AbstractIn our context, the music teacher develops in three ways:- Informally, where s/he, having been taught, mimics the ways and vocabulary of his/her teacher. This strategy has worked for centuries in oral societies, and in carefully curated contexts that include literature of the highest standards. This context is responsible for the preservation of traditions and values that might be held closely by the community. The rote learning in which is embedded a lot of experiential learning opportunities ensures that new professionals are well-grounded in the traditions of the discipline. It does not, however, directly engage learners in ground-breaking free enterprise activities that demand breaking barriers and exceeding expectations. Many teachers raised up in this way are bound to spend time managing the teaching and learning process.- Formally in a systematic, structured way, where a set curriculum is gradually ‘conquered’, achievement documented, progress linked to grades and graduates guided into careers, such as teaching. In this learning space, assessment takes a place of honour, because outcome has to be measured with given standards. Achievement is tied to passing set assessment tasks, most of which are written.- Quasi- experimentally, a space of exploration, experimentation, self-regulated learning where the learner is in the learning programme for personal reasons, and not necessarily in preparation for a career in music. This space includes ‘occasional students’ who come in for well-identified knowledge and, especially, skills. Many learners in such a scenario break out of the mould, to be musicians even while studying. New composition and performance techniques grow out of the guided experimentation that characterises such a learning environment.These three broad modes of education have porous boundaries because teachers typically take up procedures that resonate with the class and learners as lessons begin.Using a defined systems-and-structures model, this paper will interrogate how and to what extent, teacher education can be informed by systems and structures, arguing that systems might be internal, yet they are felt in the structures in which the curriculum, pedagogy, philosophy and practice are ingrained. The paper hopes to yield a model for leadership in music education that is anchored on the context of societal and discipline structures and systems, the content of global discipline specific philosophical underpinnings and the process of innovation and creativity in the demands of the discipline practice.