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!

New Calypso Chimes added to Rainbow Collection

Our new flamboyant Calypso Chimes with their clear lively tones and beautiful anodized finish are sure to spread good vibes wherever they end up! Available in different arrangements, they’re a great choice for music parks, playgrounds, schools, family attractions, hospital gardens, and community open spaces.

Calypso Chimes are practical, durable, and stylish with a wonderful melody and sustain. Whether you are looking for solo chimes to place sporadically around your outdoor area to add a colorful musical sound wherever you go, a fun pentatonic set for sensory play, or a diatonic arrangement around which outdoor lessons and concerts can be played, Calypso Chimes can be adapted to suit all.

Here is the low-down on our newest product Calypso Chimes

Calypso Chimes are made from rainbow-colored anodized aluminum which will not chip, flake, or peel and is UV stable
Each chime is individually mounted to a stainless-steel post and comes complete with a mallet...

Outdoor Musical Improvisation (aka Noodling)

What is musical improvisation?

1) To invent, compose, or perform with little or no preparation. 2) To play (music) or sing extemporaneously, especially by inventing variations on a melody or creating new melodies.

Simply put, it is 'music made in the moment' - the experience begins and ends in real-time.

Learning to play a musical instrument is a wonderful, enriching thing to do. Additionally, there have been many articles and studies written on the benefits of learning to play a musical instrument from a young age. However, sometimes the training can teach consistency, but not necessarily creativity in the individual. Improvisation is all about the creativity of the performer, and developing this creativity will go on to have many benefits for the rest of their music-making. Essentially, good improvisational skills will promote confidence in all performances.

At Percussion Play we passionately advocate improvisation. Our instruments are specifically designed to encourage...

Music Power to the People - Communities set to become the new Champions of Music

Throughout our time in isolation, for many, it was most often music bringing us closer together. Musicians and performers tapping into their creativity to share messages of hope and camaraderie, from neighbors singing and playing music to each other on balconies, to performing concerts and entertaining us online. Music bringing people closer together during a time of unrest and unease.

The sad news is, however, that there is no doubt the coronavirus pandemic will have plunged the future of music and the arts into uncertainty and threatened its long-term availability to young people and the community. The talk of the suspension of music and other ‘non-core’ subjects when schools fully reopen to make time for students to catch up with English and maths following the COVID-19 shutdown is concerning. Music is an important subject for all children to learn and recognized to help develop the skills, attitudes, and attributes required to support learning in other subjects as well. This...

Quinterra Legacy Garden to feature Percussion Play Instruments

Project Completed - Read More: Music-Making and Healing Can Begin as Quinterra Legacy Garden Opens

Percussion Play is honored to be the primary supplier of outdoor musical instruments for this wonderful interactive musical garden and performance space that will serve as a place for play, inspiration, creativity, reflection, and contemplation for visitors and residents of the City of Calgary

The Quinterra Legacy Garden will be Calgary’s first fully dedicated music garden and performance space. Built to honor and celebrate five young Albertan adults killed in 2014 and for their families to thank the supportive local community, the garden will encourage the arts and support young people's mental health and creativity. Located in South Glenmore Park and overlooking the Glenmore Reservoir, the garden will be a tree-lined open space for families to play together, picnic, and...

Case Studies and Projects

We’ve delivered thousands of successful outdoor musical projects and as a consequence have a growing collection of case studies.

Case studies are a great way for us to tell the world how our musical instruments are being used in the great outdoors, the many different locations they have enhanced visually and acoustically and the diversity of the projects they have been included within. They go beyond simple testimonials and show real-life examples of how we have been able to satisfy our customer’s needs and help them accomplish their musical goals.

We have also developed an excellent network of representatives around the globe. These representatives work closely with us, have a great understanding of our products, and offer customers great regional and local support. From creative playground developments, ADA accessible music gardens to inspiring family-friendly shopping malls, our projects ignite imaginations, instigate great conversations and inspire people...

The Rest of The World Celebrate World Book Day 2020 in Lockdown

Today, over 100 countries will be taking part in World Book Day (WBD) celebrations - albeit in creative and innovative ways due to the coronavirus lockdown.

For our British readership’s clarification, the United Nations' World Book Day is held annually on April 23 (us Brits celebrate on the first Thursday of March to avoid conflicts with the Easter School Holidays and St. Georges Day – England's primary patron saint and slayer of dragons).

World Book Day is the biggest celebration of its kind and celebrates authors, books, illustrators, and - of course - reading! It was first created in 1995 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and was named ‘World Book & Copyright day’, as it was aimed at promoting reading, publishing, and copyright. Since then, however, it has grown bigger than anyone could ever have imagined with celebrations encompassing everything from reading and writing, to fancy dress and drama events.

Traditionally...