Music teachers are often expected to embody both artistic and pedagogical expertise - as skilled performers and effective educators. Yet, these expectations rarely account for the realities of everyday life, particularly when balancing professional demands with personal roles and responsibilities. The dual identity of “musician-educator” is further complicated by the need to sustain one’s own wellbeing, family life, and creative practice.This paper explores how music teachers negotiate their professional identities in the spaces between performance, teaching, and private life. Drawing on a cross-cultural research project based in Germany and Japan, the study engages with music teachers working in public schools, music schools, universities, and private studios. Through qualitative interviews, institutional document analysis, and collaborative reflection, it examines how cultural and institutional frameworks shape - and often constrain - music teacher identity.Rather than treating identity tension as a problem to be solved, the presentation embraces its ambiguity and complexity. Particular attention is given to the emotional and practical challenges of integrating one’s identity as a musician, educator, and private person - including roles such as parent, caregiver, partner, or individual with personal commitments - within demanding institutional structures.This presentation stems from a larger cross-cultural project on music teacher identity, in collaboration with colleagues in Japan. Our focus is on how music educators manage the overlapping demands of performance, teaching, and life beyond the profession. By viewing this “in-between-ness” as a space of agency and adaptation, the paper invites a broader and more compassionate conversation about sustainability and selfhood in music education. The study highlights the value of recognising identity complexity not as a problem to be fixed, but as a meaningful and dynamic part of professional life. It also suggests that creating spaces for collective reflection can empower music teachers to share experiences and challenge narrow role definitions. These insights offer important implications for music teacher preparation and ongoing professional development, encouraging more inclusive, flexible, and human-centred approaches that support the integration of artistic, pedagogical, and personal identities.