Unlike any other author, Alexandra Kertz-Welzel has a unique, distinctive way of advocating for music education as an agent of social change that, within limits, holds the potential for developing more just and imaginative societies. Embracing philosophical, sociological, and political perspectives, the insights she presents redefine music education's goals in ways that will stimulate and challenge music educators internationally. * Gary McPherson, University of Melbourne * With this compelling, if sometimes startling, work, Alexandra Kertz-Welzel has staked her place among leading scholars internationally in calling for a reconceptualization of music education in ways that are nested in utopian thinking that is both imaginative yet honest, visionary yet realistic. It is a brilliant assessment of music's complement of social and artistic-aesthetic dimensions, and it lands squarely on an imperative for professional musician-educators to harness their utopian energies to rethink, refine and reinvent music education's societal mission. * Patricia Shehan Campbell, University of Washington *