This article aims to make explicit the evolving ecology of ideas in the field of community music and higher education that are particular to a context yet transferable across respective fields of enquiry--music education, community music, music therapy and community music therapy. This is contextualized in two ways: (1) through a consideration of what learning through "community music" might represent in terms of "knowledge" in higher education, and (2) a case study of community music within one university setting. The research draws from a series of research projects, including a community music focus group comprising undergraduate and postgraduate music students. It adopts a reflexive research approach between participants and researchers. The findings present a set of considerations for community music in higher education and five emergent themes from the student perspective. By applying Barnett's theory of knowing and being, the discussion leads to a reconsideration of what might be considered "legitimate" knowledge in community music in higher education to include dispositions of engagement and qualities of emotional learning.