What began as one man giving free drum lessons in his home has grown into one of the south suburbs’ most personal and community-minded music programs. The House of Music, now located at 14426 John Humphrey Drive in Orland Park, continues to honor its roots while shaping a new generation of young performers.
Manager and events coordinator Alyssa Blomberg, who is entering her 10th year with the business, said the story of the school is as meaningful as the work that happens inside it. “This was my first job out of high school,” she said. “I grew up in Orland Park, went to Sandburg, and now I get to give back to the same community that raised me.”
Blomberg studied music at Moraine Valley Community College, earning an associate of fine arts, and later attended Columbia College Chicago for music business. She said her connection to the area helps her understand what local families want from a music program.
House of Music first opened in 2007 in an iconic small house near Christian Hills School at 159th Street and Haven Avenue in Orland Hills. A second location briefly operated in Homer Glen, but the business moved to its current Orland Park home in 2019. The school’s beginnings, Blomberg noted, go back even further.
“Tony started House of Music by offering free lessons to a student who couldn’t afford them after his mother passed away,” she said, referring to founder Tony Tabor. “More and more kids started coming to his house. He was teaching drums with a newborn at home. His wife finally told him he needed his own space. That’s really how House of Music was born.”
Today, the business is a full-service music center offering private lessons, rock band programs, summer camps, a fully equipped recording studio, rehearsal and rentable venue space, instrument repair, merchandise sales, and an indoor soundstage for student and community events.
Blomberg said what makes the program stand out is how closely staff members work with students and families. “Our personability is a huge part of who we are, especially in our rock band program,” she said. “I’m a bit picky about how I match kids. I look at age, ability level, and music taste. I don’t want to put a country lover in a metal band. And our bands get to pick their own songs. It’s their band, after all.”
Each band rehearses weekly and performs both in-house and at community events that can draw crowds of more than 2,000. They also spend time in the recording studio each quarter. The studio is directly connected to the stage, allowing engineers to capture professional-quality audio of live shows — a feature Blomberg said is rare.
Just as important, she added, is the family-run atmosphere. “Here, each family is a friend,” she said. “I love talking to them, learning what sports the kids play, what their interests are outside of music. We customize their experience so they get the most out of it. Our customers always come first.”
Blomberg said she and owners Tony Tabor and Ramzi Hassan often talk about what drives the business. “The phrase ‘get back to our roots’ comes up a lot,” she said. “Music has given so much to us that we feel it’s our mission to share it. Whether that means discounting families, giving the first lesson free, or spending a lot of extra hours getting kids out in the community, that’s what we’re here for.”
“Our goal is to be the future of music education,” she added, “but also to help our students grow the same love for music so they can spread that joy to others.”
