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Background music has significant implications for the teaching-learning process in special education. Unobtrusive or background music is a powerful medium which can accentuate, maintain or attentuate overt behaviors in response to conscious sensory stimuli, and special educators could use music as a tool to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the teaching learning process. Recent findings and theories in the area of left and right brain functioning appear to have the following implications for music and special education: (1) the musical bias is partially explained by the brain's sophisticated method of monitoring input; (2) the pattern analysis functioning of the brain may help explain why the rhythm component of music is so important; (3) with increased hemispherical differentiation and school left-brain emphasis, beginning music early and continuing it frequently is important; and (4) since music is basically a right-brain activity, it would be beneficial to abandon left-brain behavioral objectives. (BD)