WiseJams

08/27/2026

Hey, parents and guardians! Looking for a fun, enriching and hands-on program for your child this fall? 🍂

‼️ WiseJAMS is back, and it’s the perfect place for curious kids to explore Appalachian Mountain music traditions in a supportive environment.

🪕 What is WiseJAMS? A program that offers affordable classes in fiddle, old-time banjo and guitar for kids in third through eight grade.
📅 When is it? Classes are held on Thursdays from 3:45 to 5:45 p.m. at the museum from Sept. 3 through Nov. 19. Each session includes instruments, a snack and a 90-minute instructional session.
🎟️ What does it cost? Tuition is $180 per semester for full pay, $90 for partial pay and scholarships are available for any student who needs assistance.
ℹ️ How do I register or learn about a scholarship? Please call 276-523-9640 or go to https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/event?id=2026-08-08-14-40-03-528716-ivu.

08/17/2026

WiseJAMs is gearing up for the new season!

With our friends at the Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park, L.F. Addington Middle School, and Pro-Art, WiseJAMs offers after-school music lessons in old time banjo, fiddle, and guitar for students in Wise County and the City of Norton! Instrument rental and scholarship opportunities available, check out the form at proartva.org/WiseJAMs to register!

08/12/2026

WiseJAMs is gearing up for the new season!

With our friends at the Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park and Pro-Art, WiseJAMs offers after-school music lessons in old time banjo, fiddle, and guitar for students in Wise County and the City of Norton! Instrument rental and scholarship opportunities available, contact the park by September 1st!

02/18/2025

Applications are now open for the Spring 2025 semester of the WiseJAMS after-school music program. WiseJAMS provides traditional mountain music instruction and cultural enrichment opportunities for students in 3rd grade and up. WiseJAMS strives to encourage the preservation of the artistic heritage of the region by providing experience with traditional Appalachian music and culture.

The semester will start Wednesday, February 26th at L.F. Addington and Thursday, February 27th at the Southwest Virginia Museum. Classes take place from 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. Students can choose to learn guitar, fiddle, or banjo. Program cost is $15 per lesson.

To register a student for the WiseJAMS program, please submit the registration form at proartva.org/wisejams by February 26th. Rolling admission will be accepted as space allows. The program also provides instruments for semester-long loan at no cost. To request an instrument, please submit the instrument loan agreement at the same link.

01/30/2025

Registration is now open for the Spring 2025 semester of WiseJAMS at the Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park! The registration deadline is February 14. For information about how to register or to ask questions about this program, please call the park at 276-523-1322 or email [email protected].

09/12/2024

Applications are open for the Fall 2024 semester of the WiseJAMS after-school music program! WiseJAMS-Wise Begins Wednesday, Sept. 18th and WiseJAMS-Big Stone Gap Begins Thursday, Sept. 19th.

WiseJAMS provides traditional mountain music instruction and cultural enrichment opportunities for students in 3rd grade and up. WiseJAMS strives to encourage the preservation of the artistic heritage of the region by providing experience with traditional Appalachian music and culture. Students can choose to learn guitar, fiddle, or banjo.

To register a student for the WiseJAMS program, please submit the registration form at proartva.org/wisejams by September 16th. Rolling admission will be accepted as space allows through September 30th. The program also provides instruments for semester-long loan at no cost.

07/19/2023

The Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park hosts a special Friday "Lunch on the Lawn" this Friday, July 21, at noon, featuring students from the WiseJAMS Music Program and the Hillbilly Hippies.

This special Friday “Lunch on the Lawn” event is free and open to the public. Participants may bring their own lunch, or preorder one from the park for $10 each. This week’s featured menu is hamburgers on the grill, chips, marinated vegetable salad, cream cheese pound cake and choice of beverage. Orders must be made in advance by noon Thursday, July 20.

For more information, or to order a lunch, call the Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park at 276-523-1322.

The Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park hosts a special Friday "Lunch on the Lawn" Friday, July 21, at noon, featuring students from the WiseJAMS Music Program and the Hillbilly Hippies.

06/06/2023

Congratulations, Niko! We're so proud of you!

Niko Bright who won first place at this past weekend’s Gathering in the Gap Youth Banjo Competition. He just finished a year in the Big Stone JAM program. He’s pictured with Ranger Trevor White and Ranger Retha Cole. Congratulations Niko!

08/29/2022

We're so excited to be back in person for WiseJAMS this year! Please visit https://www.proartva.org/wisejams for more information and to register. 🎸🎻🪕

03/01/2022

WiseJAMS will be held virtually for the Spring 2022 semester. We are offering 9 virtual lessons via Zoom on Tuesdays from 4:30pm—5:30pm beginning March 8th, 2022 and ending on May 3rd, 2022. On Tuesday, May 10th, 2022 we will hold an outdoor in-person Graduation Ceremony & Concert from 5:30pm-7:00pm at the SWVA Museum in Big Stone Gap. Lessons will combine students from the Big Stone Gap/Appalachia and Wise/Pound programs. Program cost is $25 for the semester, and scholarships are available for those in need.

The semester calendar, registration form, and instrument loan agreement form are available at proartva.org/wisejams. Please register your child by March 4th, 2022! If your child needs to borrow an instrument, please submit the instrument loan agreement as soon as possible.

If your child does NOT want to participate in virtual JAMS, but still has an instrument checked out from a previous semester, please email [email protected] or call 276-376-4520 to make arrangements to return the instrument.