Download The Farmer`s Cheese: A piece of music theatre for children with

The Farmer's Cheese:
A composer’s perspective of artistic and practical decisions
Oliver Searle
Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
Glasgow
UK.
BACKGROUND:
This presentation describes the development and performance of a piece of music theatre
for children with cochlear implants. The work was commissioned by MED-EL and was
completed with the support of the RSAMD. The author is a professional composer, who has
worked on several projects involving the development of music for people with cochlear
implants.
METHODS:
The music theatre work, The Farmers Cheese, is based on a children's picture book by Geoff
Plant and Jane Eldershaw. It was performed by a six-piece ensemble and two actors.
The work is divided into two sections:
(1) The story is narrated by the actors accompanied by the ensemble. Each instrument
features as one of the characters in the story.
(2) The story is performed without words, with the musicians taking on the role of
individual characters.
RESULTS
Around fifty children with cochlear implants attended the performances. Due to their age,
around 4-8 years, no formal attempt was made to measure the reactions of the children to
the performance. All of the parents however, reported that the children had greatly enjoyed
the work.
CONCLUSION
The work has been recorded and will be released as a CD/DVD set. A separate study is
planned to assess the reactions of children, their parents and teachers to the recorded work.
The presenter will discuss how his experiences with CI users and various cochlear implant
professionals influenced the general construction and presentation of The Farmer's Cheese.