Music is an expression of feelings of the soul conveyed through the medium of sound. But not all sounds are music. It might be said that only an organised sound or series of sounds can be called music. Thus, music is connected to the eternal and constant flow and order of the universe, to the laws and rhythms of nature. It can also be said that musical order is comparable to the natural order of the universe. There are laws of a certain nature in the natural sciences and likewise in music there are structures and procedures, or even rules, that should be followed to produce beautiful music. The International Conference ‘Innovations for 21st Century Music Education and Research’ provided a timely opportunity to take stock of the latest developments in music education and brought together educators, researchers and members of the broader community in a welcoming forum in which they were able to express theoretical and practical views, concepts, research results and principles to help support the further development of music education.