Since qualifying as a music specialist primary school teacher (B.Ed Hons) back in 1994 Karen has worked across the Music Education Sector.
Early Childhood Music
Having recently completed her MA in Education (Early Childhood Music) with distinction Karen continues to specialise in Early Childhood Music, mentoring practitioners, and working in partnership with organisations to develop and implement innovative projects. In addition to this Karen is responsible, along with her husband Mike Eaves, for the creation and ongoing management of a range of early years music projects.
Karen’s work in other sectors of Music Education includes:
Access To Music Ltd (2002 – 2010)
On behalf of Access To Music Karen set up and managed the British Academy of New Music, their flagship centre in London. Karen created a music teacher-training programme along with Ange Durcan providing a team of musicians with a teaching qualification and she also managed the daily running of the British Academy.
Karen subsequently became line manager for Access To Music Centres in Birmingham, Norwich, Southend and Bristol, and curriculum and quality advisor for partner FE colleges including Greenwich, Worcester, Leicester, Kensington and Chelsea and Redbridge College.
Karen’s role evolved to include bid writing, and she designed, bid for funding and project managed a number of initiatives including:
- Music Outreach Project. (Co-funded by ESF and East London LSC.) An award winning engagement project for 13 – 19 year olds across East London. This project incorporated songwriting, recording, and performing over 300 children from 10 participant schools in East London, including Pupil Referral Units, SEN schools and Academies.
- STEP – Supporting Talent to Enterprise. (Co-funded by ESF and the LDA.) A pan-London inclusion project providing mentoring and work experience. This project incorporated young musicians working alongside professionals whilst undertaking qualifications and gaining work experience in various aspects of the music industry with support and mentoring to develop careers as self employed artists.
- Electronic Peer Mentoring – (Funded by LSIS Flexibility and Innovation Fund.) This project piloted the implementation of an electronic peer mentoring system, and developed an accredited qualification in e-peer mentoring.
During this employment Karen undertook a secondment to Specialist Schools and Academies Trust for a year to join a team preparing secondary school teachers in the East of England to deliver of the 14 – 19 Diploma (Creative and Media).
With the support of the Sector Skills Council Creative and Cultural Skills I successfully lobbied government, then created a music apprenticeship for freelance musicians working with professional mentors. This was funded directly by the LSC and piloted across Manchester, Norwich, Bristol and London.
Advisory Group Memberships:
Chair of the Pan London FE Music Education group.
Member of the Mayoral steering group for music apprenticeships in London.
Awards:
Karen was thrilled to receive the Culture and Diversity Award sponsored by Arts Council England, and presented by Sir George Martin at BAFTA for the Music Outreach Project.
Redbridge College: (1998 – 2002)
Karen was promoted rapidly through the following roles during her time at Redbridge College: Part time Music Lecturer (1998 – 1999), Senior Music Lecturer (1999 – 2000) and finally Programme Manager for Music, English and History (2000 – 2002) before being headhunted to set up and launch the British Academy of New Music on behalf of Access To Music in 2002.
During her time at Redbridge college Karen undertook delivery of FE contemporary popular music courses and enrichment programmes. She was responsible for staff management and quality assurance responsibilities for all music, english and history programmes within the College, and successfully led her departments through Ofsted Inspections under Curriculum 2000.
Karen also simultaneously held responsibility for management of a satellite centre in Willesden running popular music courses.
She was selected to join the cross college observation and assessment team, and also the college steering group for quality assurance.
Training
Whilst at Redbridge College Karen undertook ACER Management Training – a one-year management training programme covering change management, mentoring, team work and communication skills.