We’re thrilled that TiME: Technology in Music Education has joined the Take it away Consortium, a group of leading UK music organisations that are looking at ways of making music inclusive and accessible to all.

We sat down with Kate Rounding, Development Director at TiME, to learn more about the organisation’s beginnings, why access to music-making is important to them and more!

How did TiME come about?

TiME is an alliance of music industry organisations, formed to raise awareness of the great potential of Sound and Music Technology across all the Arts and in the community. It was formed by David Ward and Richard Llewellyn as a community interest company (CIC) in 2019 with the aim of providing educators with the skills, knowledge and tools needed to support students and emerging professionals. 

We connect music industry professionals, music educators, the informal music education sector and professionals in the Special Needs and Disabilities (SEN/D) areas. Together we focus on actions to enhance and promote the value of music technology to the economy, the music industry, and in education. 

TiME is also affiliated with its sister organisation ‘Joint Audio Music Education Support’ (JAMES), the recognised Public Sector Regulatory Body (PSRB) for the Recording, Music Production and Media industries. We thus engage with many Universities and their students.

Our job in TiME is to break down the barriers to exploring the great potential of music technology and to bring communities, organisations and opinion formers together to raise awareness of this potential.

How do you work with schools and hubs across the country?

TiME connects with music hubs and music educators from Early Years, all the way to University level across the UK. Through our work, we support hubs to make direct connections with other organisations, education establishments and teachers to aid the development of their inclusive music provision through the use of music technology.  

Our recent series of online conferences ‘Connectivity’ was hosted in partnership with Leicester Music Education Hub and UK Music and facilitated discussions between over 30 different organisations and over 100 music and education professionals, providing insight into topics such as how technology can support equitable access to music-making for SEN/D learners and information on the range of careers available across the music industry.

You can catch up on the wide range of discussions we had in each session here: techmusiced.org.uk/page-2/connectivity.php

How would you like to see music education change in the next 10 years?

It is more important than ever to support music education in all its forms, whether that is within schools, music hubs or across the community. The potential of SOUND and music technology is huge in all aspects of music-making across all ages, genders, cultures. It is invaluable in all aspects of education, community groups, hubs, music therapy and all areas of special needs and disabilities. It encourages getting involved with making music, composition, recording and music production film and media, artistic installations, everywhere that we see and hear music in life. We can use Music Technology to teach STEM subjects.

Our job in TiME is to break down the barriers to exploring the great potential of music technology and to bring communities, organisations and opinion formers together to raise awareness of this potential.

Why is accessibility and inclusions to music-making important to you?

There is a wealth of evidence that demonstrates the benefits of music-making. We believe that everyone has a right to access music-making and that music technology can support inclusive music-making approaches that are accessible to all. In addition, new technologies are evolving rapidly and at TiME we work with manufacturers to deliver an ‘Accessibility’ Testing programme, where manufacturers can connect with musicians and educators in a range of settings to learn about how their new technology can be used to support inclusive and accessible music-making.

Personal and lived experience of disability amongst our team has provided a direct insight into the benefits (and barriers) to music-making. We are committed to supporting organisations and individuals to continue striving for equal and equitable access for all.

What can people do to get involved or find out more?

Please visit www.techmusiced.org.uk or contact us at info@techmusiced.org.uk

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