Music Tech Partners Support Inclusive Education

Technology in Music Education UK (TiME UK) has announced a new partnership with Technology in Music Education USA (TI:ME USA), bringing together two organisations working to support the confident, creative and inclusive use of music technology in education.

The collaboration will create an international platform for educators, industry partners and music organisations to share best practice, develop new approaches and strengthen the links between music technology, inclusion and professional development. It will also support wider conversations around how digital and adaptive tools can help more children and young people take part in meaningful music-making.

Founded in 2019, TiME UK supports teachers, music leaders and practitioners to make effective use of technology in classrooms, music services, special schools and community settings. The organisation works to connect product developers with real-world education practice, helping companies understand the needs of teachers and learners while giving educators access to tools, training and insight from the wider music technology sector.

TiME UK now has a membership of more than 1,000 people and works with a range of leading music technology brands, including Ableton, Yamaha, Sontronics, Woojer, Digit Music, Robkoo, Soundbeam and Arcana Instruments. Through events, continuing professional development, partnerships and advocacy, the organisation aims to help music educators feel better equipped to use technology in ways that are practical, musical and inclusive.

The new partnership with TI:ME USA will support knowledge exchange between the UK and US, with a particular focus on accessible music technology, adaptive instruments, inclusive teaching approaches, digital tools, research, advocacy and professional development models. By sharing learning across both countries, the organisations hope to help educators access wider expertise, examples of practice and resources that can be adapted to their own settings.

For Music Mark members and the wider music education sector, the partnership reflects a growing recognition that technology has an important role to play in enabling access, progression and creative agency. Adaptive and digital instruments can remove barriers for disabled young people and learners with additional needs, while music production, sequencing, recording and performance technologies can open up new routes into composition, collaboration and musical expression.

With millions of young people in both countries requiring additional educational support, TiME UK and TI:ME USA hope the collaboration will help schools, music services, hubs, specialist settings and community organisations draw on a broader pool of expertise. The partnership will also offer opportunities for industry to hear directly from educators and young people, supporting the development of products and training that respond to genuine classroom and community needs.

Kate Rounding, Executive Director of TiME UK, said:

“Music tech companies need trusted routes into education. We’ve seen great success in putting products in front of teachers, music services, SEND practitioners and young people, while feeding real-world classroom insight back to industry. This exciting new partnership strengthens the bridge between industry, classrooms and young creators in both the UK and US.”

Richard Llewellyn, CEO of TiME UK, added:

“Music technology has become central to how young people create music, but many educators lack the training, confidence, equipment knowledge or sector connections to use it meaningfully. By working more closely with our colleagues in the US, we can share learning, amplify good practice and help more educators explore what is possible.”

TiME UK is already working across continuing professional development, adaptive technology, corporate partnerships, specialist settings, Music Mark, Music & Drama Education Expo and the Inclusive Music Consortium. The organisation sees the new partnership as an opportunity to build on this work, strengthen international links and support a more connected approach to music technology in education.

To find out more about TiME UK, its membership and its work with educators and industry partners, visit timemusicuk.org.

Read the full press release

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