PICKENS — The Young Appalachian Musicians program started at Holly Springs Elementary last continues to grow.

Program organizers and instructors recently started a non-profit organization; Preserving

Our Southern Appalachian Music (POSAM) dedicated to helping the program, and have organized a concert featuring bluegrass artists Wayne Henderson and Helen White to benefit the program.

The concert will take place 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 13 at the Pickens High School Auditorium.

The YAM program began after Betty McDaniel, a media specialist at Holly Springs, learned of a similar program in North Carolina schools.

“She just had this vision of teaching the kids to play stringed instruments by ear,” said Mickey Corbett with POSAM.

The program combined talented instructors eager to teach with young students eager to learn.

After a successful start at Holly Springs, the program expanded to Pickens Middle School and hopes to include Ambler Elementary School next year, Corbett said.

“There’s a lot of interest,” he said. “The kids played a concert at the middle school right before Christmas. I’ve never seen that many cars there before. The gym was packed.

The fundraiser concert will feature Henderson, Helen White – who started the N.C. JAMS program – and the YAMS students themselves.

“They’ll perform prior to the concert and during the intermission,” Corbett said. “We’re really excited about it.”

Henderson is a National Heritage Award-winning musician and instrument maker who has played at Carnegie Hall and is known as a “Master of the Steel-String Guitar.”

Advance tickets are $8 for adults and $4 kids. For ticket information call McDaniel at 878-4257 or Nancy Knowland at 878-6641.

Tickets at the door are $10 for adults, $5 for kids.

YAM students have become a part of the weekly jam at the Oolenoy Community

Building in Pumpkintown every Friday night, with all donations collected during the jam going to the YAM program.

There will be no Oolenoy Jam Session the night of the concert, Corbett said.

“I hate closing it that night, because we have people drive 60 miles to come to the jam,” he said. “I hope all the people who come to Oolenoy come to the concert.”

The YAM program is seeking instructors to help with its expansion.

“We’re looking for good qualified people who have time to dedicate after school,” Corbett said.

Another fundraising event, “The Papa John Memorial (YAMS) Festival” is scheduled for Saturday, March 28 at the Willow Creek Park in Dacusville.