"EAR UP INCUBATION" Hong Kong music mentoring programme shows young local indie musicians a way to build a Hong Kong music ecology

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach - 1 December 2020 - Now in its fourth year, "Ear Up Incubation" programme invites six local industry masters including Adrian Chow, Veronica Lee, Alok Leung, Gaybird Leung, Teddy Robin and James Ting to empower 18 groups of new Hong Kong music talent through an all-round mentorship.

Live shows and concerts

Apart from dedicated small group mentorship sessions, the programme also includes a series of performance workshops and international forums for young musicians to enhance live performance skills, understand the latest industry trends and discover potential collaboration opportunities. Livehouse showcases and school showcases are also arranged for participants to gain performance experience and build up a fanbase. All the participants are selected through open recruitment and audition process organised by Ear Up Music.

Fostering new Hong Kong music

Ear Up Music was set by Renaissance Foundation Hong Kong to develop a sustainable and diverse music ecology in the industry, and nurture rising young music stars. Sponsored by Create Hong Kong (a Government unit that aims to develop Hong Kong into a regional creative capital) since 2016, the label has now created the "Ear Up Incubation" programme to spotlight new music in Hong Kong and in neighbouring regions and beyond.

Young Hong Kong musicians on a mission

The music industry in Asia is going through a renaissance at the moment, with musical phenomena like K-pop even attracting a global audience, as societies worldwide becoming more open to diverse strains of music styles. In Hong Kong, Cantopop is still the dominant musical genre, but the city is also embracing a growth in independent music. Groups of young local musicians are on a mission to bring the Hong Kong music industry to a new heyday.

A helping hand

But there are challenges. Ear Up Music understands that lack of professional training and guidance are the main stumbling blocks for new musical talent to break through the homogeneity of the local music industry. To help overcome these issues, the label created "Ear Up Incubation" to help local independent musicians be equipped with label establishment knowledge and find suitable career paths for their strengths through a series of practical training sessions and workshops.

Preparing for the world

Mr YUEN Chi-Chung, a veteran music producer and the project director of this year's Ear Up Incubation explained that, "The programme provides opportunities for young indie musicians to broaden their musical vision and gain insights into the industry by interacting with experts from different sectors. In this way they can identify what they need to improve and be better prepared for the international stage."

THE BIG FESTIVAL FINALE
After the all-round training and preparation, 12 groups of outstanding mentees will be selected from the programme to showcase their music in the Ear Up Music Festival in January 2021 at Macpherson Stadium, Hong Kong.

Don't miss the show

Four major awards including the "Ear Up Grand Prize", the "Ear Up Creativity Award", the "Ear Up Performance Award" and the "Ear Up Audience Award" will be given to the best performers in each category. Eman Lam, a local singer and Rubber Band, a popular local Cantopop Band, who are both from another project Ear Up Global, will also perform during the show. Details of the festival will be announced in mid-December. Stay tuned to Ear Up Music social media so you won't miss this exciting festival of new Hong Kong music.

Date: 22 -- 24 January 2021 (Friday -- Sunday)

Venue: Macpherson Stadium, Hong Kong

Ticketing: Free Entry (Details will be announced in mid-December on Ear Up Music social media platforms)

18 Groups of Hong Kong Mentees

Gigi Cheung graduated from the Drama School of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) in 2016. She is currently a model and TV host at Viu TV. With a background of learning classical piano at an early age, Gigi's music style is deeply influenced by theatre and classical music. Gigi has also started her role as a singer-songwriter and composed solos in recent years.

Formed in 2016, Chonotenki literally means "super happy-go-lucky" in Japanese and embodies their enthusiasm for life and passion for music. All four of them are vastly different in character, but have been brought together by a perfect music climate. Although Hong Kong is going through its ups and downs, the band would like to share their positiveness and "funk up" the city with their music.

Andy is typing... is an alternative rock band originated from Hong Kong in 2016. With musical influences ranging from alternative rock classics like Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers to British bands like Oasis, even some Japanese rock bands, Andy is typing... loves to write punchy and explosive, yet emotional and expressive music, with twists. Andy is Typing... released their debut single <Take A Break> in April 2017. This is a love song written by JKY, one of the four band members, to express his fatigue over being involved in complicated modern relationships. The release of <Take A Break> managed to reach #1 on iTunes Hong Kong in the rock category.

Inspired by John Lennon and Beyond, TAOTAO believes 'a big group hug and a massive dance party' is what the world needs right now. This has driven her to become a singer-songwriter. Her love for music inspired TAOTAO to further her studies in music and production instead of political economy. She received vocal and songwriting training at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood and has performed with her band throughout Los Angeles. Her western journeys in London and LA have shaped her musical style of R&B and pop with an electronic touch.

Polypumpkins is a Hong Kong-based duo band which focuses on electronic music. Their recent works consist of Synthwave and Chillout music. With distinctive musical backgrounds and diverse experiences across different fields, Dominic and Pion work diffuse rich electronic flavours with heavily synthesized sounds. Their music target is to bring audiences on a special journey of ups and downs, without a fixed boundary of musical genres.

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Ear Up Music Social Media

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/earupmusic

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/earupmusic

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/earupmusic/

About Ear Up Music

Ear Up Music is a music label that spotlights new music of Hong Kong to its neighbouring regions and beyond. The label, established by Renaissance Foundation Hong Kong in 2016, runs numerous projects from talent development to showcase events that connect with global music networks. These projects, mainly sponsored by Create Hong Kong of the HKSAR Government, include Ear Up Incubation, Ear Up Global, Ear Up Tour and Ear Up Gig On.

In 2018, we founded Ear Hub to curate the latest developments in the Hong Kong, Asian and International music, media, production and interactive industry.  Ear Hub is an international music conference and festival that offers an audiovisual feast as well as a cordial environment to initiate cross-border collaborations for music lovers and professionals.