BYRON CENTER, MI — Elementary-age children dart through the parking lot as parents braid hair and fasten uniform buttons. Nearby, teenagers warm up on trombones and drums. When the whistle blows, everyone falls into formation. The Northern Lights marching band is minutes away from performing in its next parade.
At first glance, Northern Lights looks like any other marching band. But all 150 members, ranging in age from 9 to 19, have one thing in common: they’re homeschooled.
For the past 28 years, homeschooled students from across West Michigan have traveled to Byron Center to rehearse with the Northern Lights, performing for thousands at state and national fairs, festivals and parades each summer.
From 40 students to 600
“My wife, Wendy, was homeschool mom to six boys, and she was also trained to be a band teacher,” said Scott March, the director of the West Michigan Homeschool Fine Arts program, which runs the Northern Lights band…