Basic music education for the budget conscious homeschool family.

“Music enhances the education of our children by helping them to make connections and broadening the depth with which they think and feel. If we are to hope for a society of culturally literate people, music must be a vital part of our children’s education.”  – Yo-Yo Ma

Music education can be a fun and rewarding part of your family's homeschool journey. Developing an appreciation for music in children is a big part of a well-rounded education. Whether you are a formal Homeschooler, an eclectic homeschooler or an unschooler, music lessons can add up, depending on how many students you have. Here are some tips to getting your child in a music learning environment without breaking the bank.

1. Check out your local College or University. The music departments at some of these institutions have wised up on the decrease in music education in the public school system and have created student and grad student led music programs for the community, and sometimes specifically for homeschoolers. These classes/lessons are usually low cost and have very small class sizes.

2. Play music during your homeschool day. Incorporating different genres of music throughout the year will give your children exposure to instruments, rhythms and sounds that they normally would not have heard. This could spark up a great conversation and help them increase their musical terminology and vocabulary. Jazz, blues, folk, gospel, classical, the sky is the limit here, expose them to as many genres as you can.

3. Teach them what you know! Earlier generations were lucky enough to have a large amount of general music classes available, and what ever you picked up from that, share it with your child. Starting with the basics, no matter the age is key. Learning how to read music, becoming familiar with scales etc., are things you can do with no instrument at all and will have a profound impact on their knowledge level and level of comfort in dealing with music. I created a little graphic book to help introduce the notes to kids, it can be used for older children but may work best for pre k to 3rd graders. The book is available as a free download here. I just ask that you comment with feedback on how you used this tool and if it was effective in helping teach your child the basics.

4. Private lessons at the local music store. If you are not ready to invest in a new instrument just yet, local music stores sometimes offer a rental program along with music lessons. This could help your learner try out different instruments and settle on their favorite, as well as save you a ton of money!

I would love to hear how your family incorporates music into your homeschool. Please drop a note and share your experiences.