 In 1979 he joined the Staff Band of the Royal Army Medical under the direction of Major Peter Parkes and attended the Royal Military School of Music (Kneller Hall) the same year.In 1982 Clarke started his studies as a composition student at the Royal Academy of Music and also joined the Band of the Irish Guards which he served with until 1986.Clarke feels that some of his early setbacks in life, both at school, and as a junior bandsman in the Royal Marines Band Service are down to the fact that he has dyslexia.