About Us

Who is BlueHaus?

BlueHaus Music, LLC was founded with an initial focus on composition and arranging. And while the music composition side of the business has continued, the primary focus has shifted to the family-owned and operated BlueHaus Mallet Shop. The team brings decades of engineering, building, education, and performance experience to the table and is led by Brad E. Howard, a percussionist and teacher with three decades of performance and music education experience.

The build shop is located in the Blue Mounds area of Wisconsin outside the town of Black Earth. Nearly all of our raw materials are purchased from U.S. and Canadian suppliers, many of which are family-owned as well. Natural rattan, one of our key components, is imported because of where it grows. We offer a complete range of handle materials and yarn types in a wide range of colors to compliment the choices of core types, hardnesses, articulations, and weights. Our mission is to meet every player at their level and amplify their musical voice.

~ Our Guiding Principles ~

Music Education

Among the first mallets that BlueHaus developed were for Orff classroom keyboard percussion and instrumental music programs. As a music educator, Brad was unsatisfied by what was available, especially given the low quality and high price. This frustration helped spawn the innovative spirit that permeates the design of all the mallets that BlueHaus builds, from elementary entry level to the professional performer. We continue to make high quality mallets for young players because we believe in the importance of developing a good sonic model that students will carry with them for life.

Performer Voice

At BlueHaus, the Artist occupies a unique place in our shop and performer voice is another cornerstone of our business model. We understand the hours of practice, the passion, the commitment, in short, the life of performing musicians. Our goal is to help artists engage their creativity and express their passion with tools that allow creative ease and flow. We believe that performers are partners in the success of the shop and we see a performers success in their careers as our own.

Customer Choice

The ability to truly customize reflects our understanding that one size does not fit all. This belief is so strong that we developed the world’s first and finest custom keyboard mallet design website where players can specify the key elements of design and performance – Head Shape, Weight, Hardness, Tone, Handle Material, Length, and Yarn Wrap. In addition to the core service of customization, more traditional products like our Haus Select vibraphone and marimba mallets and Orff Classroom mallets are available. All the mallets from BlueHaus are built with the same quality and care.

Innovation

The final cornerstone of our shop is true innovation in the ways that matter most. From materials to production processes, our shop is driven to find creative solutions to challenges. This approach has led to our custom mallet builder website, carbon fiber core rattan handles, direct head casting methods, and proprietary wrapping and tying techniques. As challenges continue to present themselves, so do our innovative solutions. The most recent example being the BlueHaus Mallet Wrapping Machine.

An Eco-minded Small Business

The BlueHaus shop is a purpose built facility that utilizes a large greenhouse, 10kWh solar voltaic bank, heat pumps, 16,000 cubic foot earth battery, and high volume air movers for power and climate control. BlueHaus has developed close relationships with raw material suppliers to minimize throwaway. We use polyurethane for our cores, not latex, and have developed an efficient system of casting that uses NO chemical release agents. Adhesives are water based and penetrating wood oil is produced locally. We use simple shipping materials that are reusable and 100% recyclable.

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