question: Across the globe, many countries are at a nexus of multiple crises The COVID-19 pandemic, structural racism, the climate crisis, and a severe economic downturn have all converged These crises have wreaked havoc on minoritized communities in particular This moment requires imagination to write a different future–to not return to the status quo Imagination becomes crucial for fathoming a different world Musicking–the different ways of making music that include listening, performing, creating, and beyond–may allow us to engage in such imagining Musicking offers a vehicle for dreaming and provides a vision for the future In this paper, I explore movements in education that inform this political moment including critical reconstructionism, abolitionism, and critical pedagogy from the perspectives of people who theorise these movements Subsequently I consider the role the arts might play in imagining I engage in particular the work of Bettina Love and Maxine Greene Ultimately, I examine potential ways that different facets of musicking, including listening, performing, and creating may enable children and youth to engage in what I call the dual roles of imagination © 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group