Imagine doing schoolwork at home with five siblings ranging from grade school to high school. Then you hop in a car and drive to your next class. You show up in the high school parking lot and walk into the disoriented noise of 50 different horns blasting different tunes. This is what Maura Niebrugge experiences every A day on her way to band class. 

Niebrugge is a freshman in high school, although she doesn’t necessarily go to school. She is homeschooled along with her five other siblings.

“It (homeschooling) works very well because I can do schoolwork before and after and take a nice break and go to band…” Niebrugge said.

Musical is a good word to describe Nieburgge’s family. Her older brothers did band, so she thought she would as well. 

“I’ve been playing piano since kindergarten and I loved it so I wanted to pick up an instrument too.”

Being able to be at home and learn at the same time is one of the best things about being homeschooled in Nieburgge’s opinion, but homeschooling creates a ton of challenges.

“I love my siblings, but they can be loud and distracting and we probably don’t have all the technology you do.” 

Even though it is challenging, she enjoys doing it and wouldn’t have it any other way. The same is true with band and all of the supportive people in it.

“…It’s a lot of fun,” Niebrugge said. “I love marching and seeing people (band classmates)…”

Niebrugge always knew she was going to do band from a young age since her older brothers did it.

“Everyone in my family assumed I was gonna do band, and I assumed I was gonna do band,” Niebrugge said. “I did, and I loved it.