This study investigates Canadian teacher candidates’ experiences of large-ensemble (band) learning within a university-level pedagogy course, situated in the broader context of equity-minded music education. Drawing on Small’s (1998) concept of “musicking,” Freirean critical pedagogy (1968), and self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985), the work positions band as a relational and participatory practice, while acknowledging critiques of its historical hierarchies, Eurocentrism, and potential for harm. The research aims to answer the following questions:1. How do teacher candidates enrolled as learners in a band-focused music pedagogy course experience and perceive the benefits and challenges of large ensemble instruction?2. What implications do these experiences and perceptions hold for reimagining music education in the 21st century?Twelve teacher candidates participated in a 75-hour, three-week Band Pedagogy course where they learned new instruments (trumpet, trombone, clarinet, percussion) and performed in a low-stakes concert. Daily reflective journals provided the primary data source, analyzed through Saldaña’s (2016) In Vivo coding to center participant voice, supplemented by a found-poem as an arts-informed synthesis. Ethical safeguards included third-party consent procedures and ungraded journaling to reduce power dynamics.Findings reveal three central themes. First, ensemble learning fostered connection to peers and self, offering belonging, safety, and renewed musical identities, though participants also surfaced memories of exclusion and harm. Second, competence emerged through frustration, hard work, and eventual pride, highlighting the persistence of perfectionism even in supportive contexts. Third, musicking generated joy, energy, and embodied engagement, with the culminating performance balancing nerves and affirmation, strengthening community and self-efficacy. Across these themes, fulfillment of autonomy, competence, and relatedness predicted positive engagement.The study concludes that band can be a powerful space for connection, motivation, and growth when community and inclusion are prioritized before technical mastery. Implications include prioritizing culturally sustaining pedagogy, embracing scaffolded challenge without high-stakes assessments, leveraging performance as a celebration of process rather than perfection, and affirming diverse student expertise. At the systemic level, the research calls for a pluralistic music education landscape where band remains one meaningful pathway among many - valued, but not dominant.