Music, music everywhere

22/05/23

There’s nothing quite like the sound of music outdoors. An open-air concert on a summer’s evening is one of the most beautiful ways to enjoy listening to music. The way sound carries in the open air and echoes through the landscape is unique. When it comes to children and youngsters, outdoor music is a great way to engage younger minds with all kinds of instruments and sounds. The sensory experience of being outdoors and playing and hearing music can be many things – it can be exciting, stimulating, soothing, educational and of course fun.

Feel the noise

We have a range of different musical instruments available that can be installed outside. Our musical panels and installations are ideal for controlled play areas and school environments. We have all kinds of instruments represented, from percussion to strings. Percussion is particularly popular with children, while chimes tuned to various pitches can teach children about different musical notes. Our Play Panels include Ally Tube Glockenspiel Musical Play Panels, Bells Musical Play Panels, Chimes, a Shaker and a Bongo Panel. We also have an array in our Eco-Music products range, including the Eco-Bell Tree, Eco-Chimes and Eco-Multi Chimes, which sound beautiful in the open air.  

Our Eco-Music products were developed with Percussion Play Ltd, in response to demand from our customers. The major difference between these musical instruments and our existing range of musical products is that the Eco-Music range includes 100% recycled plastic posts ready for installation. The initial Eco-Music line-up included Eco-Chimes in various configurations, such as a Chimes Panel, a Quartet Chime Post and Individual Chime Posts in four or eight-piece sets, a Bongos Panel and a Rain Wheel.

Natural sounds

We’re always very conscious about both our products’ appearance and our environmental responsibilities. These new chime installations feature a high-quality, brightly-coloured anodized aluminium finish. The posts are 100% recycled plastic, with coloured post caps to finish them off, and all the fastenings are made from stainless steel. They are 100% recycled plastic posts and are musically tuned by Percussion Play. We also have a range of timber musical panels, such as chimes, woodblocks and xylophone – the frames of which are 100% biodegradable and recyclable too.

We also have a selection of Playtronic Musical Play Panels featuring an acoustic guitar and a piano keyboard. The addition of electronic sounds to play panels adds another dimension and enhances the interaction between the user and the panel. Adding the extra complexity of electronics is nothing to worry about, as all the components used are commercial grade and have been designed specifically for this application. The whole system has been carefully designed and manufactured by Fahr and have now been part of our musical panels line-up for over three years. Made from hardwearing HDPE, the unit won’t rot, crack or fade in sunlight. The guitar panel, for example, includes touch-sensitive stainless steel strum bars, a waterproof speaker, sealed circuitry and a battery compartment with easy to swap long-life batteries. Simple tunes can be played, as the guitar is tuned to the acoustic guitar chords C, D and G.

These outdoor instruments are ideal of all ages, stages and abilities. The sensory aspects can also hugely beneficial to children who may experience learning difficulties, or who are visually or physically impaired. Their experience of playing musical instruments in the outdoors can be richly rewarding, for both the children and their families. It can also forge a strong connection for the children and youngsters between music and nature too.

To find out more about the range of musical instruments we have for outdoor areas, visit our website here. https://www.aceplay.co.uk/music-panels/5