Raising the Bar at the Center School

The Recorder 

June 7, 2005

It looks a bit like a xylophone from another planet and the soft, resonant tones do sound otherworldly, but the newest addition to the Greenfield Center School’s play area is a custom-made instrument called a Pegasus Metalophone.

The Greenfield Kiwanis Foundation, which has a long history of supporting children in the Greenfield area, donated the money to purchase the metalophone, and members of the Greenfield Kiwanis Club installed the instrument over Memorial Day weekend.

According to Holly Brooks, vice president of the club, “Helping provide safe and fun play equipment and structures for kids is one of the most rewarding things I do with the club. It’s not just writing a check, it’s being a part of the creation of the project and being there to see how happy it makes the kids. The motto of our club is ‘We build.'”

The metalophone was custom made with 23 resonated aluminum bars with mirroring scales of C major and A minor. The Freenotes Co., which designed the instrument, promotes accessible music for children by specializing in instruments that are made to be installed outside in parks and playgrounds.