The purpose of this study is to review the reform of music education in america, Goals 2000 and to consider the direction of music education towards the 21st century in Korea. The `Goals 2000 : Educate America Act established the arts among the disciplines in which every young American should demonstrate competence. MENC was announced the national voluntary standards for music based on the national consensus of the views of organizational and individuals. These standards for music are a statement of what every American students should lmow and be able to do in music. Content standards is to reflect concerning the highest priority skills and lmowledge that students should have acquired upon exiting fade 4, 8, and 12 and are included nine standards : 1) singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music, 2) performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music, 3) improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments, 4) composing and arranging music within specified guidelines, 5) reading and notating music, 6) listening to, analyzing, and describing music, 7) evaluating music and music performances, 8) understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts, and 9) understanding music in relation to history and culture. With each content standard, several achievement standards specify desired levels of attainment how students will demonstrate their attainment of the desired level. Opportunity-to-learn standards is to specify learning environments necessary in the schools to enable every students to meet the content and achievement standards in music. They offer a vision for a new curriculum in music, but the remaining challenge is to implement the curriculum implied by the standards in America. This will require the cooperation and effort of all who value music and all who share a commitment to providing a high-quality education for every young American.