Western Carolina University’s First Thursday Old-Time and Bluegrass Jam Session Series for 2009-10 will continue Thursday, Dec. 3, with a concert by 16-year-old fiddler Danielle Bishop, followed by a jam session in which local musicians are invited to participate.

Bishop will get the music started at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of WCU’s Mountain Heritage Center. Performers of old-time and bluegrass music are invited to bring their instruments and take part in the jam session that will follow her performance.

Born into a family of bluegrass musicians, Bishop has been playing fiddle since she was 5 years old. By age 13, the Buncombe County resident already had won a collection of prestigious fiddling titles, including overall and age-division awards at the Fiddlers Grove festival in Union Grove, the Galax Old Fiddlers Convention in Virginia, and the Georgia Mountain State Fair.

The jam session series will continue at the Mountain Heritage Center on the first Thursday of each month through May, with all programs held from 7 to 9 p.m. The lineup of performers for future concerts includes Wayne Seymour, the Frogtown Four and Laura Boosinger.

The events are free and open to everyone. Pickers and singers of all ages and experience levels are invited to take part in the jam sessions, and the events also are open to those who just want to listen.

The Mountain Heritage Center is located on the ground floor of WCU’s H.F. Robinson Administration Building. For more information, call the museum at (828) 227-7129.

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Last modified: Friday, Nov. 20, 2009