In this paper, we explore a pragmatic approach to tertiary music education. We propose that the conflation of tool, technique, and technology (Graham 2017: 19-20) has led to a situation where dominant music education models too often focus on teaching what you use to make music with rather than how you make it or why, and as a result are dependent on privilege and access. The COVID-19 pandemic provided a unique situation in which to test these ideas due to the enforced disruption to established ways of teaching and learning, in particular the radical pivot to online- only delivery. We explore our experiences of rethinking tool-based tertiary music education in this context and focus on our MacGyver (1985-1992) approach to music making and communicating information. We argue for the potential of a pragmatic approach in music education as one that follows music industry practice of an economy of availability and takes a step towards addressing inequities and the socialising of music making.