About Us

In the year 2000, a small group of homeschooling parents joined together for the purpose of adding a music component to their childrens’ plans of study.  These parents and their families, now a cooperative, teamed up with Mr. Donald “Doby” Dobrosky and Ms. Katherine Johnson, both notable area musicians and educators in their own right, to form the organization we know today as National Homeschool Music Ensembles, NHME.  Starting with only a handful of students comprising a single wind-ensemble, NHME has grown into as many as 5 satellite locations; has added more ensembles like choir, string orchestra, and percussion ensemble; and has become an unconventional yet innovative, educational model.  We successfully exported that model, our way of doing things, and our ideals across the country into several organizations with similar goals in mind.  NHME is a founding member of the Michigan Home School Music Network, MHSMN.  Along with the twelve other MHSMN music programs, NHME provides an instructional experience that’s become the envy of educators statewide and that’s drawn the attention of university directors looking to augment their bands and orchestras.  This musical endeavor has seen over 400 students pass through its ranks in the past twenty years with many of these NHME alumni becoming leaders and professionals in their chosen fields.  In 2016 with the invaluable support provided by Mr. Jack Barrett, NHME secured the acquisition of our operational home-base in Tecumseh, the former Tecumseh Grange.  At NHMEs beginning, Mr. Barrett, the last Master of Grange #166, suggested holding music classes at the under-utilized Grange Halls in Southeast Michigan.  Later, Jack’s suggestion and advice cemented NHME’s place within the community with the purchase of the hall.  As we start a strong new year and an exciting new season at NHME, we look forward to continuing and growing our commitment to preparing tomorrow’s leaders today through music.

Ms. Michelle Ding is a concert pianist and opera singer known for her versatility in both mediums. Ms. Michelle has graciously served as Collaborative Pianist with NHME since 2022. Her recent performances include Ottavia in Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea, Suzuki’s attendant in Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, Public Opinion in Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld, Madame de la Grande Bouche in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and an ensemble dancer in Wizard of Oz. From 2017 to 2019, she played with The Greater Lansing Community Concert Series as the concert pianist. Ms. Michelle performed the Yellow River Concerto at the Shanghai Grand Theatre in 2016 and Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in Perugia in 2015. She was the orchestra pianist for Calarts Orchestra and New Century Players under the guidance of David Rosenboom from 2012 to 2014. Michelle earned her Doctorate of Musical Arts in Piano Performance in 2019 and a Master’s Degree in Vocal Arts in 2020 from Michigan State University. 2016, she won a Charles Fisher scholarship and attained a Master’s Degree in Music, Piano Performance, at University of Michigan. Ms. Michelle holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Piano Performance from California Institute of the Arts under the Colburn Foundation early music scholarship program.

David Rennie is our administrative assistant taking care of all things monotonous and mundane. A lifelong, amateur musician of little distinction, Dave sings baritone unremarkably and plays almost all the instruments with equal mediocrity. Often described as a dilettante of the arts and jack of no trades, our defacto factotum can be found taking out the rubbish as janitor, fixing a leaky faucet as plumber, or repairing a broken horn as minor tinkerer in residence. A grateful beneficiary of Doby & Kathe’s vision, Dave happily fulfills the roles of Registered Agent and Board Representative with state authorities for NHME. He also functions as a third-string, backup, substitute conductor whenever our regular directors must be absent, earning him the moniker “semiconductor.”

Although we use terminology familiar to educational establishments and structure our service similar to academic environments, NHME is not strictly a school, private or otherwise. Grades, report cards, or transcripts are not recorded or given, and credit may or may not be awarded by other institutions for participating in NHME's programs. NHME is not in it for profit-making either, even though we strive to be business-like and professional in all of our operations. We're also not a collection of tutoring services, although our directors and instructors individually may be qualified to tutor. While neither a professional association promulgating standards nor an academy establishing set pedagogy, NHME's methodology nonetheless has become a model for other organizations across the nation. We do things other educators say can't be done, and we accomplish what competing groups say is unattainable. Indeed, our students achieve competent, early-college skill sets and proficiency levels after only a few years. Many of our former musicians now perform professionally. NHME is a collection of civically inclined and musically-minded volunteers. We provide an opportunity for pupils outside of traditional public or private school settings to play, perform, and grow in a musical ensemble setting—an avenue of artistic expression and intellectual study not normally available to this underserved body of students. NHME enlists the area's top professionals in creating the best possible learning experience. Our leaders engage our students with expert guidance and thoughtful mentorship. NHME accomplishes its mission at a cost comparatively lower than other groups or methods. Our ensembles present performances and concerts admission free to the public as a service to our communities. NHME is, therefore, a certified non-profit, tax-exempt, licensed corporate entity with recognized charitable status. NHME draws funding solely from donations, grants, and member contributions. We're parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and guardians just like you looking for ways to help our children grow into the best possible future versions of themselves. We believe we're preparing tomorrow's leaders today through music. We strive to provide the highest quality, musical-ensemble experiences at a price point affordable to our homeschooling families. Our motto: Excellence! First learned in music and later incorporated into habits, excellence becomes not just an act, but an approach to life's pursuits guaranteeing success in any endeavor or enterprise.

Our Philosophy   Enroll Now!   Ensemble Descriptions

We often get asked about the “National” part of our name. How can NHME be a national organization with only a few locations in southeast Michigan? The short answer is: we dream big! Our original families and founding directors envisioned a multitudinous network of homeschool musical ensembles sprouting up and thriving together all across our great, fruited plain. To that extent, this vision has largely been realized. New, independent groups spring up spontaneously every year, and former satellite organizations branch out on their own into exciting, new directions. NHME and other pioneering ensembles have successfully exported their ideas all around the map. Rather than a hierarchical structure of franchises, the homeschool music community has become a wonderfully collaborative framework for sharing innovations, solutions, and encouragements. Thank you Doby, Kathe, and all of our friends in homeschool music-making!