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!
Flower Power at the NRPA Annual Conference, Baltimore
Percussion Play has been delighting delegates at the 2019 NRPA Annual Conference by giving them a sneak preview of their new range of outdoor musical flowers 'Harmony Bells'.
Approx. 8,000 people who are passionate about parks and recreation, conservation, health, landscape architecture, city planning and making communities great places to live have made their way to Baltimore for networking activities, education sessions and an inside look at the latest products for the field at the 2019 NRPA Annual Conference.
Never one to disappoint, in true Percussion Play style, their Booth is jammed full of inspirational outdoor musical instruments for inclusive music parks, playgrounds and community spaces.
You'll be able to see and find out more about this exciting new range of floral musical delights very soon. Watch this space!
'Mini' Rainbow Trio Ensemble Goes To Ground
Originally designed to be hung on playground walls, we’ve extended our Rainbow Trio Ensemble to now include in-ground or surface-mounted versions of these three sweet little instruments.
Five reasons to love our ‘Mini’ Rainbow Trio Ensemble
1) Size is everything
The small and compact size makes these instruments appealing for smaller organizations such as nursery schools, pre-schools and kindergartens. Occupying less space than the full-size instruments this bright, inviting range requires less budget too! Most tasks young children learn to do are much easier if they have objects that are made in a size that is right for their age. This range is the perfect size for little ones.
2) Colour Matters
Children love fun, bright colours and find themselves drawn to colourful items that spark the imagination. As their eyes are not fully developed they...
Discover Percussion Play - Intriguing, Funky and Irresistible To Play - Tembos
Let us introduce you to one of our more intriguing instruments - our range of plosive aerophones we call Tembos. Tembos produce some very low, very mellow sounds, look intriguing and are utterly irresistible to play. So what is a plosive aerophone? how do you play one? and why the heck do we call them Tembos?
Plosive Sounds
Plosive aerophones are a category of musical instruments that vary considerably in style and called by a number of different names including batonkas and boom tubes, but ultimately they are from the same group of instruments identified as ‘slap tubes’ or ESPAS (End Struck Plosive Aerophones). Despite some popularisation of the concept by the Blue Man Group, they remain one of the greatest music-making ideas that most people have never heard of!
Humble Bamboo Beginnings
Plosive aerophones are musical instruments in which a body of air is set into vibration by a sudden blow. This family of percussion instruments includes; clay pot...
Music Teacher Magazine Features Percussion Play in 'Percussion' Special
Percussion Play features in this months 'Percussion' edition of Music Teacher Magazine.
The July 2019 edition of Music Teacher Magazine has a strong focus on percussion and as the leading manufacturer of outdoor percussion instruments it was obvious that Percussion Play should feature.
The article centers on the value of accessible music and its integration within inclusive playgrounds. Music in an inclusive playground provides a 'sensory' rich experience for everyone of any learning ability and Percussion Play instruments are thoughtfully designed and appropriate for children at any stage of development.
The article also highlights how the adoption of outdoor musical instruments into public spaces could go someway to addressing the increasing cuts to music education in the UK (in fact across the world) and the inequality in music provision. Sadly, the days of fully funded, universal access to music education seem well and truly behind us and Percussion Play's approach...
Infant Mental Health Awareness Week 2019
We are coming to the end of ‘Infant Mental Health Awareness Week 2019’ – a week-long campaign organised by The Association for Infant Mental Health UK (AIMH UK) which has seen events take place across the country to raise awareness of what Infant Mental Health is and to highlight the importance of the conception to age 2 period.
The mental health of babies and very young children can often be overlooked, but it is crucial to development later in life. The time between conception and when the child reaches the age of two is especially vital for well-being and brain and language development.
'Probably the most important period in everyone's life is the one that they cannot remember' (Balbernie, 2008)
Music plays a powerful role in the lives of young children. Through music, babies and toddlers can come to better understand themselves and their feelings, learn to decipher patterns and solve problems, and discover the world around them in rich, complex...
Making Music and New Friends at the Rotary International Convention in Hamburg
Percussion Play and Percussion Play DK are currently in Hamburg, Germany making music and friends at the 2019 Rotary International Convention (1-5 June).
We’ve been delighted by the number of visitors we’ve had come to visit our booth and the amazing conversations we’ve had with people from all nationalities about the value of music and the positive impact it can have on both individuals and communities. We’ve seen visitors from all corners of the world including Uganda, Peru, Morocco, Canada, India, USA, Israel, Australia, Korea, Guyana, Japan plus many from the host nation of Germany and from all across Europe.
What has become very apparent is a mutual desire to help bring people together across generations, cultures and abilities and we’ve been very busy telling people about how music can transcend all of these barriers by providing its own language of rhythm and melody.
It’s been the most fun, we’ve already met some amazing individuals determined to make...