Open Ears

About Open Ears

Podcast producer and host Alain McFadden chats to a guest for each episode. Together they listen to music released on Crash Records, sparking honest reactions and open conversations.

Publisher

Crash Ensemble Podcast

Category

music

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

3 Sept 2023

Latest episode

2 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

21 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   2 Oct 2026

   Doireann Ní Ghlacáin | Open Ears - A Crash Ensemble Podcast Season 4, Episode 4

   Open Ears Podcast – Season 4, Episode 4 In each episode of Open Ears, podcast host and producer Alain McFadden invites a guest to listen to a recording from Crash Ensemble’s catalogue. Together, they share first impressions, personal reflections, and explore the ideas, emotions, and stories the music inspires. For the fourth episode of Season 4, Alain is joined by broadcaster, musician, and academic Doireann Ní Ghlacáin. Together, they listen to ‘Singing Sands’ by Lara Weaver. About ‘Singing Sands’: Singing Sands, written for the Crash Ensemble, is composed from Weaver’s field recordings of the singing sand dunes of the Rub’ al-Khali (Empty Quarter) desert in the Arabian Peninsula. The piece attunes to these unusual sounds through composed materials derived from my recording of a dune singing in late afternoon. Just as the sound of the dunes has been most often described by likening it to different instrumental timbres, Weaver was curious: how might a stringed instrument ‘sing’ like sand, or a trombone ‘boom’ like a dune? How can a group of musicians tune in to the resonance of the desert? Specific instrumental effects and musical gestures prompt members of the ensemble to engage with the dune’s harmonic and timbral characteristics, illuminating latent aspects. The broader expressive gestures of the piece are then inspired by the sentiments she observed towards the singing dunes: to those who live in the desert here, the sound is a curiosity, a warning or a sign of something ominous, something that inspires awe and spiritual significance, but also a sound that has come to mean a place to gather peacefully (for it is difficult to sneak up on someone when the sand booms from your footsteps). In the vast quiet of the deep desert, the singing of the sands invites a slow listening, attuning to the sounds of the earth, holding space for what might emerge. Presented by: Alain McFadden Music featured: Singing Sands (2025, by Lara Weaver, performed by Crash Ensemble Host: Alain McFadden Guest: Doireann Ní Ghlacáin ‘Singing Sands’ was commissioned by Crash through our Crash Works programme. It premiered live at New Music Dublin. Crash Works is a commission and development hub for music creators at pivotal stages of their careers, offered in partnership with Crash Ensemble and New Music Dublin. These new works are the culmination of a two-year programme of support, mentoring and development, during which each creator has been given the opportunity to investigate and develop new works. Find out more about: Doireann Ní Ghlacáin ~ https://www.instagram.com/doireannnighlacain (https://www.instagram.com/doireannnighlacain) Lara Weaver ~ https://laraweaver41.wixsite.com/composer (https://laraweaver41.wixsite.com/composer) Crash Ensemble ~ www.crashensemble.com/about

2. 

   28 Aug 2026

   Anna Mieke | Open Ears - A Crash Ensemble Podcast Season 4, Episode 3

   Open Ears Podcast – Season 4, Episode 3 In each episode of Open Ears, podcast host and producer Alain McFadden invites a guest to listen to a recording from Crash Ensemble’s catalogue. Together, they share first impressions, personal reflections, and explore the ideas, emotions, and stories the music inspires. For the third episode of Season 4, Alain is joined by acclaimed singer songwriter Anna Mieke. Together, they listen to ‘Grey Area’ by Sam Perkin (2019). Blending the essence of street skateboarding with contemporary music, Grey Area is a hypnotic journey through the streets, leading us to secrets that we find only if we are open to them. Grey Area is a skateboarding film with live original score, available to view on Crash Ensemble's Youtube channel. Shot and edited by skate photographer and videographers Niall O’Byrne and Sam Curtin. Composed by Sam Perkin. Performed by Crash Ensemble. Grey Area was commissioned by Engage Arts Festival, Bandon to the Sea with funds from the Arts Council. This was the very first release on Crash Records, Crash Ensemble’s own label. Find out more about: Anna Mieke ~ www.islandermusic.net/anna-mieke Sam Perkin ~ www.samperkincomposer.com/ Crash Ensemble ~ www.crashensemble.com/about Presented by: Alain McFadden Music featured: Grey Area (2019, by Sam Perkin, performed by Crash Ensemble Host: Alain McFadden Guest: Anna Mieke

3. 

   31 Jul 2026

   Peter Broderick | Open Ears - A Crash Ensemble Podcast Season 4, Episode 2

   Open Ears Podcast – Season 4, Episode 2In each episode of Open Ears, podcast host and producer Alain McFadden invites a guest to listen to a recording from Crash Ensemble’s catalogue. Together, they share first impressions, personal reflections, and explore the ideas, emotions, and stories the music inspires.For the second episode of Season 4, Alain is joined by acclaimed musician and composer Peter Broderick. Together, they listen to ‘Invitation to a Journey’ by Deirdre Gribbin. The piece was a co-production by Crash Ensemble, CoisCéim Dance Company, and Fishamble: The New Play Company, for their theatre piece of the same name, which showcased the life and work of Eileen Gray. Gray is one of Ireland's most important artists as an architect and furniture designer and a pioneer of the Modern Movement in architecture. The piece was performed at the Galway International Arts Festival and released August 11, 2021.Deirdre is an award-winning composer who was born in Belfast. She is a graduate of Queen’s University, Belfast and Guildhall School of Music, London. She received her doctorate from the University of London. She subsequently was a Visiting Arts Fellow at Trinity College, Cambridge and in 2013 was awarded a Sir Winston Churchill Fellowship for research on arts and disability programmes in the USA and Canada. She is a Fulbright Fellow and studied at Princeton University (USA).Deirdre has always been interested in the juxtaposition of drama and concert music. Find out more about:Peter Broderick ~ www.peterbroderick.net Deirdre Gribbin ~ www.deirdregribbin.com Crash Ensemble ~ https://www.crashensemble.com/aboutPresented by: Alain McFaddenMusic featured: Invitation to a Journey (2021), by Deirdre Gribbin, performed by Crash EnsembleHost: Alain McFaddenGuest: Peter Broderick

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

171,362

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 49 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

41

Social presence

0

YouTube

82

Engagement

60

Contact Open Ears

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.