01644nas a2200169   4500000000100000008004100001260001200042100001400054700001300068700001500081700001200096700001500108700001400123245007900137856015000216520110800366       2023                            d  c2023///1 aP. Tonner1 aO. Odena1 aJ. Dickson1 aA. Jaap1 aD. Pincock1 aR. Potter00a‘Wayfarers: Confronting the past through traditional music in schools’  uhttps://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85175435317&doi=10.1177%2f02557614231205307&partnerID=40&md5=589c1b6f6651445440e4851eb1f77c593 aThis paper discusses an inquiry-based school-university partnership project conducted by history and music education specialists in Scotland. The project was music-led with history underpinning it, namely the musical migration of Scots and Irish to the Eastern United States. From the 18th century onwards thousands of Scots and Irish moved to Appalachia – ‘the wayfarers’ in our title. Their heritage now features in the Scottish school curriculum. However, the wayfarers encountered a range of challenging factors, including forced migration and segregation, which are not yet fully considered in schools. To address this need we co-developed resources with a specialist school to enhance secondary school practices surrounding music education and pupil engagement with challenging histories. This paper critically considers the project stages, supported by secondary and primary sources, including group interviews. In the conclusions we make suggestions for future policy, research and practice, such as to frame traditional songs in schools in their historical context. © The Author(s) 2023.