Practical guidance for music educators who want to serve homeschool families with band, choir and orchestra.
Homeschool families are eager for ensemble music, and most communities have no program to offer them. These pages walk through why these programs matter, how to start one, and how to run it well, drawn from nearly twenty years of building the Valley Troubadours in North Carolina and Wisconsin.
Millions of students learn at home. Most have no band, choir or orchestra. Here is the case for starting one.
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Seven paths into homeschool music teaching, where to meet, and how to find the homeschool families near you.
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Location, starting with choir, pricing that works for large families, and choosing your rehearsal day.
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Website, registration, equipment, music library, promotion and the parents who become your coworkers.
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A ready-to-adapt family handbook covering attendance, conduct, weather, dress code and more.
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Method books, performance opportunities and gentle first-step classes like ukulele, tin whistle and bucket drumming.
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How one homeschool choir in North Carolina grew into the Valley Troubadours, including the outdoor Covid seasons.
Read moreSections we are building to support homeschool directors and ensembles. Have something to contribute? Let us know.
A simple form for directors to list or update their program so families can find them.
A calendar of homeschool honor bands, festivals and adjudicated events open to homeschool groups.
Literature that works with small, mixed-level and unusual instrumentation.
How programs accept charter and virtual school stipends, payment plans and scholarships.
Connect with other homeschool directors to trade ideas, share music and solve problems.