Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the score differences on the Texas Academic Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) Reading and Mathematics measures among students in Grades 10 and 11 as a function of music enrollment. Specifically, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and enrollment in choir, band, or orchestra or no music enrollment were examined. Methodology: Participants were over 35,000 students in Grades 10 and 11 from two large (i.e., over 90,000 student enrollment) school districts in Texas. Students were classified as enrolled or not enrolled in high school music courses (i.e., Choir, Band or Orchestra). Findings: In both school districts, music students had statistically significantly higher mean TAKS Reading and Mathematics scaled scores than did their non-music peers in every category. Of the 28 MANOVAs conducted for students in Grade 10, 25 analyses were both statistically and practically significant. Reading and Mathematics scaled scores were compared for music students versus non-music students in the following ways: overall Grade 10, boys, girls, White Students, Hispanic students, Black students, and students who were economically disadvantaged. Grade 10 univariate ANOVAs revealed statistically significant results for each of the previous seven categories: 18 of the effect sizes were small, and 7 of the effect sizes were trivial. Results for students in Grade 11 were identical to the results for Grade 10 students. In both school districts, music students had statistically significantly higher mean TAKS Reading and Mathematics scaled scores than did their non-music peers in every category. Implications: Identifying relationships between music and student achievement may inspire further examination of the effects of music on cognition and academic performance. Although valuable, standardized testing has become a narrow lens through which success is measured. Administrators and policy makers are encouraged to examine the resources necessary to sustain music programs. School districts are encouraged to consider alternative forms of authentic assessment as viable means to gauge student development through music. Implications for music teacher preparation and the value of music as a shared human experience are also discussed. Finally, recommendations for future research are presented. [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://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]