Motivation plays a role in nearly all human decision-making processes. Regardless of the situation, little may be achieved without the appropriate harnessing of motivation. The same is true in the music classroom. Research appears to indicate that motivation plays a crucial role in human development and achievement. The achievement motivation paradigm seeks to explain human behavior as a striving for excellence regardless of external rewards. By focusing on student effort, rather than personal ability or comparison with others, the educator may help students gain a mastery goal-oriented perspective of their musical tasks leading to increased use of cognitive strategies, persistence when presented with failure, enhanced task enjoyment, and augmented positive affect.