Everyone can shake. Everybody can shake in tune. Everyone can afford to shake.
There really is no other method of making music that is inclusive to all. No matter the age, physicality’s or budget. With shakers, available for around a pound, we really can see no excuses to not be shaking. Get the family together, play groups, classrooms and shake! Make it part of the morning warm up. Shakers are universal versatile percussion recognised all over the world and A-Star Percussion just happen to produce high quality yet affordable shakers. To help you decide which shaker may be of interest to you, of course, I’ve taken on the task of naming each shake. Just because…well why not? A little Monday fun didn’t hurt anybody. All smiles in the Normans office, from my desk anyway…The Christmas Shake
Arguably the BEST time of the year and worth celebrating all year round, in my book anyway. The USB fairy lights haven’t quite made it out my draw, just yet… These A-Star hand bells can obviously be used all year round for many different reasons. Not just Christmas, that’s just me being over excited and associating all bells with Christmas and Santa’s Sleigh. You can upsize your bells with the A-Star 9 bell handbell, or go one better and shake away with the A-Star Sleigh Bells. A bestselling shaker.
The Latin Fiesta Shake
Imagine you’re in South America, there’s locals playing Caribbean drums, singing, dancing and then you spot the star of the show. In their home, where they originate from. The Maracas, a pair of brightly coloured wooden maracas. Embrace the maracas and shake away! Make music and enjoy making the music, explore mixing with other instruments. A-Star also offer plastic maracas, great for a smaller budget whilst keeping the same sounds a traditional maraca makes.
The Economical Shake
These shakers are the most budget friendly, being around £1. Available in a variety of colours and for groups, the egg shakers can be bought in a pack of 40 including a plastic tub for storage. Win, win if you ask me! A popular shaker with schools, due to the smaller size and practical use.
The Traditional Shake
When you think of a shaker, this shaker has the most traditional values. Originating from the style of a baby rattle, A-Star have created a shaker in keeping with history. This light weighted shaker is great for smaller hands, enabling younger children to shake, shake and shake some more. Exploring music and finding rhythm.
The Multi Shaker Shake
Three brightly coloured shapes built specifically to be shaken. If you’re feeling brave, you could attempt juggling the shakers continuing to make musical noise. A-Star have added these shape shakers quite recently to their collection and they are proving to be rather popular. The bright colours and added bonus of different shapes boosts children’s sensory and learning.
The Rhythm Shake
A typical percussion shaker which can be used in multiple instances and has been a staple within education for what feels like an uncountable amount of years. Say hello to the half-moon tambourine. A-Star have made this tambourine available in a variety of colours, increasing its attractiveness. You can create a mixture of sounds by shaking, banging the tambourine against your hip or clapping with the tambourine along to music. These are just a few ways to make music. Obviously, our fave is shaking because there’s nothing better! No justification needed. This is the easy option for a shaker, the hard part is which colour(s) will you choose?
The Sensory Shake
The non-traditional tambourine which has headed down the sensory route of design. In our eyes, a design that has been dying to happen. This reflective tambourine enhances children’s’ sensory skills, makes discovering music fun and encourages children to explore and develop. Bang, jingle and shake your way into a musical frenzy. Great for play groups, schools and of course sensory groups.
There's a type of shake for everybody! You've just got to work out which shaker style is for you. I hope this blog has helped you with that decision. If you need any further help, just comment below and I will get back to you.
