Pre-service teachers need to experience authentic arts activities to confidently impart the quality arts engagement that young learners deserve. Most importantly, these experiences should contribute to shaping emerging teacher identities. We sought to understand the student experience of online early childhood pre-service in their arts courses, and what they need to become competent and confident teachers of the arts. Using data from 51 responses to a 24-question qualitative survey distributed across three Australian universities, we engaged in the methodological process of qualitative bricolage to present a story constellation offering important insights for online teacher-educators in the arts.