Harp Academy

Harmonica tuition in schools in the South East of England

Harp Academy

Announcements 

Autumn 2025 – Time to Sign Up!

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Autumn 2025
We look forward to launching our new harmonica courses and club activities this Autumn. Information about our Autumn music theme is below, along with instructions on how to renew your place or start harmonica music sessions at your school for the first time.

Returners
We are delighted you are continuing the harmonica this Autumn. To reserve your place, we need you to register for the new school year by clicking the Gold Harmonica here on our homepage (smart phone users may need to scroll down). We will then email your renewal invitation with details of how to subscribe.

Newcomers and Younger Siblings
Simply click the Gold Harmonica here on our homepage (smart phone users may need to scroll down), complete your details, and we will email your free taster invitation. Our email also explains how to subscribe after your taster session, what kit you’ll need, and our programme dates. Younger siblings of existing paid up harmonica students are eligible for a small discount.

Fun online learning resources
All our subscribers are sent the login code for our online music resources, which are great for practising the harmonica at home and building wider music knowledge.

Payments
Termly and half-termly subscriptions should be made by bank transfer, or through our Store using a credit/debit card (no need to log in). We regret that we are unable to accept childcare vouchers. Further information, including our account details, is in our taster invitation email and on our How To Pay page. (more…)

Announcements 

Harmonica for 4-11 Year Olds

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Would you like to include music-making on the harmonica in your setting?

Here’s Richard presenting Play Harmonica, the theme tune from Harp Academy’s early years harmonica courses for 4-7 year olds. He’s using a 4 hole easy-play Speedy harmonica (available in our Store). Set to the tune of Wind The Bobbin Up/There’s A Dinosaur, the song encourages young players to acquire the following key skills:

∙ Hole location by number – 1 2 3 4
∙ Breath control – Blow and Draw
∙ C Major Arpeggio – C E G C
∙ Musical Alphabet (with Makaton) – A B C D E F G
∙ Progression to C Major Scale – C D E F G A B C
∙ Enjoyment of Rhythm and Rhyme
∙ Follow hand signals for intonation
∙ Read and follow harmonica arrow tab notation

If you would like access to the backing track, harmonica tabs, or further details about music making on the harmonica and running weekly sessions in your Early Years setting, get in touch using the details on our Contact page. Please also visit our Early Years menu for more insight into our Pre-School harmonica activities, or our KS1 for young School Age children.

Announcements 

The P Word (Practise)

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How to Practise Harmonica
It’s noticeable in our weekly school sessions when children have found the time to practise at home and have the support of their grown ups. Confidence levels are high, progress is swift and lessons are fun. Central to this process is parental encouragement, good use of our website, a music diary, a well managed music kit and a specific task or performance to aim at.

Of course some harmonauts tell us they don’t have time to practise, their grown ups won’t let them, or they’ve lost their music. And there was one harmonaut whose dog ate their harmonica – we saw the evidence, complete with bite marks. But practise needn’t be a torture. Here is our take on how to make it a purposeful and enjoyable habit.

Harp Academy Website
Many of our study pieces and exercise have a support page on our website. With help from their grown ups, harmonauts can log in and navigate to the appropriate page. Here they can find click-and-copy buttons to guide them through songs line by line. There is an explanation of what makes the song or music exercise unique, a list of key skills covered and practise tracks. Wider learning items also feature, touching on music theory, general knowledge and performance preparation. (more…)

Announcements 

Children’s Harmonica Workshop

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Harpin’ By The Sea Harmonica Festival, Hove, 5th Feb 2023

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the children’s workshop at this year’s Harpin’ By The Sea international harmonica festival.

Thirty children from 4 to 11 years old joined Richard Taylor and Quim Roca for two hours of music and mayhem, culminating in a performance to our grown ups live on stage. It was epic!

Thanks to Matt our Sound Engineer and everyone at The Brunswick for a great morning of fun.

Announcements 

Health & Safety Notice for Harmonica Activities

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Covid Safe Harmonica
As we resume harmonica teaching in our schools this term, we will inform you by email and school bulletin. For our small groups and club scenarios, we respectfully ask that harmonauts and parents observe the following important safety requirements:

Covid-19 Health Declaration 
Please submit a health declaration form prior to your child’s first after-school harmonica club session (after-school harmonica club participants only). General safety guidelines for all our harmonica students and grown-ups are below… (more…)