Repertoire selection is one of the most impactful responsibilities music educators undertake, and the music an educator chooses for students to experience reveals implicit and explicit philosophical values. When ensemble instructors select repertoire, their decisions are often informed by an eclectic mixture of competing practical and aspirational considerations. Backward design is an instructional strategy that aligns philosophical and instructional goals and allows music instructors to purposefully select high-quality repertoire and materials as means to an end rather than an end in themselves.