Ear Opener – How to Write Music
 
A free how-to guide that demystifies the process of writing music, aimed at young people aged 14-20 who may not have access to formal training in music.
 
Ear Opener is a series of videos and a website designed for use in secondary schools and accessible to anyone who wants to write music, with content freely available to watch on YouTube. Created by our Artistic Director and renowned composer Paul Clark, featuring candid interviews from celebrated musicians and composers from across the genre spectrum.
 
Ear Opener draws on over 15 years’ experience of working in secondary schools and has been created in consultation with music teachers and students. Our Living Room Music project currently runs at three London state schools, delivering inspiring composition masterclasses and bringing professional musicians in to schools to record and perform student pieces. In 2018-19, participating students achieved an average composition score of 73% (grade A) – significantly above the national average.
 
“These videos are an excellent learning tool for students, and an excellent professional development tool for teachers. It’s a great way to try out new things, and they lead to students progressing and enjoying lessons.”
Liene Putnina, Head of Music, Brampton Manor Academy
 
 
Making Performance – workshop for students in key stages 4, 5 and Higher Education
 
The Making Performance workshop shares Clod Ensemble’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to devising performance.
 
Director Suzy Willson trained with legendary theatre and movement teacher Jacques Lecoq in Paris. This training has had a profound impact on the way Suzy creates and edits material, sourcing movement qualities from music, nature and visual art. The workshop will reveal methods for creating performance using music as a stimulus and will also explore what impact music has on what we see on stage. The workshop will be led by an associate artist of the company.
 
The workshop is suitable for any Performing Arts students in Key Stages 4 and 5 – Drama, Dance, Music – and has been created specifically tailored for students enrolled on:
• A Level Drama and Theatre Studies – both Edexcel and AQA syllabuses – with focus on the devising component.
• BTEC Level 3 Performing Arts – with focus on Units 26 (physical theatre techniques), 22 (movement in performance) and 21 (improvisation).
 
“I am sitting to the side of the workshop now and observing delight and curiosity all around… Clod Ensemble has sparked some sparks at Sussex!”
Dr Arabella Stanger, Lecturer in Drama at University of Sussex on our Making Performance workshop
 
“The workshop really inspired me and left me with lots of ideas. It was clear, concise and fun!”
Participating student
 
To arrange a workshop with your school, please contact Kit Denison, [email protected] or call us on 020 7749 0555. Fee: £200 for a 2.5 hour workshop.
 
 
Bring your students to experience our performances
 
Clod Ensemble creates provocative, finely crafted performance driven by movement and music. Wherever possible, we work with venues to offer school groups reduced ticket prices to our performances. See our What’s On page for upcoming performances. To enquire about ticket offers, please contact Kit Denison, [email protected] or call us on 020 7749 0555.
 
“Clod Ensemble’s ‘On The High Road’ was a brilliant show to take my Drama class too, and they all left feeling inspired. It was refreshing for them to see a contemporary live theatrical production that incorporated music, theatre and dance but which wasn’t a ‘Musical’ or ‘Brechtian’. The show had high production values, and was perfect for students to use when evaluating and analysing live Theatre. I would thoroughly recommend for any Drama & Theatre studies A level student to see.”
Marc Dodi, Head of Performing Arts at Strode’s College, Surrey