The National Core Arts Standards in general music provide some exciting possibilities for music growth and understanding among our students. For those of us who are still unsure of how to read the standards or implement them in our classrooms, the standards also present some challenges for music educators. This article provides a deeper look into the rationale behind the 2014 National Core Arts Standards for general music, as well as provides an explanation behind how to better understand them and ways to begin using them in the general music setting.