Appalachian after-school music programmes as cultural intervention.

This article examines five after-school programmes in the Southern Appalachians—Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM), Young Appalachian Musicians (YAM), Georgia Pick and Bow (GPB), Hindman Pick and Bow, and Appalshop’s Passing the Pick and Bow—that teach school-aged children traditional Appalachian music, primarily old-time and bluegrass styles. These programmes serve communities with limited access to music education, emphasizing learning by ear and group performance on instruments such as fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin, dulcimer, and ukulele. The curricula reflect a selective preservation and “editing” of Appalachian musical heritage, focusing on certain repertoires and styles while largely excluding ballads, Appalachian singing styles, and some peripheral instruments, thus shaping contemporary understandings of what constitutes Appalachian music. The programmes also function as cultural interventions, continuing a long history of external and internal efforts to define, preserve, and transmit Appalachian musical traditions, while adapting to modern educational contexts and community needs.