In this two-part episode, we speak with Dr. Deb Confredo, Professor of Music Education at Temple University and President-Elect of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). A 43-year veteran music educator, Deb shares with us her early inspirations to pursue music education, the trajectory of her career, as well as the origins and development of the Music Teacher Profession Initiative, which was was formed in 2021 by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) to identify barriers to equity in music teacher recruitment, education, and retention. Tune in to Part I of this insightful conversation with one of the leading voices in music education today.