The Top Frequently Asked Questions I Get About Music in Our Homeschool (E70)

Are you wondering if Music in Our Homeschool is right for your family? You’re not alone! I get questions about homeschool music every week from homeschooling parents trying to figure out how to include music in their homeschools—and do it in a way that’s easy, flexible, and actually works.

Today, I’m answering the top frequently asked questions I get about Music in Our Homeschool.

What is your experience in music education?

I’ve always been interested in music. I grew up singing at my church and school, and also played the piano. I began piano lessons at the age of seven and later transitioned to voice lessons in high school.

Then I decided to major in music after participating in numerous choir and vocal contests during my high school years. I became a music education major with a vocal emphasis at Baylor University, and then started teaching in the public school system in Texas. I taught junior high choir for three years and elementary general music for two years. By that time, I had gotten married and was pregnant with my first child.

Additionally, while I was teaching, I earned my master’s degree in vocal pedagogy, which focuses on the techniques of teaching voice lessons. Another thing I did while teaching was to get certified in Early Childhood Music and Movement with Musikgarten. After having my first child, I started teaching this from my home. I had babies and preschoolers come over with their moms, dads, or grandmas, and we had fun music classes. I did that with all eight of my children.

As my kids grew, I also became involved with CYT Chicago, Christian Youth Theater. I started directing musicals such as Newsies, Seussical, Singin’ in the Rain, The Little Mermaid, Annie, and Beauty and the Beast, in addition to teaching classes in musical theater and voice.

Is everything you offer online?

Yes. I teach early childhood music and movement classes in person through my homeschool co-op, as well as vocal directing through CYT Chicago. However, everything at Music in Our Homeschool is online.

Do you provide private lessons?

No, I don’t. I learned this early on, when I was pursuing my degree in vocal pedagogy, that I prefer working with groups. I love choirs and large musical casts, as well as groups of little kids, for my early childhood music and movement classes. I enjoy it more than private lessons, so after teaching privately for a while, I decided not to do so anymore.

I already have my kids doing private music lessons. Why Do We Need Music in Our Homeschool?

This is a great question. Since Music in Our Homeschool doesn’t offer private music lessons, we provide additional resources, such as music theory.

Many private music teachers delve into music theory to some extent. Still, they’re primarily focused on technique and helping students prepare to perform a song, so they often do not spend a lot of time on music theory. It’s a topic that requires a significant amount of time and effort if you’re interested in becoming a better musician.

I believe that my Beginning Music Theory for Elementary , Beginning Music Theory for Teens, and Advanced Music Theory for Teens are essential for all students taking private lessons who want to advance in their instrument or in voice.

How do I get started with Music in Our Homeschool?

Just head on over to Learn.MusicinOurHomeschool.com. There’s an easy search bar where you can search by age, topic, or method (such as Charlotte Mason). If you’re looking for specific instrument instruction, such as a guitar or bass guitar, you can search for that, too.

Do I need any musical background to teach my kids with your courses?

No, you don’t. I have created all the courses at Music in Our Homeschool to be easily accessible to all homeschool parents, regardless of their musical background.

Many of the courses can be used independently by students who are old enough, or parents can work with their child and learn alongside them.

How long does each lesson take?

This is another thing I have done to make it easy for all homeschool parents to incorporate these music lessons into their homeschool. Many of the music lessons are only 15 minutes long. Some of them may run a little longer, but you can always stop when needed and pick up the next day.

Do I need special equipment or instruments?

Usually not. Many of my courses are music appreciation, so all you need is a device, and you can even use your phone. You don’t need a fancy smart TV or a large monitor. You can use your phone, tablet, or laptop.

However, if you are taking a course such as Guitar Time with Ben or Bass Guitar Time with Caleb, or Recorder Time with Mr. Jerry, then you will need that instrument.

And if you are using one of the music theory courses, I do recommend that you get a keyboard. It doesn’t have to be a full-size keyboard. You can use a smaller one, because this isn’t about piano lessons or technique, but instead using the keyboard to help you understand music theory.

Do I have to follow a schedule, or can we go at our own pace?

Absolutely, you can go at your own pace. All of my courses are lifetime access and self-paced. That means you pick how to use them in your homeschool.

Can my kids complete these lessons independently, or do I need to assist them?

It really depends on the age of your children. I would say that by the time they’re in upper elementary, they can often do them independently. Younger kids probably need your guidance a bit.

What all do you offer?

As I mentioned earlier today, I have the three music theory courses. I have three beginning instrument courses: guitar, bass guitar, and recorder.

I offer beginning singing courses, as well as various music appreciation and music history classes with different themes, such as Music for Holidays & Special Days for Elementary or Songs from Pa and Laura, which are related to the songs from the Little House on the Prairie books. We also offer Music Lessons of Hobbits, Elves, and Dwarves, which complements the Lord of the Rings series. Very fun.

What ages do you have resources and courses for?

From preschool to high school. For preschool ages, we have 10 Songs All Preschoolers Should Know and KinderBach.

KinderBach is a beginning music theory and keyboard course for preschoolers, for ages two to seven. You can see a free lesson here if you’d like to try it out and see how it works.

We have courses all the way up through high school. For high school students, these can be used to fulfill fine arts credit requirements on the high school transcript.

We have three music history courses. The first one is the Music Appreciation: Middle Ages Thru Classical Era. The second one is the Romantic Music Appreciation for High School, which has music and composers of the 1800s. The third one is the 20th Century Music Appreciation.

We offer a Charlotte Mason Inspired High School Fine Arts course, which includes art, poetry study, and music. Additionally, the music theory courses or beginning instrument courses I mentioned above can also serve as fine arts credit.

Is this a full curriculum or a supplement?

Well, that’s a little hard to answer. It’s a full music curriculum. It offers a comprehensive fine arts curriculum. I wouldn’t really call it a supplement because I think music is essential for every homeschool education.

How do your courses align with homeschool requirements or state standards?

Really good question. As each state and country is different, you will need to conduct some research to determine what your state requires. Some states require fine arts for various age groups, including high school diploma requirements, so check that out here.

However, if your state doesn’t require fine arts, I still encourage you to use one or more of my courses, as all students should have access to music and fine arts for a well-rounded, high-quality education.

Can I use this with multiple children at the same time?

Absolutely. Many of my courses were written for families to use together. I love the idea of using it during Morning Time, so you could pull out the Great Hymns of the Faith or Recorder Time with Mr. Jerry or 20th Century Music Appreciation, and do it with all of your kids together.

Are the courses secular or faith-based?

I would say they’re neutral. They aren’t secular if you define that as absolutely no religious music at all, because so much of the great music of the past was composed for churches. Composers such as Bach, Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms wrote religious music, and you can’t not study those famous composers! Therefore, the courses are neutral, meaning they aren’t pushing a particular religion. They do have some church music in them, but you have to study that to understand music history.

As far as faith-based courses go, I do have a couple of courses that are absolutely faith-based, such as Great Hymns of the Faith, Use Music to Grow in Your Faith, Music of Christmas, as well as the elementary world geography course called My First Amazing Journey Around the World.

Is there a recommended order to take the courses?

Not really. There is only one that has a prerequisite. The Advanced Music Theory for Teens course requires completion of the Beginning Music Theory for Teens course as a prerequisite.

You might want to take the three music history courses in order: Middle Ages first, then the Romantic Era, and finally the 20th Century. But you don’t really have to. I have a Suggested Order of Music in Our Homeschool Courses that suggests a course for each age level. But it’s just a suggestion if you needed some guidance. You use the Music in Our Homeschool courses however you want.

What is music appreciation, and how does it differ from music theory?

Music appreciation is learning about music. It’s learning about composers and great pieces of music. What are the brass instruments? How does a trumpet sound? That type of thing. It’s learning about musical styles and genres, world music, and music from particular countries. All of that is music appreciation.

Music theory is actually learning how to read and write music yourself. You learn about particular notes. What is a quarter note? What is the second space on the staff? What is a treble clef? How do you tap out a particular rhythm? That’s music theory.

Do you offer singing or voice lessons?

No, I don’t, but I do have Singing Made Easy, an online course in six levels created by Marcia McCrary, which is wonderful. It’s exactly the type of singing course I would have created if she hadn’t already done it.

Do you teach kids how to read music?

Yes. That is taught in all three of my music theory courses.

Do you cover composers and music history?

Absolutely. One of the most enjoyable courses I have taken is Learn Classical Music Through Cartoons, which focuses on a single composer and their music used in various cartoons or animations.

Are there seasonal or holiday-themed lessons available?

Yes. I have already mentioned Music for Holidays & Special Days, but I also offer Music of Christmas, which includes three years’ worth of different types of music lessons. There’s also Christmas Carols Made Easy, where you can learn how to sing certain Christmas carols. And I have a Christmas Musicals Mini-Course.

What platform are your courses on?

I have my courses on the Teachable platform. I have been with them for 10 years, and although we have occasionally experienced some technical glitches, for the most part, it has been very stable and user-friendly, so I love having my courses there.

Can I access the courses on my phone or tablet?

Yes. All you have to do is head to Learn. MusicinOurHomeschool.com, the Teachable site, where you log in. Usually, it will ask you to go back to your email to retrieve a code, which makes it even more secure for you.

How long do I have access to the courses after I purchase them?

They are all lifetime access, which means you will have access to them as long as my site is up. However, I don’t have any plans of going anywhere anytime soon!

Do you offer closed captioning or transcripts for your videos?

It depends on the course. All of my newer ones have transcripts and closed captions on the videos. However, many of the older ones don’t. If there is a particular video you would like me to add the captioning or transcript for, just let me know. You can always leave a comment right in each lesson, and I get those by email, so that I can reply.

Is there an app?

Yes, if you have an iOS device, there is a great Teachable app! I think they’re working on Android as well, but it’s not available yet.

Do you offer any free resources or sample lessons?

Every single course has at least one free sample lesson, which is the actual full lesson that you can try out to see how it works and determine if it’s a good fit for you.

Is it better to buy individual courses or join the membership?

It depends on what you’re looking for. Buying individual courses is a single fee. So, if that’s what you want to do, buy one course, then you can take that route.

The Music in Our Homeschool Plus membership offers four different tiers. There is a Basic Tier, which gives you access to seven of the most popular courses, including:

• World Music for Elementary
• American Music for Elementary
• Learn Classical Music with Cartoons
• Intro to Musicals
• State Songs of the 50 U.S. States
• 15-Minute Music Lessons
• Intro to Musicals
• Music for Holidays & Special Days

The Core and Premium memberships provide access to all my courses, except for KinderBach.

A lot of people love the membership, because, and the next question is . . .

What’s included in the Music in Our Homeschool Plus membership?

All tiers of MIOH+ include the Music Lesson Calendar of the Month, which gives you a music lesson each day of the week that I’ve chosen ahead of time. Sometimes it relates to a composer’s birthday or a holiday, and it comes from one of the seven courses (listed above with the Basic tier), so you don’t have to think ahead, “What are we going to do for music?”

All you have to do is either open your browser to MusicinOurHomeschool.com/calendar and click the link there for the lesson, or you can retrieve it from the email I send every Sunday evening, which includes the links as well.

That’s the main benefit you get with the membership.

Each level also includes different a set of Fine Art Pages each month so your art appreciation requires no extra work or thinking on your part either!

However, if you are a Premium member, you also receive a brand-new live music lesson every month. It’s usually about a composer, and we listen to various famous pieces by that composer and discuss musical concepts. And, you get a brand-new live acrylic painting lesson every single month, too!

Do you offer discounts or sales throughout the year?

Yes. Be sure to subscribe to my email list, and you’ll be the first to know about all upcoming sales.

Is there a refund policy?

Depending on the course or resource, there is a 14-day money-back guarantee. Some resources that are only digital pdfs don’t offer a refund.

Why is music education important in a homeschool?

Music does so many things for your family, for your students, and for you personally. It strengthens creativity, memory, and emotional intelligence, and even math skills. It’s a powerful tool in your child’s development.

What results do other families see?

Many families have told me that they see more joy, confidence, and interest in music. Some students have gone on to major in music in college, but even those who haven’t, it has been an excellent addition to their homeschool and makes them much more well-rounded educationally.

And the final question is . . .

I’m not musical; can I really do this?

Absolutely, yes you can! That’s the heart behind Music in Our Homeschool. I’ve designed everything so that all you have to do is press, play, follow the lessons, listen to the videos, read what’s on the screen, and enjoy the learning right alongside with your kids.

I encourage you to start exploring the courses and all the free resources and lessons available on Learn. MusicinOurHomeschool.com. You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to bring the joy of music into your homeschool. Just press play and go!

Did I miss one? What other questions about homeschool music do you have?

Please leave a comment below!

See the YouTube Video “What Every Homeschool Needs to Know About Music!”

https://youtu.be/juVptCAfTH0

Listen to Podcast Episode 70: The Top Frequently Asked Questions I Get About Music in Our Homeschool

Listen here or subscribe and follow The Music in Our Homeschool Podcast through your favorite podcast app, such as Apple Podcasts or Spotify!

Read the Podcast Transcript here.

Related Posts:

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• The Benefits of Doing a Music Course in the Summer in Your Homeschool & the Best Choices (E66)
• 12 Easy Ways to Include Music in Your Homeschool (E65)