This introduction to the historical and philosophical foundations of the music teaching profession is designed to fill the gap between books that are either too simplistic or too advanced. It explores major events and ideas that have shaped the current status of the profession and that point toward its future, and encourages readers to continually consider how the concepts covered relate to their own experiences. It also explores people, places, events, and ideas in the history of music in American schools and the general or non-musical events influencing its development from the Colonial Period through 1980.