Orchestra Appalachia has re-opened its weekly jams for the spring semester.

Every Monday at 7 p.m., students, faculty, staff, and community members are invited to come down Route 40 to the Blue Ridge Institute/Farm Museum and play or listen to the music unique to Appalachia.

Friends, family, and strangers alike gather in a circle for a time of creativity, peace, and jammin’ rhythms. Participants are encouraged to bring an instrument and join in or simply tap their feet and soak in the moment.

“In the fall of 2021, a small group of Ferrum students and local musicians started to get together for a weekly jam. We officially began jamming every Monday night when school started in August of 2022. Since then, the jam has continued to grow,” explained Emily Blankenship-Tucker, PerformingArts professor and one of the key players and singers in the group.

If the weather allows, the jam sessions are held outdoors under the Leo Scott Pavilion at the Farm Museum, and if it gets cold, the music is played in the cozy lobby of the Blue Ridge Institute.

“Everyone is welcome. You don’t need to have any experience, and you are welcome to come just to listen, or to sing along to the tunes you know and learn new ones,” Blankenship-Tucker said.