This article is an investigation and development of a locally "grounded" theory resulting from a case study done of a department of music at a state university. The full study was completed (2002) under the advisement and supervision of Dr. Gerald Olson, Professor in the School of Music and the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The setting, which will be known as "Midwest State," is a real place. This university is one of the seven state universities in Minnesota. The overall study, entitled, "Identity, Saga and Change: The Department of Music at Midwest State University," sought to answer questions of departmental identity and "saga," (meaning historical, storied, destiny-driven values) during a specific time frame (1993-2000) in which significant externally and internally driven changes were absorbed by Midwest State University and the Department of Music. To begin to appreciate these notions of identity, saga, and change, it is important to understand the setting of the study. That setting involved not only the physical and situational context of a state university, but also the attitudinal and professional circumstances of the participants involved. In order to understand this environment, the author briefly describes how he came to be interested in this project. (Contains 5 figures.)