We argue for music's power in promoting adult learning about democracy and social justice. Drawing from the literature and our own experiences conducting and studying music, we focus on community choirs to illustrate how the unique properties and experience of music can awaken personal creativity, reclaim voices, encourage wide and inclusive participation, and provoke radical visions of an alternate world. We describe examples of music used as a pedagogy for community building and critical education. Then we link these to social justice, examining the relation of music and particularly community choirs to activism and solidarity learning. We conclude with recommendations for educators interested in exploring musical expression and participation with learners.