50: Transform Your Homeschool with Quick and Easy Enrichment Studies Sound Bites for Music Appreciation

Transform your homeschool music education with Enrichment Studies Sound Bites! In Episode 50 of the Music in Our Homeschool podcast, host Gena Mayo introduces an innovative solution for busy homeschool parents looking to incorporate music appreciation into their curriculum.

Discover seven comprehensive Sound Bites courses designed to make music education accessible and engaging:

• Baroque and Classical Era Composers 
• Romantic and Modern Era Composers
• Jazz Music Appreciation 
• 100 Women Composers Through the Ages
• Meet the Orchestra 
• Classical Meets Cartoons
• Sing a Song of America

These bite-sized, 15-minute lessons require no preparation and can easily fit into your morning routine or lunchtime schedule. Each course includes curated videos, printable worksheets, listening guides, and optional extension activities, making classical music education accessible for all homeschool families.

Perfect for:

• Busy homeschool parents
• Multiple age groups
• Morning time activities
• Music Appreciation
• Classical music education
• Orchestra instrument study
• Composer studies

Learn how real homeschool families have successfully implemented Sound Bites into their daily routines, creating lasting appreciation for classical music, jazz, and patriotic songs. As the new owner of Enrichment Studies, Gena Mayo shares her passion for making music education both achievable and enjoyable for homeschoolers.

Whether you're interested in exploring classical composers, learning about orchestra instruments, or discovering women's contributions to music history, Sound Bites offers flexible, self-paced courses that work with your schedule. Visit musicinourhomeschool.com/soundbites to try free sample lessons and transform your homeschool music education today!

#homeschoolmusic #musicappreciation #classicalmusic #homeschooling #musicineducation #homeschoolcurriculum #musiceducation

Find links to all resources mentioned in this episode here: https://musicinourhomeschool.com/enrichment-studies-sound-bites/

Please follow/subscribe to the podcast and leave a 5-star review and comment if you liked this episode! Find all courses at https://Learn.MusicinOurHomeschool.com ,free music lessons here: https://MusicinOurHomeschool.com/FreeMusicLessons , and lots more links here: https://linktr.ee/genamayo !

Transcript

Transform Your Homeschool with Quick and Easy Enrichment Studies Sound Bites (E50)

[00:00:00] Hello, Homeschool Harmony Heroes! Welcome back to the Music in Our Homeschool podcast, the show where we help you bring music and fine arts to life in your homeschool. I'm your host, Gena Mayo. And today we're diving into a topic that has been creating a lot of buzz in the homeschool community, Enrichment Studies Sound Bites. What are they and how can they transform your homeschool experience?

We'll grab your coffee or tea, and let's explore this exciting tool together. 

If you are a homeschooler looking for ways to easily and affordably include a quality music education in your homeschool, you've come to the right place. This is the Music in Our Homeschool podcast. I'm Gina Mayo, homeschooling mom of eight and music teacher for over 30 years. 

Before we get into today's topic, let me tell a quick story. Once upon a time, there was a homeschooling mom with a bunch of little children [00:01:00] who liked to imagine herself as the sort of mom who would have her children listening to classical music and learning about composers on a regular basis.

But by the time the math and the reading and the science stuff was bought, the budget was spent and the music curriculum never got ordered. It didn't really matter, though, because the day to day busyness of homeschooling never would have allowed for one more thing anyway. No sirree. All those reading lessons and math pages and science experiments filled the days quite nicely. Thank you very much. And the years rolled by and the music never happened.

And the mom wondered what she could do to break the cycle and make time for the things she truly wanted to add in. Then she got a great idea that wouldn't cost very much and could work into her busy schedule without any planning or pre work. And that's exactly how Enrichment Studies Composer [00:02:00] Collections, which later turned into Sound Bites, were born.

That's a story about my friend, Erica Johns Teachy, who created all of the Enrichment Studies resources. Way back many, many years ago, after I was already homeschooling, but before music in our homeschool was born, I came across Enrichment Studies.

It was a website filled with art and music resources to help homeschoolers include those enriching subjects in their homeschool, and they were fun, extremely easy to use, and of course, very enriching.

Erica and I soon became friends. She had a passion for enrichment in the homeschool. Enrichment Studies augment our children's education, helping us develop creativity, critical thinking, and a deeper appreciation in our children for the world around them. Erica shared how she, like many of us, dreamed of regularly incorporating [00:03:00] classical music, composer studies, art appreciation, picture study, and other fine arts into her homeschool. But with the busy day to day of homeschooling, it felt impossible to fit in even one more thing. That's when she had that brilliant idea to create affordable, easy-to-use resources that fit seamlessly into the homeschooler's schedule.

She ran the company for 13 years and then I acquired it last November. The Enrichment Studies resources are the perfect complement to all that we have at Music in Our Homeschool. I'm especially excited to increase our music appreciation resources, and you'll love the next couple of podcast episodes which will focus specifically on the Fine Art Pages and Daily Art.

As the proud new owner of Enrichment Studies, I'm excited to share these amazing resources with you and see [00:04:00] how they will transform your homeschool for the better. But today we will start with Sound Bites, the Enrichment Studies music appreciation resources. 

So I'm sure at this point you're thinking, What exactly are Sound Bites? Well, great question. Sound Bites are short, focused snippet lessons that make adding Enrichment Studies a cinch for busy homeschool parents. Think of them as bite-sized learning moments that can fit seamlessly into your day. 

There are seven different Sound Bites courses. So let me give you a brief overview of each one.

Sound Bites Baroque and Classical Era Composers allows you to explore the masterpieces of the composers of the Baroque period, which is about 1600 to 1750, and the Classical period, which is about 1750 to 1820. This course provides daily lessons featuring [00:05:00] curated videos and information about each composer, making it easy to integrate that music appreciation into your routine.

You'll get 30 weeks of done-for-you music appreciation that the whole family will love. You'll get to know major composers from Vivaldi to Beethoven, along with some additional lesser known composers. 

Number two is Sound Bite's Romantic and Modern Era C omposers. You will delve into the rich and diverse music of the romantic era, which was the 19th century, the 1800s, and the modern era, which is the 20th century to today. Each lesson includes a composer, offering insights into their life and works accompanied by selected pieces for listening.

 Enjoy 34 weeks with this particular course and you'll learn about major composers from Rossini to Tchaikovsky to Stravinsky, and many others. [00:06:00] 

Number three is Sound Bite's Jazz Music Appreciation. Maybe you want to journey into the vibrant world of jazz music and learn about influential jazz composers and musicians.

This course covers the evolution of jazz and its impact on music history with engaging lessons and performances. 30 weeks in this course will get you to know major composers and performers such as Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. 

Number four is Sound Bite's 100 Women Composers Through the Ages. This course allows you to celebrate the contributions of women in music from all the way back in the Middle Ages to the present day. We will highlight 100 female composers providing a comprehensive look at their achievements and their compositions. You'll learn about famous composers such as Clara Schumann and Amy Beach, but many [00:07:00] others that you probably haven't heard of before. 

Number five is Sound Bites Meet the Orchestra. Here you will introduce your children to the instruments of the orchestra with 36 short daily lessons. You'll explore the history, construction, and sounds of various instruments across many music genres.

Number six is Classical Meets Cartoons. Here, you will discover the fascinating intersection of classical music and animation. Over five weeks, this course presents cartoon clips featuring classical music along with full length performances of the pieces, making learning fun and memorable. 

And then there's Sound Bites: Sing a Song of America. This one's a little different because you will spend four weeks learning some of America's most beloved patriotic songs and hopefully singing them as well. The four songs are [00:08:00] America, also known as My Country, Tis of Thee, The Star Spangled Banner, America the Beautiful, and Your Grand Old Flag. Each weekday, you'll explore the history and lyrics of the song with opportunities to sing along and appreciate various renditions.

Each of these seven Sound Bites courses is designed to be flexible and accessible, allowing you to incorporate music appreciation into your homeschool routine with ease. Whether you're looking to explore different musical eras, genres, or instruments, there is a Sound Bites course to suit your needs.

Let me take a moment to talk about the structure of the Sound Bites courses and how you can easily include one of them in your homeschool starting even tomorrow. Each Sound Bites course is designed to be simple, flexible, and engaging. You get daily lessons. Each course provides [00:09:00] short, manageable lessons that can be completed in 15 minutes or less, and that makes them perfect for busy homeschoolers.

And when I say daily lessons, yes, you can use them every single day of the week, or just on the days that you choose to do some fine arts or music. You are in charge of your homeschool. You choose how you want to use the course. 

There are varied formats. The lessons include curated videos right there embedded into the course, so you do not have to head over to YouTube and get distracted, printable worksheets. listening guides, and optional extension activities. You choose what works best for your family. 

And it's completely self paced. Once you purchase it, you own it, and you can choose when you want to use it. Go through them at a pace that suits your family's rhythm. 

Here are three ways to [00:10:00] use Enrichment Studies Sound Bites in your home school.

First, identify your goals. What is it you want to achieve with your Sound Bites course? Are you looking to expose your children to great composers? Do you want to explore a more modern style like jazz? Do you want to focus specifically on women? Do you want your children to learn about instruments? If you think through what it is you specifically would like to study with your kids this year, that will help you pick the course to start with. 

Number two is to incorporate Sound Bites into your routine. I always tell my homeschooling moms the easiest way to do this is during Morning Time. Find a time in the morning where you can have all your kids together sitting on the couch maybe or around the breakfast table and you put the course on. You play it with an iPad or a laptop or stream it to your smart TV or you could even just use your [00:11:00] phone. I want it to be as easy as possible for you. 

You don't have to print out anything ahead of time. You don't need to plan ahead of time. Just read through the lesson and play the videos.

And then three is to use available resources. Now, I know some of you may be thinking, this sounds great, but I'm already overwhelmed. How do I make this happen without adding to my stress? Believe me, I get it. Homeschooling is a big job. I've homeschooled eight kids. Eight kids in eleven years. But here's the thing Enrichment Studies doesn't have to be a big production. This is about creating meaningful moments, not perfect ones, and just exposure to your children with quick wins. So just pick one Enrichment Studies Sound Bites to focus on.

Before we wrap up, I want to share a few real life examples from families who have [00:12:00] successfully implemented Enrichment Studies Sound Bites into their homeschools. Incorporating Sound Bites into your homeschool routine can be both seamless and impactful. 

Dorothy shares, "Sound Bites is our breakfast activity each morning, and my two and three-year-olds are loving it. Some days they want to see the videos, some days they ask to see it played on the tv. It is enriching my life as well as the kiddos. Thank you so much." 

And Tracy notes, "Regularly, my children tell me what instruments they see, discuss how the pieces make them feel, discuss different features of the piece. They even tell their father about pieces that really spoke to them at night during supper. So much so that he has me forward the videos at work so he can watch them before he gets home and then he can join in their discussions." Isn't that amazing? 

And then Bonnie mentioned, "We're so appreciative of [00:13:00] the daily Sound Bites. We miss them some days, but it's been a fantastic way for me to introduce regular doses of such intoxicating music to our days. And it calms or enthralls my four kids during those crazy or dull moments in our life." 

And then Robin reflects, "It's so perfect for high school. I just play it in the morning as we're getting ready."

One mom told me she plays a different composer's music during lunchtime every day. Her children now recognize pieces by Vivaldi, Bach, and Tchaikovsky. It only takes a few minutes. 

These small, consistent efforts create lasting memories and a love for the arts. And the best part? You don't have to be an expert. You're learning and exploring and appreciating right alongside your kids. 

So, thank you so much for joining me today to learn about Enrichment Studies Sound Bites and how they can transform your homeschool. [00:14:00] If you're ready to dive in, check out the resources I've linked in the show notes or head over to MusicinOurHomeschool.com/SoundBites. Each course has free lessons that you can try out. And remember, it's not about doing everything perfectly. It's about sharing the beauty of music, art, and creativity with your children in a way that works for your family.

If you've enjoyed this episode today, will you please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with other homeschooling friends? Together we can inspire more families to embrace the joy of music and fine arts education. Until next time, Harmony Heroes, keep the music alive. 

Find links to all resources mentioned in this episode here: https://musicinourhomeschool.com/enrichment-studies-sound-bites/