The meaning of any kind of music is inseparable from the conditions under which it is generated and experienced. The understanding of “school music” as a genre requires the understanding of the contexts that shape and define it. Contexts affect both what teachers teach and how they teach, shaping explicit and implicit messages and values. In this paper, I focus on the meso, institutional context –the structures and goals of the school system–, as they interact with the micro context –teachers’ commitments and expertise–, and the macro context –the larger cultural and societal values.