Harmonica Demonstrations

Please could you demonstrate the harmonica to our children?

This was the invitation we recently received from a Primary School in Essex and the answer was you bet! 

The teacher in charge of music was organising the school’s annual music week. She was already considering the harmonica as an appropriate special guest instrument and then she found Harp Surgery by way of a Google search.

Our experience in Primary Education as part of the  HarpsCool franchise served the occasion perfectly. Throughout the day classes of children from Reception through to Year 6 (KS1 and KS2) dropped in to the music room with their teachers for a forty minute musical extravaganza. Clicking their fingers to the tune of Low Rider, they took their places while enjoying live harmonica for the first time in all its funky glory.

What did we get up to?

Next the children were introduced to the history of the reed in music, beginning with a blade of grass from the school playground. They learned how free reeds became crafted from metal for durability and heard the Dan Moi from Vietnam (which spoke to them in a robotic voice and pretended to be an alien). 

They saw how a free metal reed can be twanged or blown to make a sound. How a series of metal reeds can be arranged to create a harmonica. And finally how the harmonica – in all its shapes and sizes – can be used to make fabulous music.

The world’s your lobster

We took the harmonica on a musical odyssey around the world, dropping into Africa, Mexico, Germany, USA and back to the UK. We saw and heard the smallest harmonica in the world. We met the first harmonica in outer space and we played the Star Wars theme. And to close, we heard the harmonica playing the Allelujah song from Shrek.

Finally after questions and comments time – How much does a harmonica cost? What’s the biggest harmonica? How many harmonicas have you got? Have you been on Britain’s Got Talent? That Dr.Feelgood played good harmonica and he was from Canvey! (Jonathan aged eight) - the children returned to their classrooms serenaded by the Blues Brothers.

Would you like us to demonstrate the harmonica at your Music Week?

It would be our pleasure. Simply drop us an email or give us a call (see our contact page). We have full background checks we can show you, are members of the Musicians’ Union and have Public Liability Insurance. More importantly we firmly believe in the educational value of music and the inspiration it gives to children of all ages. Even grown up ones.

Or perhaps a little more?

We can tailor our demonstration for a variety of audiences from brownies and cubs, scouts and guides, to secondary schools, social clubs, companies and team building events. We can also adapt our visit, turning it into a taster session for participants, providing then with their own harmonica to take away. Alternatively workshops can be arranged, with the subject and content customised to your requirements.

What does it cost?

We don’t have a fixed price for these services as there are too many variables, however we’ll do our very best to fit your budget and time frame. Call or email us now!