The JAM Is On! PacJAM Summer Camp!
School may be out, but creativity continues with music that comes straight from the soul of these mountains! Every summer, PacJAM campers explore Appalachian instruments, crafts and more!
PacJAM Summer Camp 2026 – June 22-26, 8:30-noon
$165 for 1 Student
$132 for each additional sibling
Scholarships available
Student End of Camp Concert – Friday, June 26 11:30-12:30
PacJAM FEST info coming soon!
PacJAM Summer Camp Classes for Everyone!
Join PacJAM summer camp to hone your Bluegrass and Old-Time skills with renowned local, national, and international musicians! Your summer practice inspiration starts right here with a number of guest artists and teachers to keep you inspired.
Your Favorite PacJAM Teachers Plus Special Guest Artists – Instructors
From Pickens, SC, Molly Johnson is an accomplished banjo player in both the three-finger and clawhammer styles. She has grown up within the YAM/JAM programs and is now an instructor. She currently plays in the band The Wilder Flower, making appearances at festivals such as Earl Scruggs Music Festival, Grey Fox, and MerleFest.
From Hillsboro, MO, Audrey Neel, has grown up with bluegrass and old-time music surrounding her. She is a skillful fiddler, guitarist, singer, and songwriter and currently makes her home in Johnson City, TN, where she attends East Tennessee State University. As a member of the ETSU Bluegrass Pride Band, she has also shared the stage with bands such as Becky Buller, The Wilder Flower, and Ashleigh Graham and Appalachian Highway. She is a passionate music teacher and loves sharing her passion through the JAM program.
Lydia Hamby brings a fresh energy to bluegrass music as a vocalist, mandolin player, and songwriter from East Tennessee. Her undergraduate studies at East Tennessee State University earned her a B.S. in Human Services with a minor in Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Roots Music in 2023, followed by an M.A. in Appalachian Studies in 2025.. She now carries this work forward as an adjunct professor at ETSU while also running a thriving private teaching studio. Signed with Gravy Records, her current single “So Through With You” is hitting the top of the bluegrass charts.
PacJAM teachers Gaye Johnson (guitar, vocals, story-telling), Emily Riesser (fiddle), Ashley Brooker, Jaime Carter and other favorite teachers round out the camp line-up.
Classes for Campers of All Levels
Beginning students will sing, have group instrument lessons, learn Appalachian dance or art, & begin to learn to JAM.
Intermediate students will rise to the next level of playing, challenged by our summer camp instructors. They will JAM, have group instrument instruction, be coached in improvisation & music theory, and enjoy with Appalachian dance or arts.
Advanced students will participate in intensive seminars strengthening their soloing and back-up abilities, be pushed in their JAMming skills, and explore theory and composition on their instruments.
Tracks offered:
Beginning ukulele, for ages 5-7Â SUMMER CAMPÂ ONLY
Beginning fiddle & guitar (ages 7 & up)
Early Intermediate – Advanced Fiddle, Guitar, Mandolin, Bass, and Banjo (3-finger & clawhammer style)
PacJAM Adult Summer Program
Classes, schedule, and tuition fees
$40.00 Â –Â Monday & Tuesday Mandolin – Lydia Hamby
$40.00 Â –Â Monday & Tuesday Fiddle – Ashley Brooker
$40.00 Â –Â Monday & Tuesday Guitar- Audrey Neel & Gaye Johnson
$40.00  – Monday & Tuesday Banjo (clawhammer & 3-finger welcome) – Molly Johnson
$40.00 Â –Â Wednesday & Thursday Bluegrass JAM – Molly, Lydia, Audrey & friends
$40.00  – Wednesday & Thursday – Using Theory to Become a Better Musician – Cassidy Beentjes
$75.00 Â –Â Four sessions of any of the ones listed above
Monday & Tuesday classes:
Adult Mandolin – Lydia Hamby
Adult Fiddle – Ashley Brooker
Adult Guitar – Audrey Neel & Gaye Johnson
Adult Banjo (clawhammer & 3-finger welcome) – Molly Johnson
Wednesday & Thursday classes:
Bluegrass JAM – Lydia Hamby, Molly Johnson, & Audrey Neel
Using Theory to Become a Better Musician – Cassidy Beentjes:  Get a sneak peak of why top artists like Bela Fleck and Tony Trischka love working with Cassidy! Don’t be scared by words like counterpoint… instead take a gentle dive into theory with Cassidy & see how your own musical ideas immediately improve. All instruments welcome.
