Four decisions shape a new program: where you meet, what you offer first, what you charge, and which day you rehearse.
Location, Location, Location
Aim for a central spot within about a 45-minute drive for most families. As you find the homeschool co-ops near you, you are also mapping the spaces already open to homeschool classes. Start there.
Consider asking the largest co-op nearby to advocate for you to use their space on a different day. Homeschoolers already know which buildings are friendly, and many belong to the churches that host them. If they are excited about your program, they will champion it.
Start With Choir
Choir is the path of least resistance. A family's investment beyond tuition can be a folder and a pencil.
Borrow music from a local middle school, since many clean out their libraries each summer. For younger singers, reproducible general music books offer good literature. Once a choir is established, it provides the working capital to add band, orchestra and other classes.
A Cost Structure That Works
Rates vary by community. Aim low on tuition and high on participation. Many homeschool families live on one income, so "affordable" belongs in your mission. What you miss per student you make up in registrations, because homeschool families tend to have many children.
Once a family reaches the cost of about three students, cap the price and let additional children register free. Large families can then enroll everyone, and students can take both band and choir. A sibling discount is another option.
To gauge local rates, check dance studios, karate classes and similar weekly programs. Keep overhead in mind: music, accompanists, rent for rehearsal and concert space. Your teaching effort is about the same for 20, 40 or 60 students, but income grows with every registration.
Find Your Day
Homeschool families plan outside classes about once a week, so most homeschool music programs rehearse once a week. Band students will progress more slowly than in a daily school program, and that's okay.
Note the days of the main co-ops and Classical Conversations communities near you, and pick the day with the fewest conflicts. Fridays have worked best in both regions where the Valley Troubadours have run.