Sounds of the Downs – Get your Ringtones here!
  The Sounds of the Downs Project was aimed at young people between the ages of 14 and 17. The Kent Downs AONB Unit commissioned Chalkfoot Theatre Arts to develop young people’s awareness of the unique and important nature of their surrounding countryside. The project employed professional musician Peter Cook to work with young people from the Kent Downs to make a CD of musical tracks inspired by the sounds of the countryside.

This exciting project is now completed. Four youth groups from Wye, Doddington, Petham and Temple Ewell worked hard with Peter Cook to finish their ‘Country Music’ with a difference.

The young people recorded a variety of sounds from the Kent Downs environment including sheep, trains, ducks, rivers, birds and church bells. They used these sounds to make collage and rap tracks for the ‘Sounds of the Downs’ CD. Some of the participants used their own musical instruments to compose a song about the Kent Downs inspired by the recorded sounds.

The project produced a handbookto accompany the CD detailing each groups work. The CD and handbook are available from the Kent Downs AONB Unit.

Peter Cook, an acclaimed musician in his own right, runs his own music company – Big Bash Music - and has recently undertaken a number of groundbreaking educational music projects. The project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

For more information about this project please contact Catherine Brady at the Kent Downs AONB Unit.