Ear Opener
Ear Opener is a learning programme created by our Artistic Director Paul Clark which supports music creators and anyone who teaches them.
Ear Opener delivers both in-person work with schools and a popular digital offering via our YouTube channel. The programme harnesses the creativity and ambition of young music-makers, providing musicians – whatever their musical backgrounds, interests and influences – with the tools to make the most of their compositional ideas.
Drawing on over fifteen years’ experience, Ear Opener is created in consultation with music teachers, students and working professionals. This process of collaborative creation results in relevant, high quality resources which support the next generation of musicians as well as advocating for healthier musical life within schools.
Videos
Presented by Paul Clark, our online masterclasses demystify the process of writing music. Ear Opener videos focus on some of the most common compositional hurdles faced by musicians. The videos provide advice on a broad array of topics, from structuring your music to writing melodies and chord progressions, as well as the less technical side – dealing with writer’s block, low confidence, knowing when a piece is finished and so on. By providing practical, accessible ways of overcoming issues, Ear Opener’s videos will be of use to both beginners and those further along on their musical journey.
The Ear Opener YouTube channel features candid interviews with celebrated musicians and composers from across the genre spectrum. Artists who have appeared on our channel include legendary producer Brian Eno, composer/saxophonist Cassie Kinoshi, Radiohead guitarist Ed O’Brien, film/TV composer Isobel Waller-Bridge, hip-hop artist Lowkey and many more. Ear Opener’s videos have been viewed more than 350,000 times on YouTube and the channel boasts more than 12,000 subscribers.
Schools
We run in-school composition workshops and one-to-one mentoring sessions which focus on harnessing the creativity and confidence of music students.
Our schools work is primarily undertaken with GCSE and A-Level Music students in secondary state schools. Making the transition from GCSE to A-Level can be a daunting undertaking for many young people, particularly for those who have not had the chance to develop a firm grasp of classical or jazz music theory/history.
The Ear Opener schools programme is designed to help musical minds thrive during this crucial period of their development. Taking as the starting point the music that learners actually like listening to themselves, our sessions allow students to think about composition in dynamic, transformative ways.
The programme provides young people with the opportunity to work with professional composers and musicians. It is a space in which they can share ways of thinking about form and arrangement, helping them to turn a promising idea into a finished, authentic piece of music. We create bespoke learning offerings for different schools, gearing the sessions more towards writing for live instruments or using digital technology as befits the school in question.
Ear Opener has been proven to have a consistent and demonstrable positive impact on learning. The average grade for students who attend Ear Opener sessions as part of their composition modules is A/9.
We also offer workshops geared towards syllabuses beyond Music GCSE/A-Level. These include Music Technology A-Level and vocational courses undertaken at institutions such as University of the Arts London. Ear Opener can also provide online services for music students, usually in the form of feedback sessions on works-in-progress.
Teachers
Since launching in 2006 Ear Opener has worked with teachers to develop resources, techniques and opportunities which help them do their work to the highest standard.
Many teachers confess that teaching composition is a part of the syllabus they find particularly challenging. Ear Opener works directly with teachers to improve their composition teaching skills. Our offering ranges from one-to-one advice sessions to group insets for secondary-level music departments in which we encourage dialogue and share strategies to take into the classroom.
Whether you would like to build confidence in teaching composition, are confused by aspects of your syllabus or how it is marked, want ways to give constructive feedback to your students or simply wish to refresh your skills, Ear Opener’s opportunities are an effective and enjoyable way to reinvigorate your teaching.
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If you are in a position to support us to continue to engage, inspire and teach young music makers, please consider making a donation to Clod Ensemble.
