Teaching developing band and orchestra musicians how to become independent musicians is vital to cultivating a classroom culture where individual students and the ensemble can succeed. To succeed, students must learn to decipher printed music quickly, apply prior knowledge, transfer skills, communicate with each other, read ahead, and solve potential issues before they arise. If instrumental students learn those skills, they can become self-sufficient musicians who no longer rely on their music teacher for answers. In this session, I will share various strategies and scaffolding techniques that develop musicians’ abilities through skill isolation, multitasking, and communication by naturally incorporating rote exercises, printed materials, and technology into rehearsals. The shared methods are based on classroom teaching experience, observations of outstanding teachers, conversations with peers, and research into sight reading and how students acquire knowledge. These strategies apply to both beginners and high-achieving musicians in band and orchestra classrooms.