Danielle and Lacey McNamara, the couple who owns Lyrics and Melodies in Los Osos. Photo Submitted
The first official Little Free Library was built in 2009 in Hudson, Wisconsin, by Todd Bol. Since then, the concept of the “take a book, share a book” exchange has evolved beyond the boundaries from those in the network to many more that are free range boxes in front of homes, businesses, churches, parks and along roadsides.
Take a walk around neighborhoods in Los Osos and find the hand-built structures containing anything from books, food pantries, dog treats, and now, a music library with sheet music, CDs, and songbooks. This new offering is on display in the parking lot of Lyrics and Melodies Studio and is the concept of the businessowners, wife and wife Danielle and Lacey McNamara.
“We hope it is a hub of sharing,” Danielle told Estero Bay News. “We often have people drop off sheet music at our studio that they have inherited and don’t know what to do with. I think that was part of the inspiration- rather than throwing it away or leaving it exposed to the elements on the curb, it can be a place for people to share and discover music new and old.”
The music library was built by a co-worker of Lacey’s where she taught drama at Templeton High School. People can drop off anything music/arts related included sheet music, music books, CDs, and scripts.
Lyrics and Melodies Studio started in 2010 in the living room of the couple as they finished up their college degree at Cal Poly, a business degree for the former and theater arts with a minor in music for the later. In 2014 the studio grew and moved to its first commercial space in SLO, and in 2016, they moved to Los Osos and moved themselves here in 2018.
Lyrics and Melodies Studio now employs seven teachers, offers both private and group classes in piano and voice for adults, and has Mini Melodies, parent participation-based music classes, for children up to 5 years old. For adults, there is also The Casual Cabaret where participants learn how to prepare and perform music in the distinctive cabaret style.
“Our goal is to create lifelong music makers- not necessarily professional musicians,” Danielle said. “We try to balance the discipline of learning a skill with the joy of creating with a human first philosophy.
“Having a musical background is an incredible benefit to humans! It is an activity that activates both hemispheres of the brain at the same time — often being a skill that humans retain and remember, even in dementia states. Having rhythm is important for many skills including walking and balance. None of this is including the benefits to mood, benefits of communal music making and more. It is honestly one of the most ancient of human activities. Making music in any capacity is a wonderful thing, professional or not.”
Lyrics and Melodies Studio is located at 2084 9th Street Unit C in Los Osos. More information is at lyricsandmelodiesstudio.com or by phone at (805) 540-1738.
The Little Free Library network became a non-profit in 2012. The first was made from a door and designed to look like a one-room schoolhouse to honor Bol’s mother, a former schoolteacher. May 17-23, 2026, is marked as Little Free Library Week. There are more than 200,000 registered Little Free Libraries worldwide in all 50 states, in 128 countries and on all seven continents, according to the LFL website. Through them, over 500 million books have been shared since 2009. Not all libraries are registered with LFL, but there is an app to check out locations.
As for local exchange of goods libraries, take a walk winding through neighborhoods and see what you can locate. This writer found four in a short walk from Mitchel Drive to Henrietta and down to 4th Street in Los Osos.
