Homeschool Music Program

Homeschool Music Program for all area homeschoolers!

**Registration begins May 1st for our waiting families**

Current students, click here for our calendar of rehearsals and performances.

Current 4th-6th grade ukulele students, click here for uke resources.

Current 7th-12th grade choir students, click here for practice resources.

Our engaging, educational and fun Homeschool Music Program is open to all area homeschoolers, K5-12th grade. See below for class times, descriptions, and information on how to register.

When:

K5-3rd:

Through a kinesthetic approach, K5-3rd grade students are taught quarter, eighth, half and hole note rhythms. Body Percussion, Movement, and instruments (including djembe drums, xylophones, metallophones and glockenspiels, and various percussion instruments) allow the students to learn and explore music in a fun, hands-on style. You may also find us using boomwhackers, hula-hoops, scarves and more! Students have weekly as well as cumulative activities and songs. Also, all students will learn 2 songs each semester they will perform with the rest of the homeschool music program (K5-12th) at our end of semester concert (s).

4th-6th:

Our 4th-6th grade students expound on what is learned in our K5-3rd grade class (participation in K5-3rd class is not a necessary prerequisite to our 4th-6th grade class). They will also learn more complex rhythms, as well as treble and bass clef notes. Students will work together within instrumental ensembles using various percussion instruments, xylophones, metallophones and glockenspiels. Students will learn to play notes, chords and full songs on their Ukuleles (information on purchasing these instruments will be provided). Also, all students will learn at least 2 songs each semester they will perform with the rest of the homeschool music program (K5-12th) at our end of semester concert (s). Students have weekly as well as cumulative activities and songs.

7th-12th:

Our Homeschool Choir was started in 2014 for all age students. As our program has grown over the years, we have been able to divide our classes by age, allowing for our 7th-12th grade choir! Each Wednesday, we begin with warmups and activities that teach breathing and vocal technique. We focus on listening to one another and working together as a team. We work throughout the semester to prepare songs for our end of semester concert (s) in which we perform 4-5 songs as a 7th-12th grade choir and 2 songs as a K5-12th grade choir. These concerts are quite a treat. It is a joy to hear 50+ voices singing together in our combined grades choir! Our song selections include a variety of music: folk, classical, praise, international and more. We also sing a variety of warmup rounds and multi-part pieces each week. Students in our 7th-12th grade class enjoy seeing their friends each week, and working together to make a beautiful, blended sound.

Current Tuition:

NO COST for private students of the Bill Jones Music School.

For students not currently enrolled in private lessons at the Music School:

$50/month -1 child

$75/month- 2 kids

$90/month- 3 kids

Additional kids = $10/month

Registration Fee – $25/family each year

Interested in joining? Email director, Katie Howe: kchc@billjonesmusic.com

Katie Howe

Music Director

Katie Howe is founder and Director of the Homeschool Music Program at Bill Jones Music. She has 15+ years teaching experience, teaching both group and private students, homeschool and traditional school. She has her Bachelor of Arts in voice from Mississippi College as well as a degree in teaching from Belhaven University. She loves all things music, teaching, rock climbing, trail running, and spending time with her husband and three boys.

A Note from our Director:

Dear Parents,

While it has been my joy to teach each of your families over the past several years, I have some exciting, yet difficult news to share: Kyle and I have decided to move back to Mississippi to be near our family. We are certainly looking forward to being back near grandparents, siblings and cousins, but we are grieved to leave beautiful East Tennessee, and the work, community, and adventures we have enjoyed here. Our tentative plan is to move by the end of the summer.

It has been a great joy of mine to serve as director of the program for these eleven years, watching students of all ages grow and develop as musicians and classmates. We have grown from a single choir of only seven members, to a thriving homeschool music program of four specialized classes, that continues to grow. I am thrilled that our program has become a destination for music education for homeschool students across the area!

Recently, a lovely family moved to Knoxville and started attending our program. Very quickly I connected with Rachel Durbin as a fellow homeschool mom and music educator. What a gift she has been this past year, filling in for me during my times of absence. The kids have absolutely adored her, and have loved learning with Mrs. Rachel. She even filled in for me this past Wednesday, on short notice, so I could recover from the stomach bug. Parents, she is a gift!

So, it is my joy to announce that Rachel Durbin will be moving into the position of Director of our Homeschool Music Program. She and I have very similar education, training and employment backgrounds, and I am confident she will be an excellent fit for the program. I can’t wait to hear how the program thrives under her leadership in the coming years! Here is a bit more about her:

Rachel Durbin is excited to join the Bill Jones Music Family! She has been involved with the Homeschool Choir since her family moved here 2 years ago from the Chicago Suburbs, and is a mom to five great kids (three of which are currently enrolled in the program). Her husband is an instrument repair technician at Rush’s Music, and both of them serve together as board members for the Knoxville Christian Youth Band. In addition to music, Rachel enjoys gardening, photography, and training in martial arts.

Professionally, Rachel studied Music Education and Vocal Performance at Illinois State University, and achieved her Orff Levels 1 & 2 from Vandercook University in Chicago. She taught Elementary general music and choir for 6 years in the public schools before deciding to homeschool her own children, and after making the switch, she continued to teach her own Homeschool Music Classes, Choirs and Lessons for many years. Rachel is also a Worship Leader, currently serving on staff at Milestone Church in Clinton, and she regularly writes, records, and releases original music for the Church. You can find out more about her at her website: www.gardenartistrymusic.com

Homeschool Music Program