Archetypal images in stories and lyrics such as Lehi's Dream in the Book of Mormon, Country Mouse and the City Mouse, and selected Country music lyrics grow from perceptions of social, cultural, and geographical realities. For their purveyors, they likely stem from personal experience as the proverbial Country Mouse in the city and/or from first-hand experience with oppressive views contrasting stereotypically broad-minded, sophisticated urbanites with stereotypically narrow-minded, rustic ruralites. Either way, these images are integral to the author's purpose here because they provide a framework--they "set the stage"--for exploring actual discrimination and oppressive social patterns in rural music education. Given this framing, the author's intent is twofold--first, to discuss urban oppression and exploitation of rural people and places in American music education and, second, to offer suggestions for how rural ideals and ways of being might constitute a "hidden good," something generally unnoticed that actually could serve as inspiration for more sustainable practices in the fields of music teaching and learning.