While there is an established body of literature on teacher stress and on the factors that may makemusic teaching uniquely stressful, there has been little or no research on how the recent era ofaccountability influences music teacher stress. In this article, I review the literature on music teacherstress and on how accountability reforms may impact this experience of stress. I then detail thefindings of an interview-based multiple case study I performed with instrumental music teachers inMichigan. I present the findings through a model of an earthquake (the accountability reforms) andits main shocks/aftershocks (the particular stressors caused or influenced by the reforms). “Mainshocks” of the accountability “earthquake” included stress over changes to teacher evaluation,changes to teacher tenure, and the need for the teachers’ schools to improve their test-score-basedschool ratings. “Aftershocks” included intensification from increased workload, a general atmosphereof building-level stress, uncertainty, and a recasting of the significance of large group performancefestivals. Finally, stress from the main shocks and aftershocks combined with “normal” job stressors toincrease the cumulative experience of stress. Implications for teachers and researchers are offered.