On both a professional and personal level, the cornerstone of great teaching and leadership is connection. Nowhere is that truer than in the world of music, where connections create the most meaningful experiences among performers and between the ensemble and the audience. Inspired by real-life letters from students, parents, and administrators, author Mary Land shares the stories, strategies, and ideas that have helped her form essential connections throughout her forty years in the classroom. While touching on the core tenets of music pedagogy, classroom management, goal setting, trust, mentorship, and relevancy, Dr. Land also gives teachers ways to build good character traits in their students and organizations. At the end of each chapter, there are reproducible online teaching resources with inspirational activities and connection strategies. From the pen of a teacher who has taught every level of instrumental music, this text offers insight and inspiration directly from the trenches, resulting in a volume filled with inventiveness and guidance for all music teachers.