music and the stories the music tells connects residents to their history. For many who grew up in the South, Appalachian music was one of the first cultures introduced. Today, skilled artisans, musicians, writers and storytellers are still sharing their talents and instilling family values with a strong sense of community that has been handed down through the years.
Many have struggled to keep these traditions alive, realizing how much the Appalachian culture has to offer.
Graham County is home to many talented musicians and has contributed to the efforts of preservation. Examples of this effort can be found at the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center, which has excelled in offering opportunities for the young people of Graham County to explore musical talents for more than 20 years.
The Stecoah Juvenile Appalachian Music (JAM) program has partnered with Graham County Schools’ 21st Century afterschool program, the North Carolina Arts Council, and other grants and organizations over the years to provide instruction in banjo, mandolin, fiddle and guitar.
The program is one of the oldest programs in existence and even predates the formal organization and incorporation of JAM, Inc., which is known throughout the Appalachian region.
Expanding on the concept, musicians – young and old, experienced and novices – gather at the center on the third Tuesday of each month for the Stecoah Community Jam.
“The new program is a little seed to build new community involvement,” said Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center Program Director Amber Benton.
The newly-formed jam is the perfect way to get to know some of the young students in the Junior Appalachian Musicians program and meet some of our older or seasoned musicians in the county.
Graham County musicians Bill Pruitt, Jack Brooms, Pam Rogers, Buster Brooms, Jonathan Jones and Julie Nelms (to name a few) are impressed with the kids and the songs they can play. The goal of the jam is to create a nurturing environment and encourage budding musicians – as well as those who have laid their instruments down – to gather and continue the heritage of making music. Everyone is invited to attend and play, or just listen to the sounds of Appalachia. It is strictly a time to appreciate the music. There is no instruction and the session is open to all ages and abilities.
Jams begin at 5:30 p.m., and the first hour or so is a slow jam, with simple, easy songs. After the first hour, the circle will take a different direction and play more advanced songs, depending on the participants in the group and their level of skill.
It is the perfect way to bring generations together.
Former Junior Appalachian Musicians participants have not only grown as artists from their time in the program, but some have continued to use their musical talents as adults and continue to educate and inspire others by sharing their music.
Nelms attended Berea College (Berea, Ky.), and received an undergraduate degree in Appalachian History. She then traveled to Galway, Ireland to complete her graduate program. She now spends her free time at the center, sharing her love for mountain music with others. She has led the jam sessions for the last four months.
Nelms has allowed her music to open many doors for her in adulthood. She contributes music to grounding her. She shares,
“A fiddle took me halfway around the World, not once but twice,” Nelms pointed out.
When students are encouraged to play with experienced musicians, it challenges them and keeps them invested.
When they are invested in the music that identifies our heritage, a new generation of Appalachian music is on the horizon.
If you are interested in the music programs at the center, contact Benton at (828) 479-3364; or by email, amber@stecoahvalleycenter.com.
The center is located at 121 School House Road.