The Music & Drama Education Expo returns to London on 12–13 February 2026 at the Business Design Centre, bringing together educators, publishers, instrument makers, and music-technology innovators focused on improving arts education for all learners.
At this year’s show, several MIDI Association corporate member companies and members of The MIDI Association special interest groups for:
- MIDI in Music Education: helping students learn, create, assess, and share music with modern tools and curricula
- Music Accessibility: enabling more people—including disabled musicians and learners with different needs—to participate fully in music-making
are joining Music & Drama Education Expo UK to focus not just on their products, but also on music accessibility and music education.
Where to find MIDI Association members on the show floor
- Charanga — Stand C29
- MusicFirst — Stand C29
- Focusrite Group — Stand C32
- Hal Leonard Europe — Stand C50
- TiME (Technology in Music Education UK) — Stand C21
- ROLI — Stand D60
- pBone Music — Stand D62
- Steinberg Media Technologies — Stand D40
- Yamaha Music Europe — Stand D40
Spotlight: Charanga + MusicFirst — cloud-first learning that scales (and supports inclusion)
Charanga is exhibiting at Stand C29 and is widely used by teachers to deliver music curricula, training, and classroom resources—designed to be adaptable for different teaching contexts.
Sharing the stand, MusicFirst brings a mission of affordable, cloud-based music learning that works “on any device,” supporting learning, creation, assessment, sharing, and exploration—key ingredients for modern, flexible music classrooms.
Don’t miss: MDEE’s exhibitor showcase session “Unlocking creativity and learning in your Music Department” on 12 February 2026 (12:30–13:05), featuring MusicFirst and Charanga and focused on classroom creativity and assessment workflows.
TiME (Technology in Music Education UK) — inclusive music tech in action
TiME is explicitly highlighting inclusive music technology at Stand C21, with hands-on demonstrations of accessible and adaptive instruments designed for both able-bodied and disabled musicians. They’re also offering guidance on funding, educational discounts, and procurement options—practical supports that matter for accessibility and equitable access in schools.
This aligns closely with the MIDI community’s drive to ensure music tech works for the widest range of learners—across physical ability, experience level, and learning style.
ROLI — expressive MIDI (MPE) + student/teacher pathways
ROLI (Stand D60) represents a fast-growing side of music education: expressive controllers and learning ecosystems built on MIDI.
ROLI has been a major champion of MIDI Polyphonic Expression (MPE), which enables per-note expressive control—helping electronic instruments respond more like acoustic ones (pitch bends per note in a chord, timbral nuance, and more). The MIDI Association formally adopted the MPE Specification, reinforcing a shared industry foundation for expressive performance and teaching.
For educators and learners, ROLI also promotes education discounts, lowering barriers to participation—an important piece of the access puzzle in schools and institutions.
Steinberg — classroom-ready DAW + notation, including iPad
Steinberg (Stand D40) is showcasing education-focused workflows around Cubase and Dorico, including Dorico for iPad and guidance on classroom integration—useful for schools balancing limited budgets, mixed device fleets, and varied learner needs. [oai_citation:18‡Music & Drama Education Expo 2026](https://www.musicanddramaeducationexpo.co.uk/exhibitors/steinberg?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
In practical terms: MIDI-driven composition, sequencing, and scoring tools that help students move from performance to creation—while giving teachers structured ways to assess and support growth.
Focusrite — the audio bridge from instruments to creativity
Focusrite Group (Stand C32) highlights its role across recording, production, and education facilities—exactly the infrastructure schools rely on for music tech labs, ensembles, and student production projects.
On the education side, Focusrite emphasizes supporting educators with tools and guidance that keep students engaged—such as classroom-ready audio workflows (including podcasting and broader production contexts).
Hal Leonard Europe — repertoire, resources, and method materials that meet classrooms where they are
Hal Leonard Europe (Stand C50) brings one of the most comprehensive catalogs of printed and digital publications, sheet music, and music education resources—core ingredients for inclusive teaching where repertoire variety and differentiated materials matter.
Yamaha + pBone — instruments that expand participation
Yamaha Music Europe (Stand D40) is encouraging educators to connect with its education team, including school-friendly instrument pathways (like accessible piano acquisition options for schools).
pBone Music (Stand D62) highlights a simple but powerful accessibility idea: instruments that are durable, approachable, and designed for broad participation. The company features educator feedback emphasizing suitability for “children of all ages and all abilities.”
Why this matters for MIDI in Music Education (and accessibility)
Taken together, these MIDI Association members represent a complete ecosystem educators can assemble:
- Curriculum + platforms (Charanga, MusicFirst) for structured learning and assessment
- Inclusive music tech + guidance (TiME) for accessible and adaptive participation
- Creative tools (Steinberg) for composition, sequencing, and notation
- Audio infrastructure (Focusrite) to capture, produce, and share student work
- Repertoire + learning materials (Hal Leonard) to broaden what and how students can learn
- Instruments for participation (Yamaha, pBone) that help more students get hands-on [oai_citation:29‡Music & Drama Education Expo 2026]
- Expressive MIDI innovation (ROLI + MPE) to teach nuance, expression, and modern performance technique
Join us
If you’re attending MDEE 2026, visit these MIDI Association member stands to explore practical, classroom-tested ways to:
- support more learners (including disabled musicians)
- modernize curriculum with cloud and cross-device tools
- connect performance, creation, and assessment through MIDI-enabled workflows
Learn more about The MIDI Association’s initiatives: