In this article, the author asks music educators to imagine their band students being able to identify the melody of a piece as it jumps among sections after playing it just a few times. How about recognizing harmonic modulation, or applying dynamic contrast through understanding of compositional form? While these elements may seem obvious to music educators, they may be a mystery to their students. Music educators should make their ultimate goal to develop knowledgeable and independent musicians so that they are no longer needed. Music educators want their students to form a solid and permanent relationship with music and to be able to understand, perform, and compose music even after they have left their classes. Band directors study the score of a composition to understand the melodic and harmonic movement, the rhythmic interaction, the musical form, and the expressive possibilities. Understanding these aspects helps them to pinpoint the intricacies that lead to expressive performance. This too, can help students develop a better understanding of a composition. The author stresses that music educators must find ways to expose their students to these compositional elements.