School Playground Equipment And Instruments - Freenotes

Freenotes Ltd is based in Petersfield, Hampshire, and is a family owned business operated by father and son team, Robin and Jody Ashfield.  

No stranger to the play industry, Robin had previously formed successful playground manufacturing company Hand Made Places and in 2006 was awarded the coveted Education Resources Award for Outstanding Achievement for his contribution to education.  Robin strongly believes that play is a foundation stone of learning and our responsibility within the play industry and as educators is to generate the environments where this learning can be achieved.   With this in mind, he started to become aware of an increasing demand for sensory play areas and outdoor music.  

Keen to develop a range of instruments that enabled both beginners and practised musicians to experience music making in a new way, Robin began researching outdoor musical instruments and playground equipment and discovered Freenotes.  Richard Cooke, the USA designer had simplified the instrument designs and by using harmony-based scales, opened a way for anyone to experience the deep pleasure of playing music.  

Robin saw the product and thought there was a great opportunity to manufacture and sell Freenotes in the UK and Europe, and therefore an exclusive license and manufacturing agreement was drawn up and Freenotes was established in the UK to produce beautifully crafted instruments which transform the outdoor space for which they are made.

Robin sold his playground business in 2008 to concentrate on Freenotes full time and invited his son Jody to join him and run the business.  Both Robin and Jody have a passion and desire that makes Freenotes a personable, reputable, and professional business and working together was a natural choice.

"When I heard the instruments I thought they were unique" Robin said. "Richard assured me that just about anyone could play them well and I therefore figured that they must be the instruments for me!"

 Meet The Designer

Richard Cooke studied piano, voice, and trumpet during his early years; but it was not until he discovered playing by ear that music really came alive in him. Richard taught himself to play the flute in college and eventually joined the Paul Winter Consort, one of America’s premier jazz ensembles. With Paul, he designed an adult music camp and set himself to the task of building instruments that make music easy and fun for anyone to play.
Since then, Richard has been building these creations of his own design for fifteen years. Richard has traveled widely and studied the music of many cultures. Freenotes instruments are related to the beautiful gamelan instruments of Java and Bali, where nearly all people play music. Richard designs his instruments to enable the beginner and expert musician to experience the joys of music making in a new way. By simplifying instrument designs to require no difficult muscular coordination and by using harmony-based scales, Freenotes have opened a way for anyone to experience the deep pleasure of playing music. Freenotes instruments go together effortlessly so everyone can be a vital part of making music.