66: The Benefits of Doing a Music Course in the Summer in Your Homeschool & the Best Choices

Are you looking for creative ways to enrich your homeschool this summer? Tune into Episode 66 of the Music in Our Homeschool Podcast with Gena Mayo, where we dive into the benefits of including a music course in your homeschool summer routine! Discover why summer is the perfect time for homeschool families to add music and art without the pressure of a busy school year. 

In this inspiring episode, Gena Mayo, an experienced homeschooling mom and music teacher, shares practical tips for making music education easy, fun, and stress-free during the summer months. Learn how scheduling a music course in the off-season can free up precious time during your academic year and help your children stay engaged and creative all year long.

Gena highlights some of the best online music courses for homeschoolers, such as Sound Bites: Classical Meets Cartoons, Summer Music Lessons for Holidays and Special Days, Intro to Musicals for Elementary Students, and beginner instrument lessons like Recorder Time, Guitar Time, and Bass Guitar Time. She explains how these zero-prep, self-paced online courses are designed to fit seamlessly into your summer plans – whether at home or on the go.

Explore ways to nurture your child’s love for music and art, find out how learning an instrument over the summer boosts confidence, and discover resources that support a joyful, well-rounded homeschool education.

Don’t miss the exclusive discount code SUMMER25, available for all Music in Our Homeschool courses at https://Learn.MusicinOurHomeschool.com to help you save! 

Subscribe to the Music in Our Homeschool Podcast for more homeschooling tips, curriculum reviews, and creative inspiration to make learning music fun and accessible all year round.

Find links to all resources mentioned in this episode here: https://musicinourhomeschool.com/music-course-in-the-summer/ 

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

The Benefits of Doing a Music Course in the Summer in Your Homeschool & the Best Choices (E66)

Welcome back to the Music in Our Homeschool podcast. This is Gena Mayo, and today we are talking about summertime. I don't know about you, but I am so excited for summer the warm weather, less activities. It's all going to be great. So let's get started.

Summer is a time to slow down, relax, and enjoy a break from the traditional homeschooling schedule. But that doesn't mean learning has to stop. In fact, summer is the perfect time to dive into subjects such as music and art that can often get pushed aside during the school year. One of the best ways to keep your kids engaged and learning during the summer [00:01:00] months is by incorporating music and art education into your homeschooling routine. Let's explore today some of the benefits for doing a music or an art course during the summertime, and how Music in Our Homeschool will make it easy, fun, and totally doable.

Recently, I received this email from a long time Music in Our Homeschool homeschooling mom.

" Gena, this idea has been percolating in my mind from something you emailed earlier this fall. A note, I am nearing the end of my homeschooling time. My baby is in 10th grade and I started in 1995, so 30 plus years.

I think the most freeing thing was to realize that education happened year round and not just from September to May. As long as I documented it, it counted. In New York, our school year is July 1st to June 30th. I like to do school books [00:02:00] from August to May, but about 20 years ago, I started doing music and art in the summer. 30 to 45 minutes of music or art counted as a music or art experience, and 36 of them counted as music or art for the school year. I no longer had to try to fit that also into my school week in August to May. That was so freeing. I think that would be my advice to new families homeschooling. What do you struggle to get done in the year? Find a way to do it in the off season. Strength and joy, Beth."

So I just loved what Beth wrote there about how she figured out a way to do it in the off season where she wasn't so overwhelmed with all the other school subjects she was teaching or the activities, and you could still get that course done. It's awesome.

So here are some tips and ideas today for getting your music and art [00:03:00] done in the summer, in the off season. And be sure to use the coupon code SUMMER25 to save 25% off any music or art course you find at Learn.MusicinOurHomeschool.com.

So here's number one. Keep summer learning light and fun.

Summer learning doesn't have to mean textbooks and tests. Music and art are enjoyable subjects that feel more like play than work. Whether your child is exploring famous composers, singing new songs, learning to play an instrument, looking at great works of art or, p ainting an ocean scene, the arts can spark creativity and bring joy to their day.

One idea you can try is called Sound Bites: Classical Meets Cartoons. In this course you'll discover the fascinating intersection of classical music and animation. Over five weeks, it presents cartoon clips featuring classical music [00:04:00] along with full length performances of those same pieces, making learning fun, memorable, and a breeze to implement.

Or try this: Daily Art Impressionism. Learning about the great artists of the Impressionism era. You will view their artwork, understand what impressionism is, and discover how to recognize it when you're out and about.

Number two, summer is the perfect time for enrichment. During the busy school year, it's easy to put off enrichment subjects like art and music when math and science and reading lessons take so much time. Summer gives you the breathing room to add these valuable experiences without feeling overwhelmed.

A music or art course could be the perfect enrichment that adds beauty and culture to your homeschooling life. One course to try is Intro to Musicals for Elementary Students. In this course, you watch musical clips, [00:05:00] learn about plot and character development, and sing along with beloved songs. It's a fantastic way to introduce musical theater and to build music appreciation.

Or you could try ABC Animals in Art. You have to do is simply hang up the banner with this one. So many parents of young children are eager to create a home atmosphere that fosters love of learning naturally. Our Enrichment Tots collection from Enrichment Studies is designed to help you bring the arts into your family culture easily and organically, making the joy and beauty of the arts a normal part of your homeschool life.

By the way, if you want links to everything I'm sharing today, just head over to the blog post that is linked in the show notes or description for this episode.

Number three, no prep learning for busy families. Let's face it, homeschool parents need a break too. That's why Music in Our Homeschool courses [00:06:00] are designed to be zero prep.

Simply log in, hit play, and enjoy the lesson together. It's the kind of easy win that keeps learning going without exhausting us as the parents. One course you can try is called Summer Music Lessons for Holidays and Special Days. This delightful course has bite-size lessons to celebrate the summer holidays through music. Listen to and do activities with various songs and music that relate to summer holidays, such as Flag Day Father's Day, as well as Juneteenth and Independence Day. And also included our fun lessons for special days such as Harry Potter's birthday, Shark Week, Global Beatles Day, National Video Game Day, and the First Day of Summer.

Or another course you could take a look at is called Rainy Day and Summer Camp Fun for Elementary. If you're looking for some super fun and educational ideas [00:07:00] for those rainy days, or maybe you want a week long summer camp for your kids, you could even implement one of those amazing summer break camps for the neighborhood kids or your homeschool community and make some money. All the plans included are in one place in the Rainy Day and Summer Camp Fun for Elementary online course.

Number four is to start learning a new instrument. Summer is one of the best times to start learning an instrument. No pressure, no rushing, and time to practice at your own pace. If your child has shown an interest in making music, now's the time to encourage them with one of our beginner friendly instrument learning courses.

Try Recorder Time with Mr. Jerry, Guitar Time with Ben, or Bass Guitar Time with Caleb. Let me tell you a little bit about each of these. Recorder Time with Mr. Jerry introduces you to an ideal first instrument to get [00:08:00] started with-- the recorder. It's great for ages eight and up, and Mr. Jerry makes it fun and accessible with step-by-step lessons that teach reading music, rhythm, and proper technique. And your child will learn to play quite a few songs.

Guitar Time with Ben is perfect for tweens and teens who are ready to start playing chords and songs on the guitar. They will love Ben's relaxed, encouraging style that will help them build confidence and skills from day one.

Maybe you've got a budding bassist in your family. With Bass Guitar Time with Caleb, Caleb walks students through the basics of playing bass guitar with clear instruction and fun practice opportunities. It's great for older kids and teens.

These courses allow your kids to explore their musical talents with expert instructors, all from the comfort of your own home, on your own schedule, and a very affordable [00:09:00] budget.

And the fifth reason you'll want to do some music and art in the summertime is that it's flexible for travel and your summer schedule, whether you're road tripping, enjoying long afternoons of the pool, hiking or gardening. Music in our homeschool courses are flexible and self-paced, and lifetime access.

You can access them from anywhere at any time on your tablet, computer, or even phone. Yes, you can just use your phone. Try The 15 Minute Music Lessons. With quick and engaging lessons that fit easily into any day, from exploring classical music to learning about film scores, these lessons pack in a lot of value in just a short amount of time.

Or you could try the Fine Art Pages Collection Number One with the memory game. As homeschool moms or busy teachers, it can feel overwhelming to incorporate fine art into your day when there's already so much to do. But Fine Art [00:10:00] Pages makes it super easy because you can just stick 'em up on your wall and let the learning happen organically.

So don't let summer pass by without giving your kids the gift of music and art. Whether you're looking to add beauty and enrichment, or you want to start learning a new instrument, Music in Our Homeschool has everything you need to make it happen, with zero prep for the homeschooling mom. So check out the full library at Learn.MusicinOurHomeschool.com and be sure to use the coupon code SUMMER25.

Let the Summer be filled with joyful sounds, meaningful memories, and the beauty of music. Happy homeschooling even in the summer. And until next time, keep the music alive.

Find links to all resources mentioned in this episode here: https://musicinourhomeschool.com/music-course-in-the-summer/