Professor of Songwriting, Keith Ayling is an award winning singer-songwriter, performer and one of the foremost speakers on songwriting in the UK.
Awarded Professor of Songwriting in 2024 by Leeds Conservatoire, he was also appointed Chair of Education for the IVORS Academy (the UK’s association for songwriters) in 2025. As well as mentoring 16 artists, he writes and coordinates modules for Artistic Development and A&R at Leeds. Passionate about developing emerging talent he has recently worked with Youth Sector, EADES, Tidjy and Twayn.
His impact on UK music education has been prolific over the last twenty years, working alongside colleagues on the National Plan for Music Education, co-developing the CanDoMusic initiative, sitting on the APPG for music education and editing Ensemble Magazine gaining second place in Association Magazine of the Year for the MTA. A frequently invited speaker, he has spoken for over six years at the Music & Drama Ed Expo in London, five times at the Music Teachers’ Association Conference and many others including Future FWD Conference, The Prince’s Teaching Institute and twice at Cambridge University. Over a 35 year career he has released 14 albums (In 2001 he released the UK’s biggest selling CCM album), appeared on BBC, iTV, Five and MTV, founded multiple arts programmes for leading charities and managed media departments for national bodies such as the Music Teachers Association.
