Detroit Music Schools

[Claire]

My mind has taken me back to when I was a child and took music lessons at the Art Center Music School during the 60's. At that time it was located on Hancock near Cass. I can vividly remember my teacher. Her name was Doris Miller. Does anyone remember the Art Center Music School or Mrs. Miller.

During the 90's I took my children to the Center for Creative Studies for music lessons. It was a strange building. The music rooms were on the 2nd floor. Does anyone remember this music school? Do they still offer piano lessons to young students?

[Johnlodge]

My mind has taken me back to when I was a child and took music lessons at the Art Center Music School during the 60's. At that time it was located on Hancock near Cass. I can vividly remember my teacher. Her name was Doris Miller. Does anyone remember the Art Center Music School or Mrs. Miller.

During the 90's I took my children to the Center for Creative Studies for music lessons. It was a strange building. The music rooms were on the 2nd floor. Does anyone remember this music school? Do they still offer piano lessons to young students?

I believe the CCS building you are referring to was torn down around the time they built the new graphics building. It was also where most of the lecture classes were held.

[Claire]

I am reviving this thread.

My mind has taken me back to when I was a child and took music lessons at the Art Center Music School during the 60's. At that time it was located on Hancock near Cass. I can vividly remember my teacher. Her name was Doris Miller. Does anyone remember the Art Center Music School or Mrs. Miller.

During the 90's I took my children to the Center for Creative Studies for music lessons. It was a strange building. The music rooms were on the 2nd floor. Does anyone remember this music school? Do they still offer piano lessons to young students?

[DorothyD]

During the late 80's and early 90's I took my daughter to that building for dance lessons. She took every class offered and we were down there six days a week. If they would have offered classes on Sunday, we would have probably been there that day too. In the lobby area we could hear the music lessons being conducted upstairs and also the voice lessons.

[Neilr]

Bertha Allena Hansbury was born and educated in Detroit. After graduating from the Detroit Conservatory of Music, she did post-graduate work in Berlin. Upon her return to this country in 1909, she established a popular music studio at 249 [[old numbering system) East Forest.


An early photo of Miss Hansbury from the Michigan Manual of Freedmen’s Progress [[reprinted).

In 1925 she established the Bertha Hansbury School of Music at 544 Frederick in the Cultural Center. Here’s a scan of part of the Historic Designation application prepared by Hilanius Phillips* in 1975.


Next comes several pages from the school’s 1927-28 catalogue.




Here’s a picture of some students in front of the schoolfrom the Burton’s collection.

Finally, here’s a picture of the school as it now stands.


*If you ever meet Hilanius Phillips, you will be astounded by the breath, the depth, and the passion he has for our Detroit history.

[old guy]

Great pictures and history.