Three Decades of Musical Education

YMV started in the fall of 1991 to answer homeschoolers’ need for a musical outlet. While private lessons were available in the community, there was no opportunity for a group experience. With that in mind, founder Debi Hall approached Mr. Carroll Bailey, a retired band instructor, about starting a homeschool band. They placed an ad in the Bayith newsletter and YMV began as a cooperative with four students and a page turner, meeting for one hour, two days a week.

One Intermediate Band class (two trumpets, two flutes) grew to a Beginning and an Intermediate level. Strings were added in the third year, and Choir began in the fifth year. The YMV program continued to expand, adding academic classes, a Spring Trip, and social activities.

Over the years, YMV has continued to grow and has gained recognition in the community as the premier homeschool music program in Virginia.

While music is our mainstay, YMV also offers academic courses in math, science, social studies, language arts, and foreign language, as well as a wide range of art classes and drama classes that perform in the fall and spring. These courses are geared toward the academic and fine arts needs of families with 6th-12th grade students that attend the music program. Today, YMV serves homeschool families and the community with a faculty and staff dedicated to teaching and training students from preschool through high school. Our music teachers, who are visible in the community as professional performers, symphony members, college-level teachers, and church directors, provide opportunities for private lessons on most instruments as well as multiple levels of ensembles (band, strings, and choir). We also offer a wide variety of other music classes including theory, conducting, specialized ensembles, and music technology.

The YMV program is intended to enhance and support – not replace – the homeschooling experience. In addition, we are dedicated to assisting homeschooling parents to provide their children with extracurricular musical opportunities, such as summer classes, seminars, concert opportunities, performances and ministry outreach.

While we are a Christian program and our faculty and staff must have a Christian testimony, we are open to homeschool students of any faith.  We invite you to join us for a musical experience that is more than mere notes and sounds; it is a symphony of life!