Shropshire Music Service has been helping young people discover the joy of music since 1967.
Every week, our 44 strong team of specialists deliver more than 1,500 lessons, reaching over 11,000 young people in 148 schools and colleges across the county.
We offer expert teaching, inspiring workshops, and performance opportunities that build confidence, teamwork, and self belief.
From our 8 county bands, choirs, and orchestras to one to one and whole class lessons, we make music accessible, exciting, and truly life changing.
For us, music is not just a subject. It is a shared source of inspiration, creativity, and pride for the whole community.
Shropshire Music Service exists to inspire every child and young person to discover the power of music.
We provide high quality teaching, creative opportunities, and performance experiences that build confidence, creativity and connection.
Through partnership with schools and communities, we make music education accessible to all, nurturing talent, celebrating achievement, and ensuring music remains a joyful and lasting part of life in beautiful Shropshire.
I am proud to welcome you to Shropshire Music Service, where creativity, confidence and community come together through music.
Music has shaped my life since I first experienced whole class instrumental lessons on the clarinet at primary school.
I have worked across the Midlands as a pianist, vocalist, conductor, educator and academic, publishing numerous articles about the power of music. I am passionate about providing musical opportunities for young people and was proud to represent the UK in the United Nations Hear Her Song project.
That passion drives everything we do at Shropshire Music Service.
Our outstanding teachers and brilliant HQ team bring music to life for thousands of children each week. It is a privilege to lead such a dedicated service, where every child in Shropshire has the chance to make music, grow in confidence and shine.
Shropshire Music Service will offer your child the chance of a lifetime of joy through music. Join us today.
“Making music teaches us more than notes and rhythm, it shows us how to listen, connect, and create…”
Dr Sarah Browne
Shropshire Music Service delivers music tuition right across the county of Shropshire, an area of more than 1,300 square miles, stretching from the Welsh borders in the west to the edges of Staffordshire and Worcestershire in the east.
Our tutors work in schools and community settings throughout towns including Shrewsbury, Oswestry, Bridgnorth, Ludlow, Market Drayton, Wem, Whitchurch, and Church Stretton, as well as in many of the smaller villages that give the county its unique character.
This wide reach means we bring high quality music teaching to children and young people wherever they live, ensuring that access to music education isn’t limited by geography.
Here are some common questions we are asked
and if you have some that are not covered here, please do get in touch on our contact page.
Shropshire Music Service (SMS) is a long-established provider of high-quality music education across the county. Founded in 1967, we deliver instrumental and vocal lessons, curriculum delivery, and performance opportunities to over 11,000 pupils in 148 schools and colleges every week.
We’re a separately traded service, receiving support from the Department for Education and Arts Council England as part of their Music Hub Programme. Our aim is simple: to ensure every child in Shropshire has the chance to learn, play, and enjoy music.
Our team includes 44 specialist music tutors – all highly qualified, DBS-checked, and experienced in teaching across age groups and musical styles. Many are professional musicians who bring real-world experience to their teaching, from orchestral performance to contemporary music and musical theatre.
They are dedicated not just to teaching technique, but to inspiring creativity, confidence, and a genuine love of music in every pupil.
We partner with schools of all sizes to deliver whole-class teaching, individual tuition, workshops, and performances. We also offer curriculum advice and teacher training to help schools build strong, sustainable music programmes that meet national standards.
Our support helps schools enrich their offer, raise attainment, and ensure every child has access to music-making opportunities – even where in-house expertise may be limited.
SMS operates as a self-sustaining traded service, funded through the DfE’s Music Hub Programme, lesson fees and school contracts rather than council budgets. This structure allows us to reinvest income directly into music education, supporting tutors, and maintaining instruments.
Our depth of experience and reach across Shropshire set us apart. With over 50 years of continuous service, SMS combines a county-wide presence with a strong local identity.
We’re not just a teaching service – we’re a creative community where children, parents, and schools come together through music. From individual lessons to large-scale performances, SMS helps every young person in Shropshire experience the joy and lifelong value of making music.
