Electronic Press Kit
Bio
What is The Harmonica Pocket?
Equal parts silly & sweet, The Harmonica Pocket is a young-at-heart band bursting with songs you can’t help but hum.
From their cozy hometown of Port Townsend, Washington, they bring a musical playground wherever they go. The Harmonica Pocket has serenaded kids, parents, and everyone in between in theaters, parks, festivals, museums, schools, and libraries, from small rural towns to faraway cities.
Harmonica Pocket frontman Keeth Apgar was awarded the prestigious 2025 ASCAP Foundation Joe Raposo Children’s Music Award for his song Imperfection is a Gift.
Their shows are lively and joyful — full of catchy tunes, quirky props, and just the right amount of mischief to keep everyone on their toes.
Using a loop pedal like a musical magic trick, The Harmonica Pocket builds a band right before your ears. One by one, instruments like acoustic guitar, ukulele, bass, harmonicas, and even wah-wah guitar solos stack up into songs that feel fresh, colorful and full of life.
Every show is a two-way street, where kids (and their grownups!) are invited to jump in. At a Harmonica Pocket show there simply are no wrong answers — whether it’s making up playful rhymes, answering questions on the fly, or tossing out ideas that get spun into songs and the show in real time. When your words instantly grow into a song, it’s pure sparkle!
Along the way, The Harmonica Pocket sprinkles in special themed shows like Get Loose with Dr. Seuss, Singing Thanksgiving, and the early literacy adventure U is for Ukulele. They also offer creative educational workshops in songwriting, ukulele, movement, and music theory.
A more complete list of Shows & Workshops can be found below.
Their family album, Sing Your Song, has been called “A melodic dream” and is a bright and breezy collection of songs about being yourself, playing outside, and being itchy. Earlier albums Sundrops and Apple Apple earned Parents’ Choice Gold Awards and NAPPA Medals, seeding joy and pop-up family dance parties everywhere they’re played.
Harmonica Pocket's music is recorded in an off-grid studio powered by sunshine, and is currently bouncing around playlists all over the planet.
Catch a show and see why families roll home full of dance, giggles and rhyme.
Testimonials
A fantastic show! All I kept hearing from the audience and staff was how this might have been one of the best Saturday Family Concerts we have hosted this season. You really connected with the kiddos and made everyone feel like they were a part of the show.
Uplifting, entertaining, and a totally engaging children's program.
An acoustic treat.
Fun! Fun! Fun! Harmonica Pocket is definitely one of the most entertaining shows we have had. The kids were captivated for the entire program -- laughing, dancing, and singing along. The energy of this talented duo is really infectious!
Tell me more...
Here's what people we have worked with and have seen us in action are saying. References are available.
The musical equivalent of a big red balloon.
Amazing and electric....A magical world of color, song, and dance. They had the whole room singing. If you didn't book them this year by all means book them next year! One of the best children's shows I've ever attended.
These kid-friendly indie-pop folks are on the way to becoming big favorites.
Highly recommended! Proof positive that you don't need to be loud and crazy to hold a child's attention. It truly is one of the best programs I have seen!
The crowd was HOOKED! We are eager to welcome this wonderful duo back to Third Place.
Select Performance History
Where else do you play?
We perform in theaters, festivals, parks, museums, all-ages rock clubs, community centers, farms, schools, libraries and private events.
Below you'll find a well rounded list of relevant past shows. For upcoming performances check the calendar.
- Seattle Town Hall
- Thing Festival (Port Townsend, WA)
- Benaroya Hall / Seattle Symphony (Seattle, WA)
- Teatro Zinzanni (Seattle, WA)
- Edmonds Center for the Arts (Edmonds, WA)
- Marysville Opera House (Marysville, WA)
- Symphony Space (New York City, NY)
- Central Park NYC (New York, NY)
- MASS MoCA (North Adams, MA)
- Northwest Folklife (Seattle, WA)
- Timber Fest (Carnation, WA)
- Colombia Theatre for the Performing Arts (Longview, WA)
- Juan de Fuca Festival for the Arts (Port Angeles, WA)
- Seattle Art Museum (Seattle, WA)
- Seattle Children's Museum (Seattle, WA)
- Imagine Children's Museum (Everett, WA)
- Hands On Children's Museum (Olympia, WA)
- Bite of Oregon (Portland, OR)
- Powerhouse Theatre (Walla Walla, WA)
- Seattle Public Library System (Seattle, WA)
- King County Library System (WA)
- Sno-Isle Library System (WA)
- Timberline Regional Library System (WA)
- Multnomah County Library System (OR)
- Whatcom County Library System (WA)
- Spokane County Libraries (WA)
- ASCAP Songwriters at Pianos (New York City, NY)
- Festival Internacional de la Danza (Quito, Ecuador)
- Burningman (Black Rock City, NV)
Press Images
High-resolution images for print and web publications
Technical
Lets get technical
The Harmonica Pocket can provide a full sound system for audiences up to 200 people. Lets chat specifics about your venue to make sure our sound system is a good fit for your space.
If you are providing the sound system with sound tech, please read on…
Acoustic Solo / Duo technical needs
Below is a checklist of what we need you to provide if we are using your sound system. It may be helpful to look at our Solo Stageplot Diagram or Stageplot Diagram for Large Venues while reviewing this list.
- A professional quality sound system and professional sound technician
- 1 D.I. Box for a 1/4” guitar cable
- 2-3 vocal microphones on boom stands
- 1-2 onstage monitors, positioned according to stage plot
- 1 armless chair or low stool on stage
- Access to 2 electrical outlets within 15 feet of stage
- 1 medium sized table for off stage merchandise
- Open space on stage for hula hoop, dance, and play
Full band technical needs
Here is a link to our Full Band Stageplot Diagram. In addition to the checklist above we will also need you to provide:
- A microphone on boom stand for the upright bass amp
- Drum kit microphones as needed for the performance space
Shows and Performances
Here are descriptions of select programs we offer.
We're always dreaming up new shows and booking both in-person and virtual events.
Contact us if you'd like to connect with a reference, get details about our fees, or ask us anything — we got straight A’s in being helpful!
Sing Your Song
Open up your mouth and sing.
Everyone has a voice. In this light-hearted, engaging and playful music program, families with kids are empowered sing together. Ukuleles, acoustic guitars and harmonicas accompany silly and sweet songs about trees, bugs, counting and being itchy.
Learn original finger plays, nonsense rhymes and new words to old songs. "Singing Books" are brought to life with melody and music.
This program can be tailored to your audience's age range.
“I love a good noisy, flashy, high-energy show that has kids really jazzed up, but I also see such a need for the quiet, thoughtful, deliberate style that I first saw years ago in a Harmonica Pocket show and that has me inviting them back again and again.”
Singing Thanksgiving
Equipped with a ukulele, some vegetables and a suitcase full of props, The Harmonica Pocket celebrates the holidays with their seasonal program Singing Thanksgiving.
The interactive 50-minute set gets young and old alike singing American Folk tunes including Over the River, Turkey in the Straw and She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain. Audience members are invited to co-create and improvise lyrics on a Harmonica Pocket original song Give Thanks and sing names of harvest fruits and vegetables on Apple Apple.
Dance, fingerplays, a waltz with a pumpkin, and zany skits tie this thoughtful program up into a playful package.
“Amazing and electric...a magical world of color, song, and dance. They had the whole room singing. If you didn't book them this year by all means book them next year! One of the best children's shows I've ever attended.”
Rock-n-Read
Part story time / part sing-a-long, this lighthearted and engaging music program gets families singing and reading together.
Shows incorporate simple looping technology to build a band with wah-wah guitar solos, electric ukuleles and bass right in front of the audience's ears.
Packed with playfully-presented early literacy concepts children and their grownups create original rhymes to traditional folk songs; raise their voices to play with the alphabet’s many amusing sounds; and learn original finger plays, rhymes and new words to old songs.
Words fly and imaginations twirl as children are encouraged to let their creativity shine in a failure-free zone.
Yes, this show can be tailored to different audience age ranges including toddlers, preschoolers and school-aged children!
“Thanks for a wonderful show this morning! Our 2.5 year old was inspired and ran straight to his ukulele when we got home."
Get Loose with Seuss
Dr. Seuss, born on March 2, 1904 in Springfield Massachusetts, is an American Icon. Through setting a handful of his famous and lesser-known books to music, we get to know Theodor Seuss Geisel.
Audiences are invited to sing the words to Dr. Seuss's ABCs, One Fish Two Fish, and to help save the Whos on a giant speck of dust. We uncover the history behind the creation of Horton Hatches The Egg. And of course, to properly celebrate any centenarian's birthday, we sing Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss.
Contact us for specific dates and availability.
“I truly loved Get Loose with Seuss. It was great watching the faces of both kids and grownups light up during this magical program. This is a program to be enjoyed by every age! The creative combination of music and movement, featuring the books and words of Dr. Seuss captured the imaginative spirit in all of us.”
U is for Ukulele
The Harmonica Pocket brings the ABCs to life with their early literacy program "U is for Ukulele."
Designed for toddlers, preschoolers and kindergarteners, this show features ukuleles and acoustic instruments, harmonicas and catchy songs to get kiddos and parents excited about books and reading.
Favorite nursery rhymes, beloved books like Dr. Seuss's ABCs, original songs and fingerplays are mixed up with playful stories and improvisation to celebrate reading and the alphabet.
We sing, we rhyme, we pull enormous letters out from under our hats!
Sing. Wiggle. Read.
“Keeth creates a caring and empowering musical space that inspires children and families alike. His commitment to uplifting others through music is unmatched.”
Snowing Ice Cream
Put on a cozy hat and scarf and celebrate the magic of winter with books, ukuleles, and silly-sweet seasonal songs.
Families with kids are invited to learn finger plays, sing-alongs, and to wiggle and giggle with catchy tunes and jokes about snowmen, warm woolen mittens, and ice cream falling from the sky.
“The Harmonica Pocket, will win you over with its laid-back originals and quiet reworkings of traditional tunes.”
Workshops
Below are descriptions of select educational workshops we offer.
Community outreach and educational programming are where Harmonica Pocket truly shines — empowering and connecting with people of all ages.
As seasoned teaching artists, we bring decades of experience leading songwriting, music, and movement workshops for youth, adults, seniors, and intergenerational groups, everywhere from preschools to memory care facilities.
Our workshops infuse instructional settings with our signature light-hearted, creative approach, engaging students of all levels in joyful, arts-based learning.
How to Write a Rock Song
In this creative writing workshop, anyone and everyone is a songwriter.
Together we co-create an original song from scratch based on participant-powered ideas.
Facilitated by professional songwriter Keeth Apgar, we discuss musical concepts including rhythm, melody, tempo, and harmony. As we dig into the creative process we also touch upon the role of vowel sounds; play with creating images with words; dip into music theory and develop listening skills.
This is a folk art process, blending storytelling with songwriting. All voices are valued and included, without regard to "formal training" or "prior experience." An empowering container is established where there simply are no wrong answers.
The workshop can be tailored for all ages and levels, including young children, advanced music students and intergenerational groups. Prior musical training is welcome although not necessary. Time permitting we record a live version of our co-creation.
“I really loved your program - both for the new approach to songwriting but also for the way you teach and facilitate. Especially with an all ages group! It was very impressive and I learned a lot.”
University of Play
Sing, laugh, make weird faces and hilarious sounds. Welcome to the University of Play!
Imagine if all kids knew that they can absolutely play music and make art. In this unique music and improvisation workshop, teaching artist Keeth Apgar leads students in experimenting with playful possibilities for music making.
Using a tabletop looping station, some microphones and a suitcase of unusual "musical instruments," we play games with our voices, bodies and found objects. We toss around an imaginary Ball of Nothing. Through a series of exercises kids are invited to explore their voices and instruments and create original music.
Students who have been studying an instrument are invited to bring their instrument to this workshop. No experience necessary, only a spirit of playfulness!
“In my observations of Keeth's classes, I have been impressed with both his rapport with students and practical knowledge. His students are always engaged and at ease in his presence.”
Uke 101 . Ukulele for Everyone
Get some big fun out of this tiny instrument!
Learn the essentials of playing ukulele in this hands-on introductory workshop. With a playful and light-hearted approach, teaching artist Keeth Apgar will get you up and running on the ukulele, covering one- and two-finger chords, basic strumming, and fingerpicking techniques.
We’ll also dive into tuning, holding, and rocking out on the instrument. This class is perfect for beginners — No prior experience with music or ukulele is necessary.
“Keeth is a gifted teacher. His group management skills are honed and well practiced.”
Uke 201 . Next Level Ukulele
You’ve got the basics down: You can play a dozen open chords, strum in 4/4, and maybe even play some simple leads.
Now what?
In this intermediate ukulele class, we’ll help you break through your learning plateau and elevate your playing. We’ll dive into a range of rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic topics, including:
- Major and minor triad inversions across the entire fretboard
- Strumming in style — downbeats, upbeats, ties, and rests
- Soloing with major and minor pentatonic scales
Expanded classes explore some basic music theory concepts to understand how (and why!) chords get their names, and use a “Chord Ladder” to link chords into original progressions.
This class deepens foundational understanding of the ukulele and helps musicians synthesize new skills into next level jam sessions with other players.
No prior experience or reading music necessary. Intermediate and advanced students are welcome and will be offered parallel class challenges that meet them at their growing edge.
“The way The Harmonica Pocket delivers language and song is a treasure and very inspiring to teachers. They are natural educators.”
Music Theory Demystified
Ever wonder why a G chord is called a G chord?
Music Theory Demystified is a hands-on workshop for curious musicians of all levels who want to understand the why behind the what.
With a focus on ukulele, guitar or piano, we explore essential concepts like fretboard / keyboard layout, major scales, sharps and flats, major and minor chords, extended chords, how (and why) chords work together, and how to transpose songs into different keys.
This playful and light-hearted workshop series breaks down music theory into clear, approachable steps. From beginners brushing up on fundamentals to more seasoned players, students leave with a deeper, more confident understanding of their instrument and how music works.
Songwriters benefit from the creative spark that music theory provides — transforming its rules into tools for inspired ideas. No experience with reading music, music notation or formal training required. A basic familiarity with an instrument is helpful, but not necessary.
“I really appreciate how you distilled the information. It was really illuminating to me how you isolated aspects of the music then brought them together in such a loving and inclusive way.”
Minor Colors: Minor Chords and Scales on the Ukulele
While we’re all familiar with the bright, plunky sound of major chords on the ukulele, this workshop takes you into the deeper, darker, and more contrasting world of minor scales and chords.
In this session, we'll explore a range of melodic and harmonic topics, including:
• Natural Minor and Harmonic Minor scales
• Minor triads and their inversions up the fretboard
• Understanding chord and scale roots and how to use them
• Common (and some uncommon!) chord progressions in minor keys
• Soloing with minor pentatonic scales
Along the way we pull back the curtain on some basic music theory concepts to help broaden your understanding of both the ukulele and music as a whole.
“That was wonderful. My brain is exploding! ”
Hula Hoop It Up
Hula Hooping improves coordination, flexibility, concentration, builds kinesthetic awareness, and is irresistibly fun.
Hula Hoop Basics
In Hula Hoop Basics participants begin by building custom-sized hoops. Through a hands-on process students cut, join, and decorate loops of PVC tubing. Then, we move on to learning the basics of hooping, including beginner tricks and dances. We play a variety of hula hoop games depending on group size, age, and ability. This is med-high energy cardiovascular activity.
Advanced Hula Hooping
In this workshop, students with prior hooping experience build on their skills, adding advanced tricks, stalls, and illusions using their hoops. Students build confidence in improvising and linking moves together. We discuss and practice original dance ideas and choreographed sequences. We finish the class with an open-play session where students freely explore working with their hoops along to music.
Hula hooping workshops can be tailored for all ages, all levels, and all movement styles. Come prepared to sweat and have a good time.
Requirements
• Large, open, indoor space with sufficient room to move. In warm weather a dry, grassy outdoor space can work.
• Ideal group size is around 12 - 20 students. Maximum group size is 30 students.
• A materials fee will apply to cover PVC rolls, joiners, and tape. Alternatively we can provide hoops for the duration of the class. If we are making hoops with students we also need access to hot water (~180 degrees) for the hoop joining process, or electricity to run an electric teapot.
• For school and library groups, additional support of at least one supervising adult.
Contact Us
We’d love to come play for you! Let us know if you need anything else.
We’ll follow up via email. Or singing telegram if you insist.