Large instrumental ensembles form the core for many Eastern Canadian secondary schools’ music programs, making ensemble leadership an essential element of many educators’ professional practice. To be effective, music educators must balance performance standards (including advanced instrument proficiency and musical interpretation), with pedagogical goals for student learning. With limited time and resources available, many educators struggle to meet these (sometimes competing) outcomes. In this poster presentation, I share the findings of a research study designed around the question: How do secondary wind ensemble educators balance performance and educational outcomes in their teaching practice? The aim was to identify effective rehearsal strategies, successful methods of balancing conducting and teacher responsibilities, and developmentally appropriate outcomes for secondary students.I used a modified-case study methodology to examine four secondary wind band educators’ approaches in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The data was collected through semi-structured one-on-one interviews and observations of the participants’ wind ensemble rehearsals and/or performances. As a measure of trustworthiness, I provided interview transcripts, observation notes, and a draft paper to all the participants to provide them the opportunity to review my representation of their data and ensure they were represented authentically. The findings were contextualized with relevant literature on instrumental education. This highlighted relationships among Eastern Canadian music educators’ integration of praxis, timeline for students’ conceptual development, and curricular vs. extracurricular ensemble structures.After examining the data, I revealed several areas of interest in secondary wind ensemble educators’ philosophies and practice. Firstly, the study found secondary wind band teachers described educator-conductor identities as interconnected, often focusing on conceptual teaching earlier in the year and performance outcomes closer to concert deadlines. Additionally, conducting was an essential tool in rehearsal contexts and used alongside performance-focused (i.e., repetition and modeling) and educational-focused (i.e., critical thinking and social constructivist) strategies. Finally, formative assessments were constantly ongoing in the educators’ practice. However, participants had differing views on whether summative assessment should reflect a students’ “process” or “product,” as some educators described live performances as an assessment of a musical “product.”The poster invites discussion on effective ensemble leadership and teaching practices in secondary wind bands, particularly in the context of Eastern Canada.