Because HSMA exists to equip our students musically to serve the Lord and others, we rely on the volunteer efforts of our member families. Serving is one of our core values and highest priorities. Therefore, each family must commit to two HSMA service opportunities for the upcoming school year. These range from weekly set-up and tear-down to assisting at performances to towing the percussion trailer. Certain recurring tasks, such as coordinator position, conductor assistant, etc., fulfill your service commitment for the year. If you sign-up to assist at a concert, you must check in with the performance coordinator and you must complete your work assignment. We encourage every family to take responsibility in this area. While we would rather that you serve, the consequence of not fulfilling your service commitment is an added $75 fee to your family account. The HSMA Treasurer will keep the books open until the end of all service opportunities. Please help us keep HSMA running smoothly by meeting your service commitment. Sign-up occurs at the Parent Meeting.

Registration is to be completed online. An invoice will be sent out after the 2nd week of class. Due dates will be included in the email. * Checks may be made payable to HSMA and put in the tan box at the check-in table or mailed to: HSMA P.O. Box 171 St. Johns, MI 48879 Payments can also be made to the HSMA Venmo account that is located on the HSMA website. Fundraising money may be used for all expenses except for initial registration fee and first semester tuition (unless an account balance is present from the prior year). Late or nonpayment of fees will result in a $25 late fee penalty (maximum one per semester); failure to make payment arrangements if overdue may result in suspension from HSMA until the account is paid. *If unable to pay initial costs, please contact our treasurer to make payment arrangements. There will be a $20 finance fee per family per semester to arrange delayed payments.

HSMA is very, very grateful to those who let us use their facilities for rehearsals, performances and other activities. Very often these facilities are provided at a reduced cost. It is important that everyone who is associated with HSMA dress and conduct themselves at all times in a manner worthy of believers in Jesus Christ. This includes our students, parents, and other siblings who happen to be at the rehearsal location who are not HSMA students. The testimony of our individual families, of HSMA, and indeed of homeschoolers in general is reflected in the way we dress, speak, and behave while at these facilities.

Everyone associated with HSMA needs to respect the facilities where activities take place. There should be no rowdiness, no defacing of property, and no roughhousing. Please do not litter, and if you see something out of place, please take appropriate action (pick up trash that you see lying around and dispose of it properly, for example, even if you did not place it there). Please respect authorities and other participants by being polite and observing proper boy-girl conduct.

All HSMA members are to respect the property of others. Unless you have been given permission by the owner or an HSMA official or conductor, do not handle, move or touch any instrument which does not belong to you. This also applies to music stands and any other personal property which is not your own.


All children who are not part of a rehearsal must be within eyesight of an adult who is specifically responsible for that child (ideally a parent). It is important to note that there is a difference between a parent and their child being in the same building and a parent supervising their child. Unsupervised children will not be permitted.


Rehearsal Gear (HSMA-issued T-shirt) must be worn for all rehearsals so that the logo is visible. Shorts or skirts must cover the knees when seated. If a student arrives without Rehearsal Gear, a new shirt will be provided and the family account will be charged $10. In addition to the current HSMA shirt, other acceptable T-shirts include those which were earned as a result of activities stemming from HSMA involvement in the following: BJU, MMC, MYAF, S&E;, Tour, and previous years’ rehearsal gear.

Lost or Damaged Music

It is HSMA’s goal to provide an enriching and God-honoring musical environment for our members. It is also our desire to teach good stewardship of the music with which they have been entrusted. Providing suitable music is a considerable expense and a large portion of the HSMA budget. Each year, music is lost or damaged beyond use, and must be replaced.

When music is issued to a student, it is expected that it will be maintained in good condition (useable in following years) and returned to the conductor when so indicated. Therefore, there will be a charge of $5 or a single piece of lost music (or damaged beyond use) and $25 for an entire folder of music.

Concert Etiquette
Don’t whisper or talk during a performance. Cell phones off or set to vibrate, please!
Enter and exit your seat only between selections and only when absolutely necessary. If possible, wait until the audience is applauding before moving. The only exception to this is if you are coughing or need to remove a restless or crying child. If young children become noisy and disrupt others’ ability to listen, please take them outside the auditorium.
Be punctual and enter the auditorium before the concert begins. Please be seated and stay for the entire performance. No standing in the back talking. Listen attentively.

PRACTICE - an individual activity actively working toward improving some aspect of one’s playing or singing.
 Always count the actual minutes practiced on your HSMA instrument
o HSMA music
o Music and exercises assigned by your conductor
o Private lesson music
o Music not related to HSMA or private lessons
o Study music theory – count up to 15 minutes per week
o Percussion ONLY: Up to 30 minutes of piano practice each week.
LESSONS – time spent with an instructor improving one’s playing or singing on your HSMA instrument.
 Count the actual length of the lesson
 Sectional or Master Class at a college/university festival
o Count actual minutes of sectional or Master Class
REHERSAL – a group activity geared toward improving an ensemble
 HSMA Monday Rehearsal
o 0 minutes
 HSMA Small Ensembles (i.e. S&E, “gig” ensembles, etc.)
o Count actual minutes practiced.
 Rehearsal with non HSMA groups (i.e. HPA, church, community orchestra/band/choir, etc.)
o Count half of rehearsal time – only up to 60 minutes per day
 Example: for a 60 minute rehearsal, count 30 minutes. For 120 minutes or more, count
60 minutes
PERFORMANCES – presentation before an audience or judge (i.e. concerts, recitals, competition)
 0 minutes
 Record nothing…you are laying up treasure in heaven!
BONUS – extra credit given for extra effort – student does not add the minutes on time sheet!
 Attend a performance (which you are not performing in)
o Program must be turned in to Conductor’s Assistant with Timesheet to be approved by
Conductor.
o Conductor’s Assistant will add 15 minutes to the current week after approval
 Attend Solo and Ensemble and fill out form. Turn form in to Conductor’s Assistant
o Conductor’s Assistant will add time to current week.
Multi-Program Students
 You must choose which group is your primary group and mark it on your timesheet
 You must practice the required practice time for your primary group
 Practice time required for the secondary group is less than the required time for the primary group. No award is given if a student only meets the requirement in the secondary group. IF the student meets the
primary time only, and award is given for that group.
 The table below has the minimums for each group
GROUP PRIMARY TIME SECONDARY TIME
Music Readiness No requirements
Elementary Music 100 minutes 100 minutes
Music Fundamentals 150 minutes 120 minutes
Poco Arye 180 minutes 120 minutes
Bel Canto Chorale 270 minutes 180 minutes
Chancel Choir 270 minutes 180 minutes
Beginning Band 180 minutes 120 minutes
Cadet Band 180 minutes 120 minutes
Concert Band 270 minutes 180 minutes
Beginning Strings 180 minutes 120 minutes
Intermediate Strings 180 minutes 120 minutes
Junior Orchestra 270 minutes 180 minutes
Symphony Orchestra 270 minutes 180 minutes

Occasionally HSMA uses photos or video of its students in print or on its website. I grant the Homeschool Music Association (HSMA) my permission to use photos and videos taken at HSMA rehearsals, concerts, and events for any legal use, including but not limited to
publicity, copyright purposes, illustration, advertising, and web content.
Furthermore, I understand that no royalty, fee, or other compensation shall become payable to me by reason of such use.

Placement appointments at HSMA serve a variety of purposes, among which are the proper
placement of students within the various HSMA ensembles, giving the directors of these
ensembles an indication of the level of music they can or should be selecting for their
students, and providing the students with a the valuable experience of preparing for and taking
auditions in the future. Unlike other organizations where an audition is primarily about the
individual, at HSMA the focus of the placement process is on the team.
Within HSMA, we do not seat chairs or have challenges. While a conductor may choose to
assign seats, this seating may be for a variety of reasons and does not necessarily reflect the
comparative skills of various players within the sections. Success at HSMA is not measured by
how fast a student moves through the program or what “chair” a student attains. Success at
HSMA is measured by the willingness and ability of a student to contribute to the best of their
ability as part of the team, to be disciplined in preparation and to serve as an example and
mentor to other students. We have a motto: “It’s not where you sit, it’s how you serve.”
That being said, following are the policies HSMA has established regarding the conduct of
placement appointments:
1. No one except HSMA staff and a student’s immediate family or private teacher may be
in or near the warm-up room or the performance room when that student is warming up
or playing/singing for placement.
2. Neither parents nor private teachers are to confront a conductor during “placement
weekend.” In spite of our best efforts, occasionally students are disappointed with the
outcome of a placement appointment. Students are to maintain a respectful attitude
toward conductors at all times.
3. If a student or a parent is dissatisfied with the placement decision, they may ask for
clarification or request reconsideration. These inquiries must be in writing, addressed to
the Program Director of the program in question and a copy sent to HSMA
Communication (for board records). Written appeals must be received by the end of the
second rehearsal or they will not be considered.
4. Written requests must state clearly what clarification is requested or what decision the
parent would like reviewed, along with any supporting information.
5. It is up to the program directors involved, at their discretion, as to what – if any – action
is taken. There may be a meeting requested with the conductors involved, the student,
the parents, and a board representative. In very rare instances, there may be a second
placement appointment set up with the student. Even more rarely, a student is
temporarily moved to another group on a trial basis.
6. Unless otherwise indicated, a decision on a course of action will be communicated to
the parents one week after receipt of the written appeal.

First offense = a verbal warning to student and a call to parent
Second offense = written warning to student and parent
Third offense = student is excused until student and parent meet with reinstatement committee