This paper indicates that there are two school locations where the principles of quality are at work: on the team practice field and in the band rehearsal hall. Participants in instrumental music and athletics have shown significantly higher scores on achievement tests, higher grade point averages, and lower absenteeism than the rest of the school population. The methods used by the coach and the director are arrived at without reference to Deming's work or each other but reflect solutions to the same concerns faced by total quality management (TQM). The paper isolates these techniques and suggests ways of applying them to other educational settings. Barriers to classroom implementation are enumerated and alternative strategies are examined. (EH)