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!
RHS Tatton Park Flower Show Invites Visitors Young and Old To Let Their Inner Musicians Bloom!
Floral fever is taking over the nation, and Percussion Play is thrilled to collaborate with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) at the north's biggest horticultural event - the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show.
This celebration of color, creativity, and community returns to the stunning gardens of Tatton Park from 19 - 23 July 2023 and promises visitors a fun-filled family experience with live music and entertainment.
The event spans five days and is expected to welcome tens of thousands of guests, featuring the RHS National Flower Bed Competition, Show Gardens, and Floral Marquee across a 28-acre site. The show has a big community focus, with Cheshire charities, schools, and volunteer groups playing a huge part since its inception in 1999.
This year's show will also feature displays exploring themes such as mental health and the environment. Percussion Play is excited to create a 'Percussion Park' as a show feature.
Show Features and Installations are an opportunity to engage,...
Free Celebration of Music around the World on Make Music Day June 21
World Music Day, also known as 'Fête de la Musique' or Make Music Day, is an annual music celebration in cities worldwide on June 21, the first day of summer. The celebration encourages people of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels to make, enjoy, perform, teach, and learn music.
The idea originated from American musician Joel Cohen over 30 years ago while working at France Musique, a national French radio station. The first 'Fête de la Musique' was celebrated on June 21, 1982, and has since become an international phenomenon. The music played on World Music Day must be free and covers all genres, offering access to people of all social backgrounds.
The day-long celebration takes place in over 1000 cities across 120 countries. It includes over 18,000 concerts ((in 2022, the USA alone saw 104 cities organize 3,819 free concerts), showcasing over 5 million musicians to an audience of about 10 million people. Celebrations of music in all its forms take place, with free public...
Association of Children's Museums 'Win a Cavatina' Winner Announced
To celebrate our first attendance at InterActivity (the Association of Children's Museums' annual conference and the largest gathering of children's museum professionals worldwide), Percussion Play offered ACM members the chance to win a Rainbow Cavatina and 4-Song Music Book worth over $5000 for their chosen Children's Museum.
We received over 200 entries, and the lucky winner was drawn at random following a hugely successful expo and evening drinks reception held at the prestigious Louisiana Children's Museum.
Co-Founder Robin Ashfield contacted the lucky winner - Leah Oppenheimer, Director of Outreach at the Children's Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton, New York - to tell her the good news.
Robin tells us "When I spoke to Leah and told her that she had won the prize, she was absolutely delighted. She told me that she had been teaching underprivileged kids for the last 20 years, many of whom don’t...
Evening Reception Held for Children's Museum Professionals
On a perfect New Orleans evening, the Louisiana Children’s Museum made a memorable setting for a drinks reception to celebrate the close of the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM) InterActivity 2023. Percussion Play invited attendees for a glass of Pimms on the museum’s outdoor music area, ‘the music hummock,’ which is home to no less than eleven Babel Drums alongside the new Liberty Bells and Cattail Chimes.
The evening allowed the team from Percussion Play (a Business Supporter of the ACM) to demonstrate the outdoor musical instruments and take the time to discuss the benefits of outdoor musical play with the children's museum professionals. The two new 'Inspired by Nature' instruments, are both perfect for playful interactions along nature trails, as stand-alone exhibits, or incorporated...
Helping Children's Museums Provide Musical Experiences - InterActivity 2023
We are thrilled to exhibit at InterActivity 2023 in New Orleans this year. InterActivity is the Association of Children's Museums' annual conference and the largest gathering of children's museum professionals worldwide.
If you’re visiting ACM InterActivity in New Orleans, why not stop by to see and play a selection of our outdoor musical instruments while we explain how providing musical experiences for family audiences (indoors or out) is a valuable way to advance a thriving museum’s mission, expand its audience, and strengthen its place within the community.
You can find us at Booth #55 or just follow your ears!
You will also be able to enter our ACM Competition for a chance to win a Cavatina Outdoor Xylophone and Music Book for your museum, worth over $5000.
Finally, we are delighted to invite all guests attending the evening reception at the Louisiana Children's Museum...
Global Intergenerational Week 25 April
To celebrate Global Intergenerational Week starting on April 25, Percussion Play is highlighting the benefits of music in promoting intergenerational play in the great outdoors.
Research shows communities can be strengthened when young and old bond through play. It reduces isolation and loneliness and can help improve health and mental well-being. It’s also beneficial in reducing ageism.
Percussion Play’s instruments are used in settings around the world, such as parks, trails, and libraries, and they are consistently highlighted as bringing together people of all ages. With instruments that are tuned pentatonically, there are no ‘wrong notes.’ Any combination of notes played sounds harmonious – this is especially important when young children experiment with creating music.
Jody Ashfield, Founder and CEO of Percussion Play, said: “Play settings featuring outdoor musical instruments in parks, playgrounds, and family attractions demonstrate how music can bring...