Evolutionary biologists have noted that, from the earliest of times, music has helped to create a sense of “we-ness” among people (Mithen, 2005). This “we-ness,” however, is also connected to difference: those who identify with, for example, Hindustani music or Afro-Caribbean music or Indigenous musics of Turtle Island all recognize in their musics how they are distinctive from other cultural groups (Clayton et al., 2012). Music education has responded to diversity and difference in various ways, such as multiculturalism (Kang, 2016; Volk, 1998), interculturalism (Westerlund & Karlsen, 2019), culturally responsive music education (Barton & Riddle, 2022), cultural diversity in music education (Campbell & Schippers, 2005), and decolonizing music education (Hess, 2015). This paper presentation reports on a study examining the repertoire choices of music teachers. The research question guiding the inquiry was: What are the espoused thoughts and beliefs on the cultural value of music learning among music teachers in various settings and levels of teaching experience? One-hour interviews (N = 59) were conducted with school and community music teachers in the Greater Toronto Area of Canada, a region that has welcomed approximately half a million newcomers over the past five years. The sampling strategy involved identifying teachers according to setting (school, community), school district (public, Catholic, Independent [private]), level (middle school, high school), SES of catchment area (low, high), and years of teaching experience (0-5, 6-10, 11+). Codes for analysis (N = 38) resulted in 4777 coded excerpts.Conversations about diversity often surfaced fear among school music teachers, less so among community music teachers. Many teachers claimed to be open to broadening the music they teach (beyond “old white guys”), although some emphasized that Western European music still deserves attention. Experienced and mid-career teachers (11+ & 6-10 years of experience) reported more risk-averse opinions on repertoire than their early-career counterparts, who were more likely to openly discuss student demographics and responsive repertoire.A major takeaway from this study is the frustration that many teachers are experiencing in response to calls to diversify and decolonize their classrooms. On the one hand, many teachers, especially younger teachers, are sympathetic and supportive (e.g., “Diversity is the big keyword of the century”). On the other hand, many teachers expressed frustration with the lack of professional development opportunities and support for their efforts. As one exasperated teacher exclaimed, “I don’t get enough funding to decolonize anything!” Recommendations for future research will be discussed.