Musical independence has always been an essential aim of musical instruction. But this objective can refer to everything from high levels of musical expertise to more student choice in the classroom. While most conceptualizations of musical independence emphasize the demonstration of knowledge and skills within particular music traditions, this article offers a larger vision. Musical independence can be framed by a simple but elusive aim: "that students make musical decisions that matter." Among its implications is the contention that in today's increasingly diverse and polyglot musical landscape, students must learn to work "with, through, and beyond" a variety of musical forms. Noting that this suggestion has consequences for traditional and nontraditional classrooms, we propose the idea of the "collective" as a guiding paradigm for fostering musical independence. Through this conception, considerations of civic participation are conjoined with the ideals presented in the new Core Arts Standards.