Product category:
Design services
News Release from: Open Ear
Edited by the Marketingservicestalk Editorial
Team on 06 July 2007
Open Ear adds music to creative design
Open Ear is new business venture that is set to put music at the forefront of Scotland's flourishing creative design industry and complement commercial settings with the right sounds.
Open Ear is a design company with a difference, using music in a creative way to help clients sound unique across the leisure, commercial and business sectors The company's ideas have already been creating soundwaves in the design industry, with a Creative Pioneer award from Nesta (National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts) and a major contract in Scotland's design and architecture centre, the Lighthouse
The first of its kind in Scotland, Open Ear provides a music design consultancy and online music delivery service to clients.
Founded on the belief that the right music is as central to brand success and customer loyalty as interior, lighting, and layout design, Open Ear hopes to revolutionise the use of music in commercial settings.
As a music psychology graduate, Open Ear Director and Founder Brian Harvey has been aware of the positive - and negative - effects of different music environments since student days.
A Masters degree in Sound Design at Edinburgh University convinced him that the most up to date web technology could deliver bespoke music to clients in a way that could react to a variety of factors, such as time of day, and that could be designed alongside visual and interior aspects of their business.
In 2006, he was selected as one of Nesta's Creative Pioneers, which allowed him to develop his business idea to win financial backing from the Princes Scottish Youth Business Trust and a Business Growth through Innovation award from Glasgow City Council.
The expert technical and artistic design aspect of Open Ear's approach is crucial, Harvey says, to distinguish Open Ear from "background music" or "Muzak" companies already in the marketplace.
Working in conjunction with acclaimed internet radio station Radio Magnetic, the company will be able to be design music to be reactive to the crucial factor of time of day, by offering an array of web streaming solutions to their clients.
Harvey explained: "Instead of places having to play the same compilation CDs over and over, the ever increasing speed of broadband internet combined with our innovative web-radio technology allows us to keep music sounding fresh and constantly up-to-date.
"Music is often considered a poor cousin compared to more accepted visual design practices but at Open Ear we know how it can be used creatively to create an aesthetic and atmosphere to the benefit of all".
Harvey's ideas have already been given a huge endorsement at the heart of Scotland's most prestigious design and architecture centre, The Lighthouse, Glasgow, with a contract from the Doocot restaurant at the Lighthouse.
The Doocot is popular meeting place for designers and creatives, as well as a place where visitors to the gallery can stop for a coffee, meal and chat.
Open Ear has designed for the Doocot music that focuses on contemporary Scottish music from labels, artists and bands from Scotland selected to fit perfectly with the newly redesigned Vitra interior and function of the space.
The design provides a natural extension from the rest of the Lighthouse building as a centre for Scottish design and exhibition space.
The focus on Scottish music provides the Doocot with a permanent sound installation that will help attract visitors to the gallery to spend time and money in the restaurant.
Harvey also believes his company could have a significant impact on the growing Scottish contemporary music industry.
He points out that promoting the use of sound in this way also provides a platform for music labels to showcase their music to an alternative and international audience.
For the Lighthouse project, Open Ear partnered with several different independent labels sourced from all over the country and Harvey is keen to build relationships that will benefit both his clients and the music industry.
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