I’m Bradley Smith, founder of Music Tech Hub and a music technology consultant and advisor to schools, music services and music education hubs across the UK. I’m also an ex-primary school teacher with seven years’ experience coordinating music in mainstream, SEND and PRU settings. After teaching, I moved into leadership at Leicestershire Music as Lead for Music Technology and Assistant Head of Service, creating and delivering a nationally-adopted music technology strategy and models of delivery.
My early experience with music
Growing up in the small Suffolk town of Beccles, I loved music and this led me to enjoy playing in several bands with friends and having trumpet and drum kit peri lessons. My musical journey shifted dramatically when I discovered music technology though and, by the age of 15, I was a self-taught turntablist and producer. I experienced first-hand what many young people continue to experience today – that the music they love, and the tools they love making music with, are often not available to them through music at school. There’s a disconnect. And that shaped my mission to make music technology accessible and practical for teachers and
pupils, and valued as an important part of the music curriculum.
How I developed my ‘Low Anxiety Teaching Model’
Through teaching in schools, and working with teachers through the music service, I started to understand just why music technology wasn’t integrated into music learning. It was because many teachers didn’t know where to start. There was such a lot of uncertainty around what equipment to purchase (and what the department budget could afford) coupled with how to plan and deliver in the classroom to reach a broad range of curricular objectives. Teachers simply didn’t have the time to develop notation methods, terminology and inclusive teaching practices for modern and contemporary instruments and devices – although the desire and willingness to make this happen was often very much there! So I created my ‘Low Anxiety Teaching Model’, which has been adopted by over ten music services across England and Wales and is cited in the UK Department for Education’s National Plan for Music Education. My music technology model for Leicestershire Music has also been highlighted in Music Mark’s Environmental Sustainability guidance for its innovative approach and CO₂ savings.
My work as a trusted advisor to sector leaders, brands and innovators
Perhaps we’ve met, or you’ve seen me at a conference? I often contribute to national conferences and sector events, for organisations including Music Mark, TiME and regional music services. I also work with leading brands including Yamaha, Serato, Reloop, pBone (Warwick Music) and Digit, helping them design curriculum-aligned resources, schemes of work and training that make their products classroom-ready and easy for teachers to use. I serve on the steering board of TiME (Technology in Music Education) and I’ve written numerous articles for Music Teacher magazine, sharing practical insights and strategies for integrating music technology into teaching. I’ve also contributed to the Canadian music tech start-up company, BeatConnect, providing feature development support, quality assurance testing, and designing audio sample packs and digital instruments and effects (VST plugins).
Could I help you?
Whether you’re a classroom teacher, a music specialist, or a headteacher or leader of an academy chain; a music service or hub leader; or someone looking for expert input to your music education and technology work, I’d love to talk with you. Get in touch to talk about how we can work together.