For many students in the Coweta County Homeschool Band Alliance, the band room is more than a place to rehearse. It’s the closest thing they have to a school and once a week peer interaction.
Built on a foundation of flexible schedules and unchecked confidence, the homeschool band has thrived for years, producing musicians who learned music theory from YouTube, history from their dad’s opinions, and social cues from youth pastors.
During the fall marching season, the band shocked traditional programs, outperforming East Coweta, Newnan High, and Northgate—schools whose students were unprepared to compete against teens who practice at 11 a.m., eat dinner at 4:30, and are most passionate about earning “mom bucks” for completing their chores.
Members racked up All-District honors, with several earning first-chair after years of uninterrupted daytime practice and being told they were “advanced for their age.”
But for director Caleb Whitmore, success isn’t about trophies.
“Our mission is to give homeschool kids respect,” he said. “They already have opinions, confidence, and an unreasonable closeness to their parents. This gives them rhythm.”
In the end, the homeschool band proved that with unlimited rehearsal time, aggressive parental involvement, and zero exposure to lockers, bells, or group projects, you can still march circles around everyone else, even if you get grounded for playing secular music.
Newnan Time with Harold 