Tertiary music educators play a crucial role in the development of future music teachers in the formal, non-formal and informal sectors, impacting the ways with which they think, teach and learn about music and music education. The design and implementation of music education curriculum within tertiary institutions are often guided by political, cultural and social-historical factors alongside knowledge from the field including personal musical identities and preferences of tertiary music educators (Burt et al., 2007). Tertiary music educators thus play a crucial role in deciding what and how content should be taught and the various pedagogical approaches that will be utilized. The musical background and identities of tertiary music educators have not often been examined in relation to their beliefs about music education and how that can impact upon the future directions in the field. Studies about tertiary music educators in Southeast and East-Asia are also not common in the research literature. This in-depth qualitative interview study will serve to capture narratives and open up conversations surrounding tertiary music educators' 'paths to teaching', 'navigating the academy' and 'pedagogical approach' (Regus, Fitzpatrick, & Grier, 2024), in hopes of gathering new perspectives from the Southeast and East Asian regions. The interviews will probe specifically into these educators' musical background and identities, research interests, beliefs about music education and how they view the future of music education. Forty-five interviews have been gathered thus far from tertiary music educators in Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand, with each interview lasting between forty-five to ninety minutes. All interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The researcher then set out to create a narrative for each interviewee and getting each interviewee to read through their narrative for further comments and edits. Thematic analysis follows with the narratives from each country before a larger macro analysis across all narratives. Hong Kong educators stress on the need to balance technology with creativity, tradition with innovation, and policy with autonomy, envisioning education as a space for lifelong learning, cultural identity, and transformative practice, preparing students not only as musicians but as reflective, adaptable, and empathetic human beings.Japanese music educators spoke to music as joy, communication, creativity, and lifelong engagement; a commitment to inclusion and diversity; and concern over structural constraints including rigid teaching practices, and limited resources. These educators view music education as rooted in tradition and open to innovation—balancing technical rigor with creativity, fosters inclusion, and responds to the needs of a rapidly changing society.Malaysian music educators emphasized the need to reimagine Western classical and local Malay music traditions; challenges of cultural and religious perceptions with a focus on an understanding of the status of music in Islam; pressures of limited curriculum time; and the drive towards harnessing creativity, inclusivity, and technology. These educators see music education as nurturing identity, empathy, and human development, while positioning Malaysia’s musical heritage within a global context.Taiwanese music educators indicated the need for creativity, empathy, and inclusivity; the integration of Taiwanese cultural identity with global engagement; and the use of music to build human connections across age, culture, and social divides. These educators argue that music education must move beyond technical proficiency to embrace life relevance, cultural grounding, and interdisciplinary applications.Thai music educators envision music education as a transformative force that goes beyond performance outcomes, aiming to cultivate critical, creative, and compassionate individuals. Their perspectives reveal tensions between Western and Thai traditions, professional musicianship and pedagogy, as well as formal and informal settings. Yet, across their diverse experiences, a common aspiration emerges to reposition music education as a vital, respected, and inclusive field within Thai society.Singapore music educators argued for lifelong curiosity, reflective practice, and cultural inclusivity; a desire to balance musical depth with creative freedom; and a shared commitment to redefining music education for a rapidly changing and diverse society.The panel will begin with the main researcher providing an introduction to the purpose of the study followed by an overview of the methodology and key findings across all forty-five interviews. This will be followed by short presentations by tertiary music educators from Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand, before a Q&A session to wrap up the panel.