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UPDATE - 5/28/11  Jackson Square Park has Won the "Rotary International Significant Achievement Award".  Last week we heard the great news !  We were one of 143 Rotary Club Projects in the World to earn this special award!

CONSTRUCTION BULLETIN / December 13 gt;, 2010
By Richard Parrish

Contractors worked in "harmony" to build a playground project. Local construction companies also collaborated with the Rotary Club and the Park Board. On site planning, helped recruit other contractors, and provided several workers.

Donating services

Twin Cities contractors came together in the fall to donate their construction services, equipment and materials to install seven unusual outdoor play- ground musical instruments at the Jackson Square Park playground in Northeast Minneapolis. The project commemorated the 25th anniversary of the Minneapolis City of Lakes Rotary Club, which raised money to buy the instruments and collaborated with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board on the site location and development.

The seven percussion instruments were designed and manufactured by Freenotes Harmony Park in Hesperus, Colo., and were installed in a concert style, semi-circle formation on a hill in front "s11">of a grassy area where people can gather to hear music. However, planners expect the instruments will be played mostly by people of all ages who bring their children to the playground or simply hang out at the park. Freenotes designed the instruments with non-musicians in mind, According to Doug Schmitt, and they are tuned in the Pentatonic Scale, similar to wind chimes. The scale makes the instruments sound pleasant no matter who plays them or whatever their musical skill level may be.

First outdoor Instruments

The instruments and their functions are somewhat unusual: The Swirl, which consists of 26 aluminum chimes that are resonated by metal tubes; five Metal Tuned Drums in bright, vibrant colors that range from 7 to 15 inches in diameter, vary in height and topped with white plastic covers; seven Steel Contrabass Chimes that range in height from seven to nine feet; Sunset on the Yantzee, which is a xylophone that is constructed with 2.5-inch aluminum bars; Glass Imbarimba that is styled after an African xylophone and a thumb piano; a Manta Ray, which

is a metallophone that's made with many individual chime tubes suspended by a cable; and a Pegasus, which is a hefty metallophone that's made with 23 resonated aluminum bars.

Richard Parrish is president o f MilldShare Communicatiolls, a PR and communications agency ill Long Lake, Minnesota .

Or Contact :

Doug Schmitt

Schmitt Music

2400 Freeway Boulevard

Brooklyn Center, MN 55430

612-670-0809

doug.schmitt@schmittmusic.com

www.schmittmusic.com