Coach House Sounds's Matt Baron Kickstarts Education Through Music

By Jon Graef in Arts & Entertainment on Nov 8, 2011 8:40PM

Coach House Sounds's Matt Baron is 37 days away from reinventing the education wheel through music. Baron is recording an album of curriculum-based rock music for kids, and doing so using Kickstarter. .

Last month, Baron, who along with Mike Mayer, Neil Morrison, and Doug Leinen, runs the analog-to-digital live band recording site Coach House Sounds, wrote to us explaining the genesis of his campaign:

[In 2010],I became an elementary ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher for two Chicago Public Schools on the northwest side. In March 2011, I started to write curriculum-based, learning standards-aligned songs for primary-aged students, ESL and non-ESL, and they've become a hit within both schools. The kids go wild for the songs, the administration is supportive of my writing and using these songs, and the teachers love them because they enhance the content they're required to teach the kids.

This past summer, I assembled a band (Emma Hospelhorn of Hollows/New Millennium Orchestra and Ben Sutherland, assistant professor of audio design at Columbia College) and we're recording an album with Mark Greenberg (Wilco, Mavis Staples, Andrew Bird, the Coctails) at his studio, Mayfair Workshop.

On his Kickstarter page, Baron breaks down budgetary costs for the 3-month recording session, which also began in October. The record will consist of ten songs, which Baron writes are best suited for first graders, and the goal of the project is to have it ready by the new year.

As of November 8, Baron has 37 days left on his Kickstarter campaign, and has raised almost $2,000 toward agoal of $5,556 total. The project won't go forward if the campaign doesn't reach $5,556 by December 17, so do consider donating, even if it's just the $1 minimum. Of course, for $200 or more, Baron will do your laundry for a week--which is an offer few could probably refuse.

Watch a video for the project below, and read a brief write-up about the project from the Chicago Reader here.