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!
Camp Henry, Michigan Wins Percussion Play Ensemble in the Parks & Rec Great Fall Giveaway
We are delighted to announce that Camp Henry is the winner of the Percussion Play prize in The Great Fall Giveaway!
The inaugural Great Fall Giveaway was an exclusive contest run by Parks and Rec Business Magazine. All Parks & Recreation Departments, Summer Camps, and School Districts in the United States had a chance to enter and win any one of the four prizes up for grabs.
Fionna Scott entered the competition with the hope of winning the Percussion Play Soprano Quartet Ensemble, which includes a Cadenza, a Small Babel Drum, Soprano Pentatonic Freechimes, and a pair of medium Congas—altogether valued at $7,555.
Camp Henry has been serving campers since 1937 and sits on over 200 beautiful acres along the shores of Lake Kimball in Newaygo, MI, 35 miles north of Grand Rapids.
Fionna tells us, “Initially, I simply hoped for kids to have fun with the ensemble. After talking...
Cavatina Features in PTA+ Magazine's Top Buys for Positive Outdoor Learning Experiences
This month Percussion Play features in PTA+ Magazine's article showcasing the ‘PTA Top Buys’ for learning experiences outside of the classroom.
Research has shown that an outdoor learning environment can improve children’s motivation and well-being and can contribute to increasing children’s physical activity and learning outcomes.
Learning need not take place solely within educational buildings. The outdoor environment has massive potential for learning and stepping outside into the natural environment will help ensure that children and young people are successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors, and responsible citizens.
It is essential that we continue to provide creative, sustainable, and progressive opportunities for all children and young people to participate in a range of outdoor learning experiences.
Outdoor learning encompasses the entire range of learning experiences undertaken outside. From reading a book outside, or joining a numeracy...
Percussion Play: 2021 A Year in Review
It’s holiday time again and maybe like me, you're dazed by the fact that another year is coming to an end!
Taking the time to look back can help us realize just how much has happened in the last year. December is a time for reflection, a chance to recap the highlights and achievements of the past 12 months.
So where to begin? First of all, I’m sure we can all agree it’s been another rather unusual year! As the world continued to battle the coronavirus pandemic, we have been able to demonstrate time and time again through our case studies and social media posts that it hasn't broken spirits. We’ve shared stories from across the globe that illustrate just how music in the great outdoors has encouraged community spirit, bought about positive interactions, engaged families, and bridged intergenerational gaps. These are just some of our favorites:
Garland Filled Blue Mountain Village includes Outdoor Musical Instruments along its Spectacular Lights Trail
Since November, the Blue Mountain alpine ski village resort in Ontario, Canada has been wrapped up in garlands and bows and illuminated with the sights and sounds of the holidays. Families are invited to take a nostalgic stroll along the charming cobblestone streets and embrace the sights and sounds of the season.
Read how the organizers have included two of our outdoor musical instruments - a Rainbow Metallophone and Penta Post to add a musical dimension to the trail and allow visitors to cue the lights on a series of Christmas trees.
Players are invited to ‘be the maestro of the Christmas tree lights with your songs, sounds, and wishes!’
Escape the Sales and Join the #OptOutside Movement This Black Friday
Our love of the great outdoors is something that has driven us for over 12 years. It’s why we do what we do: design outdoor musical instruments that enable more of you to enjoy music-making outside in the fresh air and elements.
Many families spend the day after Thanksgiving starting their holiday shopping, waking up at the crack of dawn to nab deals, and standing in long lines. While there's nothing wrong with that, we think you might enjoy doing something a bit more creative and memorable this year. And in these days of screens and computer games, the chance to spend quality time together often isn’t even on the menu for many busy families. But kids, adults, people, don’t want or need more stuff, more presents, more screens, and screen-time, they want more joy, more connection, more family time, time with friends, time outdoors. Time.
We value the great outdoors and all the positive physical and mental wellbeing it provides. If the past 18 months has taught us anything, it’s...
Democratising Music on Universal Children's Day
Investing in our future means investing in our children — which is why the United Nations has designated every November 20 as Universal Children’s Day. It’s a time to promote togetherness around the world, awareness of the problems children face in every corner of the globe, and improve the welfare for all children. It began in 1954 and November 20 is also the date that the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989, which came into force in 1990.
Article 29 of the Convention states education must develop every child’s personality, talents, and abilities to the full. It must encourage the child’s respect for human rights, as well as respect for their parents, their own and other cultures, and the environment.
In celebration of Universal Children’s Day, we are raising awareness on the importance music plays in a healthy childhood, and how we need to protect the rights and freedom to access music and music-making for all children and young...