How do we truly know when a young child’s vocalizations make the transition from babble to musical structure? What role can music educators play? What does it mean to sequence instruction at this early level? What is the difference between musical content and musical context?

These questions and more form the foundation of a remarkable series of letters by two leaders of the music education world between 1979 and 1981. Donald Pond is retired music director of the Pillsbury Foundation School for Advancement of Music Education in Santa Barbara, California, and Edwin E. Gordon was a professor at the State University of New York–Buffalo and Temple University in Philadelphia. Together, through 45 letters built on friendship and trust, these two remarkable leaders challenge one another and in the process deepen our understanding of musicality, aptitude, creativity, and improvisation.

Edwin E. Gordon is known throughout the world as a preeminent researcher, teacher, author, editor, and lecturer in the field of music education.