What We Do

Our mission is to create the next generation of mountain musicians in Transylvania County.

Appalachian music is the most important cultural resource of our region.

Though it's easy for a tradition to slip away into history, Mountain School of Strings is dedicated to creating the next generation of players through free and low-cost classes, camps, lessons, and mentorship.

Ellen Ray Lee founded our organization sixteen years ago with the goal of providing youth with the opportunity to learn a stringed instrument. We have since grown into the hub for mountain music in Transylvania County.

“Since my daughter’s very first class, Kaleena has made learning the fiddle accessible, relevant, low stress, and engaging. Clare walks out of every class beaming with enthusiasm.
Her progress has been remarkable, but what matters most to me is how the teachers at Mountain School of Strings foster a joy in playing, not only as an individual player, but as a community.
I would, and I do, recommend this amazing organization to anyone who has a child interested in music.”

— Rachel, Parent

Our Teaching Philosphy

We believe in making vocational players – players who are steeped in the tradition, who play regardless of compensation or applause; who are fulfilled playing in a living room, front porch, park, church, or community center.
We believe a player can be successful without necessarily being virtuosic, famous, or employed in music as their career.
We believe in playing for the love of it.
A traditional player has the music in their ear. So we emphasize learning by ear and rote, using notation or visual aids as a means to develop a strong ear and intuition.
We also believe in the power of peer learning, so we create space for students to share and teach each other.
Traditional music has an organic order. We align with this by promoting an attitude of spontaneity.
We provide an encouraging, supportive environment and structure for students. But when it comes to the music, instead of strict formalities, we say: “Just play.”
We emphasize to students that mountain music is their music. It’s the music of their region, of their grandparents, and their community.
This music is a path back into history, and we invite students to join that path to carry the music into the future.

Programs

Mountain Music Classes

We provide free and low-cost mountain music classes to kids in Transylvania County. Students learn the traditional heritage music of Appalachia on fiddle, banjo, guitar, and other instruments.

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Summer Camp

Mountain School of Strings offers multiple weeks of free summer camp to kids in Transylvania County. These camps are the cumulation of our year of hard work, and we see incredible growth in our students.

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Instrument Library

The Mountain School of Strings Instrument Library has over 100 fiddles, guitars, banjos, autoharps, and basses. We loan these instruments to any student in our youth classes. By maintaining a fleet of quality instruments, we’re keeping the barrier to entry as low as possible for kids in Transylvania county.
Rosman Mountain Music

In partnership with Rosman MIddle/High School and Music Teacher Jonas McCanless, we’ve developed in-school mountain music classes and curriculum.