Sam Robson is the Founder of Stowmarket-based Industry Education Music, overall winner at the recent Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Council Innovation Awards. Here, the musician explains what the award means for the business which offers school workshops for young musicians
Who are you and what do you do?
I’m a man with a purpose. My goal is to leave the world in a better place than I found it and I believe that I can achieve this by sharing the skill sets I have developed over the last 15 years within the music industry sector. I also believe I can create jobs and benefit the music economy along the way. Whether it’s songwriting, performance or industry careers, we will assist you on your journey from GCSE options all the way through to a degree and perhaps more importantly, help you put your skills set into practice in the real world.
What led you to setting up Industry Education Music (IEMusic) and what were you doing before?
Like many musicians I looked at alternative incomes to supplement my touring, or studio income. I spent many years traveling the country speaking to schools, colleges, universities and getting a feel for the landscape within music education and in particular “what the music industry might be able to do to further support this space”. Here’s a link to a previous life for me: Renegade Twelve – “Heroes of Mine” (youtube.com). It was only in 2021 that I devised a blueprint to be able to take what I could offer and turn it into a scalable company.
Business growth has been fast, possibly too fast…as I am living and sleeping right next to half of the equipment that is going out to our workshops every day. I have to dance around guitars and amps and goodies from our brand partners (Yamaha, Orange Amps, GAK) while making dinner.
How did IEMusic adapt during the pandemic?
It did not, we lost the company, I had to declare business and personal bankruptcy and start from the very bottom all over again, but this time equipped with the lessons I had learned.
How does it feel to be winner of the Overall Business of the Year at the recent Innovation Awards?
I actually recently wrote a column in my free Breakfast Club about awards shows. You can’t be disheartened if you don’t pick anything up and they have very little say on where your company ends up in 10 years’ time. What award shows are, however, is a chance to network, to celebrate your progress to date, to encourage other businesses around you and I have no doubt stimulate the local economy. The Innovation Awards was brilliantly run, the atmosphere was great, and I’ve already got three or four interesting meetings lined up with like-minded local businesses off the back of attending this event. Super impressed!
What are your hopes and dreams for IEMusic?
IEMusic currently operates alongside local education authorities in seven counties. We are currently exploring investment options to take this UK wide whilst adding a digital platform to further support our thousands of young people – as well as a high-end community-led voting competition to celebrate the countries best and brightest. Last week we were also awarded a 70K USD grant from Open Campus to explore the use of blockchain within our digital and competition provision. Exciting times!
Visit ie music – Industry Education Music, Suffolk. Also, visit babergh.gov.uk / midsuffolk.gov.uk.
Featured image: Dave Courteen (left), managing director of headline sponsor Riverhills Health Club and Day Spa, presents the Overall Winner prize to Sam Robson, of IEMusic in Stowmarket (credit – Lucy Taylor Photography/Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils)
Leave a Reply