As a result of high-stakes testing pressure and financial strain within schools, fine arts programs continue to be cut from K-12 education. While research indicates the benefits of music related to learning, brain development, and reading (Kraus, Hornickel, Strait, Slater, & Thompson, 2014), many students do not receive instruction in the fine arts. Language arts teachers are in a unique position to incorporate fine arts in their classroom as a way to facilitate student learning in light of research emphasizing the link between music and literacy. As we consider the 50th anniversary of "English in Texas," it is fitting to reflect on the ways that the music of yesterday and today is part of literacy instruction. In this article, the author presents examples of ways to use music in a middle school classroom to support reading comprehension and to facilitate writing.