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!
Pandemic Doesn't Stop Music Filling The Air For World Music Day
Every year music fills the air on World Music Day - the world’s largest annual free music event - and this year is no different although sadly many of the events are again having to go virtual due to the coronavirus pandemic.
World Music Day (also known as 'Fête de la Musique' or Make Music Day) is an annual music celebration and an open invitation to make, enjoy, perform, teach and learn music in cities around the world on June 21, the first day of summer. It celebrates and promotes the natural music maker in all of us, regardless of age, background, or skill level.
The idea originated more than 30 years ago by American musician Joel Cohen while working at the national French radio station France Musique. Joel proposed to have music celebrations on both the summer and winter solstices. The French Minister of Culture accepted half of his proposal, and on June 21, 1982, the first ‘Fête de la Musique’ was born, fast becoming a national celebration. Nowadays World Music Day...
New Case Study: Lift For Life Academy in St Louis, MO Brings Music to Life
Read our new Case Study: Lift For Life Academy
Lift For Life Academy (LFLA) is a charter school located in St Louis, MO, USA. They have recently installed outdoor musical instruments to expose the younger students to music while adding new energy to the playground.
With two Rainbow Cavatinas and a Rainbow Trio Ensemble plus a ‘major’ bunch of Harmony Bells, pupils will be able to revel in the freedom to explore a range of sounds, tempos, and dynamics.
Pandemic is Catalyst for Extending Visitor Experiences Outside
As venues adjust their procedures and reduce visitor capacities to ensure they can welcome guests back safely, there has been a renewed focus on the great outdoors that has seen outside spaces, however large or small, becoming key investment areas and successful intersections between well-being, the arts, and great family connections.
Making the most of outdoor spaces now and into the future has become a priority; with guests feeling more comfortable spending time outside where they can keep a safe distance from other visitors while enjoying their family day out.
With many museums and attractions having to rethink their programs, shift their focus, and activate their outdoor spaces to offer open-air activities, exhibitions, and events, perhaps they should look to outdoor music as a gateway to the performing arts as well as a fun, engaging family learning experience?
Due to its universal appeal, music can successfully bridge intergenerational gaps. The creation of outdoor music...
Welcome growing trend for dementia-friendly gardens in Care and Senior Living settings
Dementia Action Week 17-23 May
This is Dementia Awareness Week - an event that encourages people to take action to improve the lives of people affected by dementia, and many forward-thinking and progressive senior communities are doing just that through the power of music made in the great outdoors.
Over recent years we have seen a growing trend for dementia-friendly gardens in Care and Senior Living settings. The uplifting power of gardens and nature has never been in doubt – however, the benefits of music-making outdoors have now been explored and expanded to create permanent music gardens, courtyards, and parks. Worldwide, inspiring dementia-friendly outdoor spaces that entice residents, visitors, and staff outside into the fresh air to enjoy some musical fun together are being designed - and they’re having a big impact on the health and quality of life of residents living with Alzheimer’s and/or Dementia.
Involvement in participatory arts and music programs has been shown...
Music, Mental Health and Nature
Mental Health Awareness Week runs from Monday, May 10 to Sunday, May 16, 2021, and the theme for this year’s event is ‘nature‘ – which seems fitting after a year of lockdowns that has seen us forced indoors for extended periods.
Life can be challenging in many ways, and we all find our mental resilience challenged at times. Recognizing how nature is so central to our psychological and emotional health, the Mental Health Foundation hopes to inspire more people to step outside and connect with nature in new ways and notice the beneficial effect this connection can have on their mental health.
Percussion Play realized long ago the positive impact of being outside on our mental well-being. The evidence that demonstrates the powerful benefits of nature on our mental health; increased creativity, empathy, and sense of wonder, alongside the fact that music has been proven to enhance mood, boost feel-good endorphins and improve emotion regulation, are powerful indicators that music...
Percussion Play wins Queens Award for Enterprise
We are delighted to announce that Percussion Play has been named as the winner of a 2021 Queen’s Award for Enterprise – one of the highest accolades and most prestigious awards a UK-based company can win. We were informed that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II had approved the Prime Minister’s recommendation that we should receive a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the International Trade category in acknowledgment of our outstanding short-term growth in overseas sales over the past three years.
The International Trade category of the Queen’s Awards welcomes entries from organizations based in the UK that have been successfully growing their sales overseas - whether that's in one or more foreign markets. Winners must have demonstrated that their business has achieved substantial growth in overseas earnings and in commercial success (for their business size and sector) through either outstanding achievement over 3 years or continuous achievement over 6 years.
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