Harmonica tuition in schools in the South East of England
AUTUMN REGISTRATION NOW OPEN
Our Open Harmonica Club is available to children from any Infant, Junior or Primary school in the Brighton & Hove area.
We meet on Wednesdays at Aldrington Primary School in Hove, with separate 45 minute sessions for KS1 and KS2 children.
KS1 4.15pm-5.00pm (Weds)
KS2 5.15pm-6.00pm (Weds)
Free taster session
Your first session is entirely free and includes a starter harmonica. (more…)
Harmonica Lesson Outtakes
Today in class we were working on Dynamics; how to play loudly and softly, how to change from one to the other, and the standard notation to support everything. Our first building blocks were p for piano (softly), and f for forte (loudly). ‘So what does mf mean for?’ asked the teacher, expecting one of the group to remember mezzo forte, for moderately loud. Simon’s hand went up as he answered ‘Mexican fort‘.
The teacher moved on to very loud, fortissimo (or ff), and very quiet, pianissimo (or pp). ‘Who can remember the term for very quiet?’ asked the teacher. ‘I know, I know‘, said Charlotte, ‘it’s a pea in a cinema‘. As the chuckles died down, the teacher corrected Charlotte. ‘And who can remember the full name for the keyboard instrument we talked about?’. ‘That’s easy,’ said Jake, ‘it’s piano fortnight.’
Play harmonica in public and have fun with all the family!
Please make a note in your diary for this summer. Harp Academy have once again been invited to play their harmonicas on the Kids’ Stage at the annual Paddle Round The Pier Festival on Hove lawns. The invitation is open to our harmonauts of all ages and ability.
This is an ideal day out for families and a chance for harmonauts to experience playing in public on a big stage. Entry is free and there is heaps of family entertainment to enjoy, from water-born events, to rides, food stands, and the main music stage. If you can’t stay after we’ve played on Saturday, the festival continues on Sunday (although we’re only playing on Saturday).
We will assemble at the Peace Statue on Hove lawns at 12.30pm on Saturday 1st July, ready to play on stage for an hour from 1-2pm. Our dress code is Starburst & Smarties, so don’t forget to bring your harmonica and dress in one bright colour of your choice. Further details are on our dedicated event page here.
Please register by clicking our Golden Harmonica and selecting Paddle Round The Pier. You can list the songs you’d like to play, and we’d like you to learn When The Saints Go Marching In, so that you can join in our grand finale. It’s in all music libraries and here on our home page (scroll back to previous entries).
Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown
Improvisation is something that can be quite daunting for newcomers. Given a blank page, where does anyone start? What should they do? It can be a huge challenge and, at the outset, we need guidance.
Of course some launch into the process fearlessly, but either way, improvisation is an important foundation for confidence building, creativity and freedom of expression. In short, we’re turning a negative ‘nothing’, into a very positive ‘anything’, and learning that music is both rewarding and inclusive.
Two of our team were teaching a KS2 group recently. It was the children’s first lesson of the term. The first HA teacher started a simple chug, or riff, on his 10 hole harmonica, while the second HA teacher punctuated this pattern with two simple chords, or vamps..
Recommend a friend and receive 2 lessons free!
We all enjoy learning with our best friends, don’t we? Well this includes music making on the harmonica. If you have a friend who might be interested in a Free Taster Session, just ask them to click the Golden Harmonica (on the right of the screen), and register using our promotional code harmonaut. 
We’ll supply their starter harmonica and music sheet completely free. And if your friend decides to join Harp Academy for a complete term (9 further lessons), we will credit you with two free lessons. That’s all there is to it!
