Neoliberalism and neoconservatism are two political ideologies that currently shape state directives for education in many countries. In this article, I describe the confluence of neoliberal and neoconservative ideologies that led to the introduction, by the English state department for education, of a Model Music Curriculum for schools. I describe how neoliberalism has transformed the music education ‘ecology’ in England and created an environment that was receptive to the introduction of a curriculum on neoconservative principles. I consider the current position of progressive music education and why it seems unable to mount a sufficiently persuasive challenge. I make a case for the importance of analysis that explicitly focuses on political ideologies and their present-day rhetoric and discourses. Finally, I point to the general early years sector in England as an illustration for how to respond to state interventions in curriculum that might be emulated by the music education sector.

新自由主义和新保守主义是目前影响许多国家教育方针的两种政治意识形态。在本文中，我描述了新自由主义和新保守主义意识形态的融合，导致英国国家教育部为学校引入了示范音乐课程。我描述了新自由主义如何改变了英国的音乐教育“生态”，并创造了一个愿意引入新保守主义原则课程的环境。我考虑了进步音乐教育的现状以及为什么它似乎无法提出足够有说服力的挑战。我论证了明确关注政治意识形态及其当今言论和话语的分析的重要性。最后，