Pickens County, SC is located in the upstate piedmont region, near Greenville. The highest point in the state is in Pickens County – Sassafras Mountain. It is also home to Table Rock State Park. With a history steeped in agriculture, the area has many bluegrass and country music traditions which students in the YAM programs are learning to carry on. There are several annual festivals celebrating Southern Appalachian Music. Pickens Middle School is part of the Pickens County, South Carolina Young Appalachian Musicians (YAM) program sponsored by Preserving Our Southern Appalachian Music, Inc. (POSAM, Inc.)
This program is for children grades 6-8 at Pickens Middle. The program meets every Monday and offers mandolin, fiddle, guitar and band. There is also a stringband at Pickens Middle that meets on Tuesdays. Additional partners for the Pickens Middle YAM program are Pickens County Schools, Pickens County Recreation Department, and the Hagood Mill Historical Society.
Current Instructors
Marshall Goers – mandolin, fiddle
Susan Ware-Snow – YAM band
Abby Keller – Guitar
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For more information, please contact
Pickens Middle YAM
Tom Kelley, Program Director
140 Torch Dr.
Pickens, SC 29671
864-397-4100
E-mail Tom Kelley
Young Appalachian Musicians website:
