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!
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...
Musical Activities Using The Sights and Sounds of Fall
It’s autumn again. I just 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 very warm days along with milder, cooler ones. The days get shorter and sleeping gets 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...
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....
Legacy Garden Full of Percussion Play Instruments Features in 'The Field' for American Society of Landscape Architects
The Field is a blog authored by members of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Professional Practice Networks.
Created to give members who work in landscape architecture a place to exchange information, learn about recent work and research, and share their thoughts about current happenings, we were delighted that the wonderful Quinterra Legacy Garden - full of Percussion Play instruments - was featured this month.
It tells how a vision for a peaceful, contemplative, and vibrant outdoor community space for people to be inspired, to heal, and to connect with nature became a reality. Creating a unique and special place for the whole community.
Link to The Field
Link to Case Study
Back To School? Make some Time for Free Play
Across the country, schools have reopened their doors for the new term - school is officially back in session! As the lazy days spent in the back garden, down on the beach, or running around in the local park turn back into hurried schedules: filled with early starts, homework, and extracurricular activities, we need to remember the importance of incorporating some time for free play into our children's daily lives. Free, unstructured play is fun, but it’s not frivolous! Active play is required for optimal growth and development. Kids need time to run around, explore, build, imagine and let loose with their friends and family members. Even as they grow older, play remains important for learning and development and the importance of play doesn’t diminish as preschoolers become school-age children. It's crucial that children are not over-scheduled and that time is left for open-ended, unstructured play.
- Play and time outside is vital for children to digest what has been learned...