Learning with Found Material: Melodys of Earth and Sky

How can "found material" help unlock musical creativity? 

This was the question guiding 'Melodys of Earth and Sky', NMC's recent partnership with Southwark Schools Learning Partnership (SSLP) which began in summer 2025 and concluded its first phase in April 2026.

Led by composer Julian Philips and educator Dr Steven Berryman, the project combined in-school workshops, mentoring sessions, and the development of a new educational resource for teachers. 

Supporting composers Amy Crankshaw and Joseph Graydon played a key role in mentoring students throughout the process. Across the initial workshops and subsequent mentoring sessions, participants explored a range of compositional techniques, focusing on writing original works for violin and clarinet. The project mirrored Julian Philips’ own compositional approach in his work Melodys of Earth and Sky, particularly his use of “found” material as a creative stimulus. 

Students were introduced to new approaches to instrumental writing and had the opportunity to collaborate directly with professional musicians. These interactions proved highly impactful, with musicians demonstrating extended techniques and alternative sound worlds, encouraging students to expand their creative thinking and musical language. 

“Julian was very positive and encouraging about the music I was writing. It was great to see a well-respected composer taking a serious interest in my music.” 

KS5 Melodys participant

A total of seven schools participated in the project, with fourteen Year 12 students registering. Participants were selected by their schools based on their interest in composition and limited prior access to enrichment opportunities in this area. Recruitment was led by SSLP and intentionally brought together students from both state and independent schools, fostering collaboration and resource-sharing across different educational settings. 

Alongside the student programme, a steering group of teachers worked with Dr Steven Berryman to develop a new digital composition resource. This resource, launching in early 2026, is designed to support secondary music teachers in delivering composition at GCSE and A Level. It focuses on the use of “found” musical material - an approach inspired by the fiddle tunes collected by poet John Clare in the Northamptonshire countryside - offering an accessible and flexible framework for classroom use.

Access the Melodys of Earth and Sky Education Pack here (opens Dropbox link)

If you would like to learn more about NMC's Education work or discuss future project, please feel free to reach out to us at education@nmcrec.co.uk