In 2014, the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards (NCCAS) released the National Core Arts Standards (NCAS) to encourage excellence in fine arts education and to support educators in implementing best practices. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand and explore elementary music teachers' lived experiences regarding implementation of the NCAS and to identify potential factors related to lack of implementation. The current study addressed the following five questions in regard to music teachers' lived experiences: (1) To what extent do teachers understand the NCAS? (2) To what extent do teachers implement the NCAS? (3) What are the challenges encountered when implementing the NCAS? (4) What administrative supports and structures are needed to implement the NCAS? (5) What teacher-created supports and strategies are most effective in engaging students with the NCAS? The study setting was a school district in Southern California. The data collection for this study utilized a semi-structured, phenomenological interview. The interview protocol included 39 questions relevant to the purpose of the study. The study utilized Colaizzi's process for phenomenological data analysis in three cycles of coding. Five themes emerged from nine categories and 612 codes: (1) Music teachers have limited knowledge and understanding of the four artistic processes in the National Core Arts Standards, which is demonstrated through the difficulty in fully and appropriately articulating definitions and descriptions of the four artistic processes creating, performing, responding, and connecting; (2) Music teachers have diverse views on the use of the National Core Arts Standards stemming from their various levels of teaching experience, amount of training on the standards, beliefs on whether standards are even necessary, and opinions on the feasibility of implementation of the standards; (3) Music teachers express the need for more support in the form of proper training in the National Core Arts Standards and the need for additional resources such as space, technology, time, instruments, and updated curriculum in order to adequately implement the National Core Arts Standards in their teaching; (4) Music teachers need informed and supportive administrators throughout the entire school district who will support the arts in an equitable way in order for all students in the same school district to be able to access the same quality of music education; (5) Music teachers believe that they are meeting the National Core Arts Standards in their music teaching through their educational background, level of expertise, self-efficacy, and teaching experience, regardless of any study of the NCAS or formal implementation of the NCAS. Findings from this study provide insightful information for stakeholders, including educational leaders, and underscore a need to understand teachers' beliefs, lived experiences, and abilities in order to support teachers in the creation of a well-rounded curriculum. It also highlights ways in which teachers will need more targeted support if they are to be expected to successfully implement the NCAS in said curriculum. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]