Summer Term 2024 – Time to Sign Up!

Summer 2024 
We launch our Summer harmonica learning and club activities from 15th April 2024 and we very much hope you will join us. Our rates and payment options have not changed. Details of our teaching plan and theme are below.

First timer?
Welcome! We offer all newcomers a free Taster Session, which includes a free starter harmonica to keep. Simply click the Golden Harmonica on our homepage, complete your details, and we will email further information. Our email and this website explain what to do after you taster session, but feel free to ask any questions!

Back for more?
Termly subscriptions are £75.00 (10 sessions) payable in advance. You can also pay in two half termly instalments of £40.00 (5 sessions), payable ahead of your first and sixth sessions respectively. We regret that we are unable to accept childcare vouchers.

Payment transfers can be made by BACS, or through our Store (no need to log in). We can also take payments over the phone if you experience any difficulty. We regret that we cannot Further information, including our account details, is available here. (more…)

Children’s Harmonica Workshop

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.

Harmonica for 4-7 Year Olds

Would you like to include music-making on the harmonica in your Early Years 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.

Health & Safety Notice for Harmonica Activities

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…)

Congratulations!

We are the Champions my friends

Well done to Tom Coleman and Callum Shuttlewood, who won their respective categories at this year’s National Harmonica Festival Music Competition in Bristol.

Tom performed Wimoweh (The Lion Sleeps Tonight) by Solomon Linda in the melodic section. Meanwhile, Callum finished the day’s schedule with Avicii’s Wake Me Up. They both showed immense strength of character by delivering two highly entertaining and very musical solo performances.

A big well done also goes to the family members who turned out to support our intrepid harmonauts.