how does music house work?

How It Works - An Introduction
• Physical Environment
• Lily’s First Lesson
• Activities
• Examples
• Trees
• The Teacher’s Role

Some Instruments
• The Piano – A Map of Music
• The Autoharp – The Magic of Harmony
• Other Instruments

Comparison Chart - Music House vs. Traditional Lessons

Kids' House

Meet Some Students
• Sam, the Renaissance Man
• Lucy – Bread Dough
• Andy – Windows of Readiness
• Paul’s Street Sweeper (a long article)
•  “Significant Things Happen Near Chaos”
• "Mr. Music"

HOW IT WORKS – AN INTRODUCTION

”So when I make a plea for havoc, what would be lost? Merely the pristine appearance of a garden kept highly manicured, which could be squandered for amiable disorder.  Just in some places.  Just to give a pull at our primeval senses. A mild desire for the amorphous confusion which will gently infiltrate and, given time, will one day set the garden singing.”
Mirabel Osler – “A Gentle Plea for Chaos” (A gardening manual)

At Music House, the musical experience is tailored to the needs, readiness and interest of the individual. The presence of a piano, autoharp, recorders, drums, glockenspiels and assorted percussion defines the space as “A Place in Which to Do Musical Things.” Within that framework, the child is free to choose any type of musical activity for as long or short a time as she wishes. She may ask for help or not, change activities without notifying the teacher and use the musical equipment without needing to ask permission. In this way the lesson unfolds, creating itself as it goes.

In such an individualized approach each student's experience is different; therefore there is no such thing as a "typical lesson." It is, however, possible to give the reader Examples of things that do occur. Further insight into a child's experience in this child-centered environment is provided in the description of Lily’s First Lesson.

At this point it is likely you are beginning to wonder what the teacher actually does do when everything that happens is initiated by the child. Understanding the teacher’s role is one of the most essential and challenging aspects of Music House. Read on and discover how an interesting session with a four year-old puts a teacher's open-mindedness to the test in “Significant Things Happen Near Chaos.”