Teaching is an emotional experience, in which teachers express a wide range and intensities of emotions. Teachers’ emotions are related to a variety of important teaching-related outcomes, including classroom effectiveness, well-being and health, and student emotions and motivation (Taxer & Gross, 2018). As such, teachers must be equipped with the appropriate strategies to manage their emotions (Lee et al., 2016). Teacher emotions have been studied in general education contexts through the lenses of emotion regulation (Gross, 1998; Taxer & Gross, 2018), emotion labor (Grandey, 2000; 2015; Taxer & Frenzel, 2015), and the integration of both (Lee et al., 2016). Teacher emotions have yet to be thoroughly studied within the context of music teaching, and present a unique area of interest. For one, music making itself is an emotional experience (Croom, 2015). Furthermore, large ensemble music educators, such as band, choir, and orchestra directors, fulfill the role of conductor-educator, in which they actively participate in the music-making process and lead highly visible, performance-based ensembles that require public concerts, extensive commitments beyond the school day, and strong parent cooperation (Millican, 2017; Shaw, 2014; Tucker, 2023). These unique pressures can significantly impact both the well-being of music educators and the experiences of their students.The purpose of this grounded theory study was to explore the process of emotion management that secondary large ensemble directors utilize in their work. Specifically, we aimed to gain insight into the emotions that secondary ensemble directors experience related to their work, the situations that cause these emotional responses, and how they respond. Gaining insight into the emotional lives of music teachers can help address issues such as burnout, job satisfaction, and retention, while also enhancing our understanding of student motivation and engagement. We conducted this research using a constructivist grounded theory design (Charmaz, 2024). We chose grounded theory because although preexisting models of teacher emotions exist, there is yet to be one developed based on the unique experiences of music educators (Creswell & Poth, 2018). Participants were 25 in-service band, choir, and orchestra directors employed at a middle school or high school in the United States.Data collection and analysis will occur in two phases. As of October 2025, Phase 1 has been completed. It consisted of unstructured interviews focused on the emotional experiences of participants in their teaching settings. Interviews were manually transcribed and coded using open coding. We employed constant comparative analysis to compare new data to existing data as interviews were completed, transcribed, and coded. We then completed axial coding to determine the most significant emerging themes. Emergent themes consist of categories of emotions and their dimensions, underlying causes of intense emotions, regulation strategies, and the development of emotion regulation skills throughout different career phases. Phase 2 will involve collecting additional data to develop and refine the emerging categories (expected completion December 2025). Finally, we will design a model based on the constructed theory which will lead to discussions and implications for the music teaching profession (expected completion March 2026).