Inspiring Primary Music on the Harp

Trafford Music Service recently partnered with Kimberly Wong, a fourth-year music student at the Royal Northern College of Music and a talented harpist.

As part of her final-year Creative Project, Kimberly set out to raise awareness of the harp and introduce children to the unique sounds and possibilities of this beautiful instrument.

In November, Kimberly visited Templemoor Infants and St Mary’s, Davyhulme, performing in whole-school assemblies before inviting pupils to share their own creative ideas.

Together, these ideas were transformed into a live harp improvisation — a moment that truly captured children’s imaginations. Following the performances, pupils from each year group had the opportunity to explore the harp for themselves: touching the strings, discovering new sounds, and creating music in their own way. In Key Stage 1, the children experimented once Kim had shown them how to sit with correct posture. Kim let the children explore sounds and have fun with what they discovered. Children’s comments included,

‘It’s like sparkles and raindrops’

‘You can make fun sounds, and it’s like shooting stars’

In Key Stage 2, Children experimented with glissandi in both the right and left hands, plucking, using the levers, and also copying Kim to play Hot Cross Buns.

Their advice to anyone thinking about having a go at playing the harp would be,

‘The harp is exciting, be careful with your fingers, use the levers, and if you close your eyes, it might feel like you are in a big, magical world’

Trafford Music Service thoroughly enjoyed supporting Kim and the musical opportunities for children. Kim said,

‘I benefited from the opportunity to learn the harp through school, and it has now led me to complete my undergraduate music degree at the RNCM. So I would like to make that a possibility for today’s children. It was a treat to be able to showcase the harp to the children in St Mary’s Primary School and Templemoor Infant & Nursery School; they were definitely enthusiastic hearing and seeing a harp at the start of their school day.’

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