Welcome to the Percussion Play Blog
We hope you'll be a regular visitor as we share stories about the instruments we make and the people who play them.
This is where we share our passion for music in the great outdoors! We'll share with you details of exciting new outdoor music projects and designs from around the globe. We'll share with you information about the instruments we sell and a little about the inspiration behind them
Most importantly, this blog is about what we love to do the most - help you create new and exciting ways to bring music to the great outdoors.
Thank you for reading, visiting, commenting and contributing - we’re excited to have you here!
Percussion Play is Visited by Nigel Atkinson Esq, HM Lord-Lieutenant and Officially Presented With The Queen's Award
The Percussion Play team today received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise at their offices in Froxfield, near Petersfield, Hampshire.
The award was presented by Nigel Atkinson Esq, HM Lord-Lieutenant along with The Deputy Lieutenant, The Rt Hon the Earl of Portsmouth.
Percussion Play is the winner of the 2021 Queen’s Award for Enterprise – one of the highest accolades and most prestigious awards a UK-based company can win. They were informed that Her Majesty The Queen had approved the Prime Minister’s recommendation that they should receive a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the International Trade category, in acknowledgment of their outstanding growth in overseas sales over the past three years.
There were 205 recipients of the award in the UK in 2021, with 4 of those businesses based in Hampshire.
The visit saw the founders of Percussion Play, Robin and Jody Ashfield, demonstrate the instruments to HM Lord-Lieutenant, creating music on the popular Duo and then giving...
Great Fall Giveaway - Win a Soprano Quartet Ensemble
The Great Fall Giveaway is an exclusive contest being run by Parks and Rec Business Magazine for Parks & Recreation Departments, Summer Camps, and School Districts in the United States.
If you represent any of the above and would like a chance to win one of our Soprano Quartet Ensembles then head on over to the Parks and Rec Business Magazine website to enter!
The Soprano Quartet is easily our most popular ensemble and is suitable for beginners as well as those who are a little more musically advanced. An ensemble allows all players the opportunity to explore several outdoor percussion instruments, experiment with different playing techniques, practice improvisation, and learn the fundamentals (and sheer enjoyment) of outdoor group multi-percussion performance.
This ensemble includes...
World Mental Health Day 2021 - 'Mental Health in an Unequal World'
To recognize World Mental Health Day on October 10th, Percussion Play is highlighting the benefits of music, particularly outdoor music, for improving people’s well-being and happiness.
It has long been scientifically proven that listening to and creating music lifts people’s moods and creates a powerful sense of well-being. Outdoor activity has also been shown to enhance our mood, proven most recently during the pandemic when many embraced outdoor adventures for a little respite from their enclosed spaces.
By combining both music and the ‘great outdoors', we believe our instruments can help create fun and laughter, helping support good mental health and offering an alternative way to connect with the world around us.
As the world-leading manufacturer of outdoor musical instruments, we are seeing an ever-increasing interest in these inclusive outdoor instruments, with more...
Embracing Autumn's Splendor: A Sensory Journey Through Fall
It's autumn again. I love everything about this season; it's my favorite time of year. A step between summer and winter, it can be a wonderful mix of hot days along with milder, cooler ones. The days get shorter, and sleeping becomes more satisfying than ever! In every way, the autumnal season is a delight to the senses; some are so appealing, and you don't need to feel sorry that the summer is over. I thought it would be fun to list some of the different ways we can experience the sights, sounds, smells, textures, and tastes of fall.
Sight - Nothing compares to the color of autumn leaves at the peak of their splendor. The rich, vibrant tones produced as the leaves lose their chlorophyll and reveal their true colors is a breathtaking sight, no matter how often you've seen it. The green foliage of summer gradually gives way to colors that span the spectrum from dull browns to spectacularly vivid reds, oranges, and yellows. This provides opportunities to create leaf rubbings...
Updated White Paper Published in time for World Alzheimer's Day 2021
Today is #WorldAlzheimersDay2021 which gives us the perfect opportunity to discuss how enriched gardens, which include outdoor musical instruments, can help improve the health of those living with Alzheimer's and other dementias.
Being outside is necessary for the well-being and enjoyment of life itself and a number of senior living communities are seeing the benefits of creating dementia-friendly sensory gardens for residents and visitors to enjoy - creating little sanctuaries that appeal to all the senses through the creative use of colors, smells, textures, and of course sounds.
Music is important in all aspects of life and a crucial factor in any sensory environment. A musical sound garden combines the benefits of a sensory garden with the joy of playing musical instruments. Creating a sound garden for residents will engage their senses whilst having a little fun - an invitation to experience the outdoors in a new and fascinating way. Music motivates, enriches, touches, relaxes,...
New Music Park Wins Over Camp Guests and Bolsters Inclusivity
Our latest Case Study tells how the new music park at a camp providing year-round recreational and respite care opportunities for individuals with special needs, has already engaged the camp guests and bought them together.
Amy Kurth, program director at Camp Courageous tells us "Every day I see campers with big smiles on their faces playing next to and with each other. It brings people together who come from different backgrounds and may not normally find themselves together. Everyone finds their own way of engaging with the music; every day is beautiful and full of new possibilities".
The music park was made possible thanks to the local Monticello Rotary Club. Looking for a suitable community project to commemorate their centenary celebrations, the club fundraised, obtained grants, and sponsors which enabled them to support the project. Rotary volunteers then installed the instruments....