TiME UK and TI:ME USA form transatlantic partnership to advance inclusive music technology

Technology in Music Education (TiME UK) has announced a new partnership with its US counterpart, TI:ME USA, creating a transatlantic platform for collaboration around music technology in education.

The partnership developed from conversations at The NAMM Show and will bring the two organisations together across professional development, research and knowledge exchange, advocacy, shared resources and international networking.

A particular focus will be the role of accessible music technology and adaptive instruments in supporting children and young people with additional needs, alongside the wider use of digital technology in music teaching and learning.

TiME UK was established in 2019 to help educators make effective use of emerging music technologies and to provide a bridge between technology developers and their use in classrooms and other educational settings. The organisation now has a membership of around 1,000 and works with technology companies including Ableton, Yamaha, Sontronics, Woojer, Digit Music, Robkoo, Soundbeam and Arcana Instruments.

Its work includes introducing products and technologies to teachers, music services and SEND practitioners while providing developers with feedback about their application in real-world educational environments.

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.’

TI:ME USA has been working with music educators since 1995, promoting the effective use of technology to support music teaching and learning.

The US organisation said the discussions begun at NAMM had highlighted a shared interest in accessible technologies, particularly given the number of children and young people requiring additional educational support.

‘From that first conversation at NAMM, we knew just how important it was for us to collaborate,’ TI:ME USA said. ‘We’ve been eager to explore more accessible music technologies.

‘We’re hopeful that we can build a bridge between our shared missions and cast a wider net into the industry. That way, we might help solve some of the greater issues facing music education and better support our students and teachers with technologies we trust.’

Through the partnership, educators and organisations on both sides of the Atlantic are expected to gain access to a wider pool of expertise, professional development, case studies and shared resources, while the two organisations will also work to strengthen links between educators and the music technology industry.