Integrating education with entertainment for nearly 12 years teaches lessons in music, maintenance and durability.

In the town of Bethesda, Maryland, is a well-established, independent school -progressive and on the leading edge of arts education. Respected for its artistic scholarship and academic excellence, Holton Arms is a private all-girls’ school for grades 3-12. To commemorate the school’s impressive bicentennial celebration back in 2000, Holton Arms chose Freenotes Harmony Park as a lead partner in creating a large-scale outdoor sound garden.

The transformation of an 18-foot diametric courtyard was complete with the installation of 12 Freenotes Harmony Park signature musical instruments. Among the first ever Freenotes collections to be installed outdoors, the ensemble is still making perfectly tuned, harmonious music 11 years later.

A side benefit to the long-running partnership with Holton Arms has been the opportunity for Freenotes to observe an installation for nearly a dozen years. Using the Holton Arms instruments as a valued case study, FHP has developed easy-to-follow maintenance and upkeep suggestions, as well as implemented design and materials improvements to eliminate maintenance altogether.

Replacement mallets: A complete sensory experience appeals to the ears and to the eyes. Freenotes musical instruments offer unequivocal sound quality, but a significant part of the “play appeal” is their physical appearance. One easy solution to maintaining the aesthetic and the tonality of any Freenotes instrument is to always keep back-up Freenotes mallets on-hand. Experience shows that original mallets go missing over time in public spaces. As each mallet head is designed to produce the fullest and richest sound for its instrument, it’s important to pair them appropriately. Furthermore, an instrument without a mallet still begs to be played. Enthusiastic visitors will find sticks and batons with which to play, unfortunately damaging the appearance and condition of the instrument. Prompt mallet replacement will ensure the vitality of the instruments for years to come.

Design improvements and sourcing for durability. Learning from the Holton Arms installation, FHP has undergone significant design improvements to minimize maintenance issues.

• The new, percussion lacing system uses galvanized steel coated cables to keep bars intact. This system prevents cable chafing and eliminates cable fatigue at specific support points for bars.
• Extremely durable and weather resistant fiberglass bar models have replaced earlier wooden bar models. The fiberglass bars require no annual maintenance.
• FHP has upgraded the earlier enamel paint with a super-durable catalyzed automotive formulation for plastic parts. This paint is typically used for motorcycle parts. To complement this improvement, we also offer an additional powder coating paint for the steel components (where available).
• Soon to be available are new color molded plastic drum caps, which will offer a scratchproof surface to maintain the aesthetic.

Enduring Relationships. As evidenced by Holton Arms, working with Freenotes Harmony Park means that you are working with a long-term partner in creating an ideal outdoor sensory experience. Freenotes instruments have a unique tuning that promise every note will be nothing short of harmonious for years to come. Yet with instruments subjected to the whim of the elements and the impassioned interest of passersby, wear is to be expected (and dare we say, even hoped for). The Freenotes promise is that our team of distributors and product developers will be present to guide you through the years and offer suggestions on maximizing the longevity and quality of your musical investment.

The Holton Arms installation of the Freenotes outdoor musical instruments continues to inspire players and audiences nearly 12 years after it’s inception.

Q: Have the outdoor instruments supplemented your musical education classes - either formally or informally? If so, how?

Ann Vaughn, Holton Arms: We do a lot of improvisation in general music classes.  We also explore the idea of texture in music. The girls apply guidelines for improvisation, as well as musical ideas and concepts learned in class, when they experiment with outdoor instruments. It is interesting to see how clearly those same principles apply, yet the sound possibilities are much different.  They love it.

Q: How would you rank FHP as a partner? Do you receive support on par (or above or below) with other outdoor investments you’ve made?

Ann Vaughn: We have never made any other outdoor instrument investments.  However, I would rank FHP quite high on the list of educational partnerships we have entered into over the years. Richard is an exuberant, entertaining, and talented collaborator. Eleven years ago, when we spent the year in design technology classes exploring the science of sound, creating rudimentary soundscape designs, and then building some of the instruments on a small scale, Richard was a full partner in each stage of the process. He communicated equally well with both students and teachers. We worked well together both long-distance and on-site.