Based on the researcher’s experience as a visiting teacher, rural educators were found to face professional isolation, limited resources, and few opportunities for ongoing development (Robison & Russell, 2021; Prest, 2011). From a sociocultural perspective, teacher learning and growth are socially mediated through shared experiences and collaboration (Vygotsky, 1978; Wenger, 1998). Hence, exploring innovative models and interactive mechanisms to support rural teachers is essential. Building on DeNora’s (2000) concept of music as a technology of the self, this study highlights how music activities serve as a bridge fostering emotional cohesion and professional growth in rural interdisciplinary teacher communities.This study adopted a qualitative case study approach. The researcher, who also served as a visiting teacher at the research site, was responsible for planning and facilitating the community activities, while simultaneously taking the roles of observer and reflective action researcher. The participants were ten teachers from a rural elementary school where the researcher taught as a visiting teacher. They taught grades one through six across various subject areas, including Mandarin, Mathematics, Physical Education, Social Studies, Science, and Visual Arts, and all participated in the school’s interdisciplinary professional learning community. Over the course of one year, four music-centered activities were conducted, each lasting approximately three hours. During these sessions, participants took on dual roles as listeners and creators, engaging in interdisciplinary collaboration and dialogue through musical experiences such as “Storytelling with Music,” “Percussion Ensemble,” “Beauty in the Campus,” and “Soundscape Creation in the Forest.”Research data included activity plans, observation notes, and participant feedback. Data analysis followed a thematic analysis process, progressing through open coding, categorization, theme construction, and iterative comparison, to identify the social functions of music activities in community interaction and teachers’ professional growth. To ensure the trustworthiness of the study, triangulation of multiple data sources and member checking were employed.The findings of this study are as follows:(1) Emotional cohesion: Participation in music activities has a significant healing and stress-relieving effect, enhances self-worth, and fosters deep interaction and emotional resonance within the community. (2) Professional growth: Engagement in music activities inspires interdisciplinary connections and applications, while “mutual learning” within the community stimulates diverse and creative teaching practices.In the future, the integration of music into professional communities can be further developed as an important strategy for educational innovation and sustainable development in rural areas, and extended to other educational contexts to examine its applicability and impact across settings.