Old-Time Jam Camp

Let's explore the social music traditions of Southern Appalachia–fiddle and banjo tunes, square dance music, secular and gospel songs, and more. Learn to play by ear, hear chord changes and melodic patterns, create a tight rhythm, and distinguish old-time music from related styles. Intermediate musicians who are comfortable playing at a moderate to fast tempo are welcome. Perfect for violinists transitioning to fiddle or anyone seeking community through jamming.

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Michael Ismerio is first and foremost a teacher. He loves studying how culture is transferred from one generation to another. Whether it's shoe making, fiddling, square dance calling, nature and survival skills, singing, or basket making, the student goes on the same learning journey. Michael's gift is helping people navigate that journey with as much ease, fun, and learning as possible. Michael lives outside Asheville, NC.

Ben Nelson grew up in a family of old-time musicians from southwestern Virginia. He spent the summers of his childhood traveling to fiddlers' conventions across the Southern Appalachians and Piedmont. He's played banjo and fiddle for the last 15 years and has studied kindred music traditions in Ireland and West Africa. Now a resident of western North Carolina, Ben teaches for a 5th-grade environmental education program, local affiliates of Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM), and at Warren Wilson College.