Many music educators involved with students in grades preK–12 often lack the time to be “up-to-date” with current research and/or distill theoretical information into useful applications in their daily teaching. Feature authors in this issue of General Music Today (GMT) successfully connect research and learning theories and provide readers with strategies and activities for preparing, delivering, and assessing high-quality music education lessons. In “Sound and Sight: The Use of Song to Promote Language Learning,” Robyn Trinick provides GMT readers with suggestions for using music as enrichment for existing literacy programs. The New Zealand government expects all teachers to support student achievement in language, arts, and mathematics; therefore, Trinick is encouraging classroom and general music teachers to think of songs as literacy tools. Although some may argue against using music as a vehicle for teaching another subject, this author encourages readers to think of this approach as a complementary “partnership that may enrich the learning process” in all areas. Bonnie Jacobi skillfully weaves theories and data from noted researchers and psychologists in her article, “Kodaly, Literacy, and the Brain: Preparing Young Music Students to Read Pitch on the Staff.” After providing a brief overview of the foundational tenets of the Kodaly methodology, she presents a wide variety of activities for successfully moving children from aural learning (rote) to staff reading (note). Readers will find Jacobi’s “prestaff” activities and numerous illustrations helpful when creating their own lessons. Dan Isbell and Sheila Scott share definitions of learning theories and how the various theories can affect lesson planning, instructional delivery, and student engagement. Isbell’s “Learning Theories: Insights for Music Educators” allows GMT readers to engage with ideas regarding multiple learning theories (e.g., behaviorism, reception method, constructivism) and their appropriate applications in the music classroom. He writes practical suggestions and implementation strategies that particularly resonate with music educators. Scott focuses on a framework for lesson plans based on constructivist principles. She guides readers through the process of crafting a lesson that builds on students’ current music knowledge and provides them with multiple opportunities for active involvement in their learning. Laura Dunbar, in her article “Performance Assessment of the Masses in 30 Seconds or Less,” encourages readers to reconsider the stereotypical perspective of music assessment as a “time-consuming ordeal.” Dunbar provides suggestions for creating a rubric efficiently, shares rubric samples, and carefully distinguishes between assessment and evaluation.