The journey takes us back a century to music education in Detroit in 1926. It was a time of economic prosperity, cultural renaissance, and racial segregation. In April of that year music teachers and students from across the nation came to the city to attend the Music Education National Conference. In this session I will bring to life through primary sources the national conference and identify whose local music and school music programs were featured at the event. A highlight of the Conference was the first performance of the National High School Orchestra led by Michigan-based conductor Joseph Maddy. With insight from school music in Detroit a century ago, the session continues with insight from current music educators in Detroit who compare and contrast school music in Detroit’s golden era in and around 1926 with the present time.