How to Create Music Appreciation Credit for Transcripts

This week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: How to Create Music Appreciation Credit for Transcripts.

How to Create Music Appreciation Credit for Transcripts. Homeschool high schoolers need a Fine Arts credit. What if they are not artsy?Try Gena Mayo's tips.

How to Create Music Appreciation Credit for Transcripts

Most homeschool high schoolers need a Fine Arts credit for graduation. That is easy for teens who have interest in the arts. But, what if they are not artsy? That’s where arts appreciation credits come in. In this episode Vicki is joined by our friend, Gena Mayo, of Music in Our Homeschool. She is going to share a simple way to create a Music Appreciation credit for the homeschool transcript.

Gena is one of 7Sisters old-time homeschool friends. When we first started out, we met Gena at our favorite conference (2:1 Conference). She coached us along and gave us encouragement and practical tips for blogging and digital business-running. So, as we got to thinking about the stress that our non-artsy friends feel when they need to help their homeschool high schoolers earn that Fine Arts credit, we turned to Gena.

Art Appreciation credits, simply put, are credits that introduce students to the ideas of one or more art forms. Arts Appreciation credits can cover just about anything that helps your teens appreciate that art. Homeschool high schoolers could earn different Arts Appreciation credits:

Music Appreciation
Visual Art Appreciation
Drama Appreciation, including Drama Camp
Dance Appreciation

What else would you add to that list?

Photo used with permission

Gena Mayo is an expert in music credits. That’s why it is so wonderful to have her with us to discuss Music Appreciation credits. She studied Music Education in college and taught Music in traditional schools for five years. When she and her husband started their family, they decided to homeschool. They now have eight children (two in college, two in high school, two in middle school, two in elementary).

Gena started teaching Music Appreciation in her homeschool co-op. The kids were learning 20th Century History. Gena knew that music was integral to understanding the culture and happenings of that time. She eventually turned that co-op course into an online course which your teens can experience today.

She realized that music is actually important to each time in history so she expanded her course offerings on Music in Our Homeschool to other time periods.

SO how does Gena suggest easily earning a Music Appreciation credit for transcripts?

Let’s go with Music in Our Homeschool because it is self-paced, independent learning for teens (and teens actually like it):

Middle Ages through Classical Era (500-1799 AD)

18 weeks for one semester

Romantic Era Music (1800’s)

36 lessons

20th Century Music

36 lessons

Each course:

Can be completed:
- One lesson per week through year
- Or two lessons per week through a semester
Discusses composers who were influential in each era.
Includes inks to videos so teens can see professional performances of each musical piece.
Gives suggestions for activities (choose the best-fit activity for your teen’s needs, abilities):
- Special writing and reading assignments
- Other ideas

Your homeschool high schoolers could earn up to a full credit for 20th Century or Romantic Era, if they log their hours and listen to all the music.

They can pare things down and do brief overviews and simply log hours until they meet state’s requirements for a credit.
(It is always good to log hours to keep that paper trail for earning credits. Check out this post for proving your credits mean something on the homeschool transcript.)

Music Appreciation like this can be integrated into your homeschool high schoolers’ History credits (check out our Homeschool Highschool Podcast episode on Combining Credits).

If your family or co-op is studying 20th Century History, have your high schoolers do the 20 Century Music Appreciation course. Log the hours for History and/or Music Appreciation.
If your family or co-op is studying World History, add Middle Ages through Classical Era Music Appreciation and Romantic Era Music Appreciation. Again, log the hours for History and/or Music Appreciation.

Music Appreciation credits can ignite teens' love of music

What else can be included in Music credits (added to Music Appreciation credit hours or separately listed on the homeschool transcript)?

Log hours for these to decide whether your teens earned .25, .5 or 1 credit each.
- Music Theory
- Private Music Lessons (Voice, Instrument)
- Musical Theater
Sometimes when teens are exposed to Music Appreciation, they want to explore more musical topics. Sometimes they will carry that into life, such as:
- Singing or playing instruments in church or community choirs and bands
- Singing or playing music in groups at college

Ready to get started?

Check out Gena’s many, many courses, including some freebies. (Even moms sign up and take her courses for fun.)

Use the coupon code: 7Sisters

for a 20% discount through August 31, 2020!

You can find Gena at:

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