In this insightful episode, we dive deep into the world of homeschooling and music education with Ginny Thorpe, an experienced music teacher and homeschooling mom. Ginny shares her unique journey, from teaching piano as a teenager to developing a diverse and creative approach to music education that caters to the homeschooling community. We explore the different methods and strategies Ginny uses to teach music, including her involvement in homeschool co-ops, her flexible and creative teaching style, and the legal aspects of homeschooling in Pennsylvania. Whether you're a music educator looking to expand your reach or a homeschooling parent seeking inspiration, Ginny's insights and practical advice offer valuable guidance on how to successfully teach music to homeschoolers. Tune in to discover how Ginny blends passion, creativity, and dedication to spread the joy of music to students of all ages and backgrounds.

Guest Links Mentioned

Today’s Guest

Ginny Thorpe's experience teaching piano as a teen led to a passion for music education. After degrees and several years of classroom teaching, she adjusted her career to accommodate her growing family. Her journey has led her to a unique approach to education, blending passion, creativity, and dedication to spread the joy of music far and wide. While piano remains her primary instrument, she teaches a variety of instruments, from violin to ukulele to bass recorder, embracing the diversity of musical expression. The saying, "variety is the spice of life," is reflected in her teaching approach, which has evolved to include group lessons, jam sessions, songwriting classes, and multi-age, multi-level, and multi-instrument instruction.

Ginny's dedication to music education is not just a profession but a lifelong mission. Her impact extends far beyond the notes on a page, as she seeks to enrich the lives of her students and her community with the transformative power of music.

Today's Sponsor

Alfred Music, the leader in music education for over 100 years, produces educational, reference, pop, and performance materials for teachers, students, professionals, and hobbyists spanning every musical instrument, style, and difficulty level. Alfred Music is located in Colorado, with offices around the world, including Germany, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.

Since 1922, Alfred Music has been dedicated to helping people learn, teach, and play music. Alfred Music currently has over 150,000 active titles and represents a wide range of well-known publications —from methods like Alfred’s Basic Guitar, Alfred’s Basic Piano Library, Premier Piano Course, Sound Innovations, and Suzuki, to artists like Bruce Springsteen, Led Zeppelin, and The Rolling Stones, to brands like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, The Wizard of Oz, and Billboard.

In addition to its own titles, Alfred Music distributes products from over 150 companies, including Advance Music, Belwin, Edition Peters, The FJH Music Company Inc., Faber Music, Jamey Aebersold Jazz, and LudwigMasters Publications. Alfred Music is now also paired with MakeMusic, which is part of Peaksware Holdings, LLC portfolio of companies, to transform how music is composed, published, taught, learned, and performed by bringing together the leaders in educational music publishing and music technology.

Visit their website at www.alfred.com.

Exclusive Discount for Podcast Listeners

Exclusively for TopCast listeners, go to alfred.com/podcast and use code TopMusic at checkout to save 30% on these titles and everything else on alfred.com.

Thank you for tuning in!

Consider implementing the ideas from this podcast by writing several actionable steps for your teaching practice if it’s inspired you.

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