In 2020, the global pandemic impacted all aspects of life, including higher education. Many universities shifted their programs from face-to-face to online teaching and learning. In this paper, I draw on an autoethnographic narrative to share my story of working in initial teacher education programs as tertiary music educator at a metropolitan university. My story is not unique; it focuses on how I managed and coped with the sudden changes. It also highlights some challenges and opportunities I encountered. The 'swings and roundabouts' that emerged from my year adds to the growing body of international research on music teaching and learning during an extraordinary year. Lessons learnt will help navigate a better 2021.