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!
Taking The Music Lesson Outdoors This Term
Outdoor musical instruments make wonderful playground equipment for schools and nurseries as well as outdoor learning and music resources. At an early age children are learning to enjoy and appreciate music and therefore don't need a formal learning environment. Children often feel less inhibited outdoors and musical playground equipment will help you introduce basic musical concepts whilst being sure that the focus is on fun. Due to their clever design and use of the pentatonic scale, our outdoor percussion instruments are so easy to play that children are able to develop musical skills without having to manage any technical demands of an instrument, showing children what can be expressed and achieved through music.
Being outdoors helps ensure children have a genuine freedom of musical expression. Behind this is the notion of experimentation, of flexibility, of having a go. Most important of all, they come to understand the pleasure of enjoying music.
Using musical instruments in...
New Outdoor Musical Instrument - Outdoor Bell Tree
Introducing the Percussion Play 'Bell Lyre'
This is a Bell Tree with a difference. The Bell Lyre is an outdoor musical instrument made of eight graduated stainless steel 'bells' presented within a contemporary stand reminiscent of a Lyre (a stringed instrument with two curved arms connected at the upper end by a crossbar)
The sound is created from the vibration of the bell. It’s of course the size of the bell that gives you the pitch, each bell emits its own sound, with sweet, gentle tones from the top bells and deep sonorous 'gong' like sounds from the bells at the bottom.
You play it with the attached pair of beaters, a harder, small beater for the top bells and a large, softer beater for the bottom bells. You get the most resonant sound by hitting the sides of each bell.
The 'Bells' range in diameter from 100mm to 290mm. The height is over 1.5 metres, which was about as high as it could be – if we added any more bells, it would be too high and therefore difficult for...
Children's Hospital Introduces Musical Sensory Garden
Patients and visitors of the Hans Christian Andersen Children's Hospital at University Hospital Denmark can now enjoy playing Percussion Play outdoor musical instruments during their visit or stay. However, these interactive instruments have not just been installed for the patient's enjoyment, but more importantly to assist in a healthy, speedy recovery. Children can find a hospital visit or stay a daunting experience, but it's essential to their emotional and physical recovery that they maintain a positive frame of mind and feel comfortable in the hospital setting.
Arne Høst, Lead Consultant says "These instruments totally fit into our concept here at the children's hospital, we believe it should not just be a place where we treat and examine sick children, but also somewhere which gives them a great experience. I know that the hospital makes a very good job of treating the children, but sometimes when the kids - and adults - have a hard time, the music instruments will provide an...
Sing Up! Article Gives Top Tips for Outside Music Areas
The latest Sing Up magazine (Summer 13) includes an interesting article 'Sow a Sound Garden' in which Percussion Play was asked to contribute. The article includes top tips for creating an outside music area and the benefits of choosing to take music lessons into the Great Outdoors. The article has some great photos of our instruments installed at Saltergate Infant School and some wonderful comments from their music co-ordinator including "They are wonderful to look at, and the sound echoes all around the playground which is magical. It's lovely to see some of the quieter children growing in confidence through playing music outdoors during their playtime."
Singing games and music making in the outdoors are especially fun and bring a whole new dimension to the children’s learning and development. Being outside means the instruments can be played a little louder, they can raise their voices a little higher and movement in unrestricted. Children will benefit from listening to and creating...
Shiny New Outdoor Mirror Wall Chimes for Musical Play
Percussion Play are excited to add these beautiful Mirror Chimes to their outdoor musical instruments portfolio. What a ‘bright’ idea!
With highly polished stainless steel notes and a universal note wall mounting system, these outdoor chimes will give a unique sound whilst reflecting the surrounding environment to give another dimension to your outdoor play area, sensory garden, outdoor classroom or school grounds.
See these little guys? They can’t wait to have a go! Perhaps we have a budding pianist here? A future flutist or a drummer wannabe? Playing a musical instrument is very beneficial to children, however, in order for a child to truly become interested in playing an instrument they need to be engaged, they need to be motivated and they need to have fun! Playing music outdoors in a playground or sensory garden may just trigger an interest in music and encourage them to put down the remote and pick up a musical instrument instead.
A difficult instrument might intimidate...
Music Education Expo Treated To Some Outdoor Music Fun!
Percussion Play had a great time at Music Education Expo at the Barbican, London. It was a great opportunity to meet a range of different professionals and interested parties in the field of music education.
We felt it was worth going along to introduce the visitors to our outdoor musical instruments and the idea of bringing music education to the outdoor world.
Children are naturally happier when they are playing, moving and being creative outside, and children who are happy are successful learners.
Progressive educators have long promoted the benefits of outdoor education beyond the conventional such as P.E. The outdoors makes the perfect musical laboratory and outdoor musical instruments can bring a renewed sparkle to the children’s eyes and the excitement and freedom of playing music outdoors will elicit some pretty amazing and creative expression. When you add something new to the environment and the children are just drawn to it; to investigate,...