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Career counselor. Life coach. Holder of the occasional tissue box. It is all part of being a National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Collegiate advisor. Carla Jo Maltas, collegiate chapter advisor for the University of Central Missouri, would not have it any other way. Although the duties of an advisor vary depending on the institution and student body, Maltas--an associate professor of music education at UCM and a 23-year NAfME member who is also the Missouri state collegiate advisor--is a glowing example of what the job requires: someone who is in touch with both the book smarts and emotional intelligence that are needed as students travel down the path toward becoming music educators.

The author profiles Kasey Dallman, a Wisconsin college junior who has overcome major obstacles and made even greater strides as she works to become a music educator. Skilled musician, published novelist, secretary of a NAfME collegiate chapter--this Wisconsin music educator-to-be is already making a name for herself. To scan Kasey Dallman's resume is to presume that this young woman has been out of school and in the working world for some time. The realization that she's actually only a college junior, who published her first novel before she flipped her high school Class of 2010 tassel, is both surprising and inspiring. A closer read reveals someone who excelled in music growing up in De Pere, Wisconsin, while also finding the time to finish a book about a 14-year-old foster child searching for her family (the book is purely fiction) when she was not much older than the protagonist.

For the Tower-Tannerts of Texas, music education runs in the family, and that's been the case for more than 100 years. Matriarch Mollie Gregory Tower is a lecturer at Texas State University and a former elementary school teacher, textbook writer, music supervisor, and president of the Texas Music Educators Conference (TMEC). Her daughter Debbie Tannert is also a former TMEC president and currently teaches music at Mills Elementary School in Austin. And "her" daughter Christina Tannert, holder of a new bachelor's degree in choral music education, is now working on her master's; in her spare time, she's the director of internal operations and finance for the Collegiate Texas Music Educators. These three women of the Lone Star State, each representing a different generation, have both an endemic love of music and lifelong exposure to a symphony of inspiration. And they stand as a testament to the little that's changed and the lot that's stayed consistent about music education through the decades.

At the end of "Glee's" most recent season finale, Will Schuester--show choir director, student role model, and all-around good guy despite an impending midlife crisis--abandons his long-time Broadway dream so he can continue to foster a love of music among his adoring students. In the real world, of course, real music teachers are continually doing their best to foster a love of music among their real students. And one of the major factors with which they're contending along the way is the influence of "Glee" itself. Like most phenomena, the hit Fox TV drama series is neither all good nor all bad. It has drawn a landslide of media attention and assorted studies, not to mention throngs of vocal supporters and detractors who speak up in a gamut of forums, including those on the MENC website. Supporters maintain that "Glee" has given choral groups a new level of cool. They also claim that the show has elevated choir group numbers, expanded choral repertoire, and indirectly aided the fight against cuts to school arts programs. Those who are less enamored say that "Glee" sets unrealistic expectations for music students, provides an inaccurate barometer for teachers, is too heavy on drama and too light on musical substance. But love it or hate it, many teachers have noted an uptick in participation in existing school choral programs since the show--inspired in part by creator Ryan Murphy's own choir experiences growing up in Indiana--debuted in 2009.

It's true that each school and each classroom presents its own unique challenges. But Kevin Mixon--who in October traded his instrumental music instructor duties at Blodgett School on the west side of Syracuse, New York, for a job as fine arts coordinator for Syracuse City Schools--knows from experience that some schools are far more challenging than others. "When you teach in an underserved area, there are no private lessons, not a lot of those things more affluent schools take for granted. It's all up to you," he says. In 2004, when Mixon first arrived at Blodgett, the school lacked a formal band program. Today, the school has a dedicated band room, all classes are during the school day, and Blodgett employs a full-time instrumental instructor and band director. The west side of Syracuse, New York, may be one of the poorest neighborhoods in the country, but it's home to a concert band that's pure gold--thanks to the efforts of a devoted music teacher.

Even given the countless hours clocked in class and rehearsal time, there's nothing that compares to a road trip to seal the bond among band, orchestra, and vocal music students. "Nothing can replace travel," says Peter Markes, orchestra director at Edmond North High School in Oklahoma. "It's safe, well-structured and, for many of the kids, it's the first time to make a trip." One of the best things one does to educate one's kids is to show them new things. The author has been even considered going on a trip and not having them play, just going somewhere for the cultural experience. However, the logistics involved in organizing a trip can easily drain a lot of fun from the experience. And so "Teaching Music" offers tips as a navigational chart of sorts, to help teachers get around the many obstacles and ensure smooth sailing.

When a music teacher is named Teacher of the Year for an entire state, one just know a special story awaits. The narrative of Heidi Welch, director of music at Hillsboro-Deering High School in New Hampshire, does not disappoint. Welch, who grew up in abject poverty and was often homeless, developed her love of music through memorizing and singing song lyrics in the family car. When the Welches finally settled in Manchester, New Hampshire, in time for Heidi's high school years, her experience in the music program at Central High School changed the course of her life. This year, almost a quarter of the students in the 400-strong high school are chorus members. Welch also teaches a cappella choir, concert band, musical theatre, music theory, and American history through music. And that doesn't include the work she does as music director at her church, or the leading role she plays in local theatre. Music "had never been a priority around here, so I basically built the program, and always felt tremendously supported," she says about her early days at Hillsboro. "It really only took two years. I knew in my gut it would work for this school." With her designation as New Hampshire's candidate for 2013 national Teacher of the Year, Welch is in a position to share her wisdom with educators around the country.

The most ambitious of music teachers seek not only to educate their students about notes and chords, but also to instill in them the transcendent joy of making music. That joy is abundant in Venezuela, where the El Sistema national music education program has been a boon to the country's cultural growth and has created a climate of positive social change. It is this same lofty goal that drew teacher Aisha Bowden to become an Abreu Fellow--the Fellowship is named after El Sistema founder Jose Abreu--at the New England Conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts. Bowden began her 10-month fellowship last fall, and as she nears its end, her enthusiasm for the El Sistema movement and its potential in the U.S. is infectious. In this article, Bowden describes the concepts of El Sistema. A Q&A with Bowden is included.