Settlement house reformers believed music could inspire emotions, release creative energies, teach self-discipline, shape character, and cross cultural boundaries to reveal the commonalities among people and to celebrate the differences. Founded in 1893 to offer neighborhood residents access to musical instruction, the Hull-House Music School's primary purpose was to train professional musicians. To ensure quality, all applicants auditioned and only those with potential or talent received private lessons. Developing a reputation for excellence, the Music School attracted students from the Near West Side neighborhood and throughout the city.

Although the School served male and female students, it maintained some traditional gender divisions. Only boys could join the brass band; girls were encouraged to join the chorus. But the Music School gave female students opportunities for composition, for public performance, and for working with trained and serious colleagues. Throughout its history the majority of teachers in the Music School were women; a number of them were former Music School students. In addition, all of the Hull-House Music School Directors before the 1960s were women. They included: Eleanor Smith, 1893-1935; Gertrude M. Smith, 1935-1940; Alma Birmingham, 1938-1943; and Nesta Smith, 1943-1967.

Hull-House students became composers, singers, orchestra and symphony members, jazz musicians, and music teachers. For many other participants, the Music School shaped musical tastes and instilled a lifelong appreciation for music. The 1942 Hull-House Bulletin reported, "The work of the Music School is best measured by the enrichment that it has brought to thousands of lives."

Music Class
At Hull-House, the cost of music instruction was typically about one-third the cost of private training. Children who could not afford to pay often received free lessons or sheet music.

Photograph, University at Illinois at Chicago, The University Library, Jane Addams Memorial Collection, JAMC Neg.3653

Eleanor Smith (1858-1942)
In 1893, Eleanor Smith joined Amalie Hannig as co-director of the Hull-House Music School, the first settlement house music school and one of the first community music schools in the country. A dedicated and demanding instructor, Smith's high standards earned her the admiration and respect of her students.

Photograph, University at Illinois at Chicago, The University Library, Jane Addams Memorial Collection,
JAMC, Neg. 893

Recitals were held continually at Hull-House and all Music School students were encouraged to gain performace experience by participation, no matter what their level of play.

Photograph, University at Illinois at Chicago, The University Library, Jane Addams Memorial Collection, JAMC, Neg. 259.

Settlement music schools gave women instructors opportunities to compose, although many of their compositions tended to be for children and young people. Eleanor Smith's The Modern Music Series, a textbook series which promoted learning music through songs rather than scales, enjoyed wide usage and encouraged the inclusion of music in the public schools.

Book, Eleanor Smith, The Modern Music Series, First Book, Jane Addams Hull-House Museum.