History of National School of Music
Praising God in song is a precious privilege and a great duty shared by every
Christian regardless of age. Our Father in Heaven deserves, and demands, the
best praise we can offer, so each Christian should desire to learn the rudiments
of singing. Over the years, the quality of shaped-note singing has declined all
across the country, largely due to apathy toward personal improvement and/or an
unfamiliarity with the rudiments of music.
After being closed for 30 years, the National School of Music reopend for classes, under the direction of Phillip G.
Prince in VanLeer, TN at Camp Ridgedale on June 18, 2001, and have remained
there to this present day. We opened a second location for the National School
of Music in Wichita Falls, TX at Camp Chaparral in July 5, 2004 and moved to our
present location at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls on June 18,
2005. We then opened a third location for the National School of Music in Twin
Bridges, CA at Sierra Pines Camp on June 13, 2005. In 2006 we moved the school
to Sly Park Camp in Polluck Pines, CA on June 26, 2006. Then in 2007 we found
our current and permament home for the school at Columbia College in Senora, CA,
and began our classes there on July 9th.
As you can see, regardless of where you
might be in the country, there is a school close to you. Why not make your
plans, right now, to attend one or more of these schools.
The National School of Music was founded as a private endeavor to help individuals of all ages improve
their skills in singing, song writing, and song directing.
Mr. Dorsey C. Yarbrough, a renowned gospel singer, prolific songwriter, and long-time faculty
member of the Stamps/Baxter School of Music, founded the National School of
Music in Roanoke, Alabama, in the late 1960s and operated it there through the
late 1970s. Mr. Yarbrough passed the National School of Music torch to Phillip
G. Prince, who loved the school as a student and later as an instructor. Mr.
Prince shares Mr. Yarbrough's love for singing and song writing and continues to
run the school as a private endeavor.
The National School of Music is funded and operated solely as a private endeavor
by Phillip G. Prince and is in no way supported by Church funds.