There’s something about September that feels like a second New Year.
January gets all the attention when it comes to resolutions, but September may actually be a better time to reset. Summer is winding down, school is back in session, routines are returning, and there’s still plenty of year left to make meaningful progress.
For musicians, or anyone who has always wanted to become one, it’s also a great time to ask:
What would I love to be able to play before this year is over?
Maybe it’s finally learning the guitar that’s been sitting in the corner.
Maybe it’s getting back to the piano after years away.
Maybe it’s improving your singing, learning to play drums, joining a band, or simply making music a regular part of your life again.
For parents, maybe it’s giving your child the opportunity to finally try the instrument they’ve been talking about.
Whatever it is, September offers something we don’t get in January: a fresh start without the pressure of a New Year’s resolution.
Forget the Huge Goals
When people decide they want to learn music, they often make the goal way too big.
“I want to learn guitar.”
“I want to become a great singer.”
“I want my child to become really good at piano.
”Those goals sound great, but they’re also enormous.
Instead, think about what could realistically happen between now and the end of the year.
Learn three songs.
Play your first guitar solo.
Sing confidently in front of someone.
Learn to play a song with your child.
Perform for the first time.
Finally understand those chords you’ve been struggling with.
Small goals are easier to start, and starting is usually the hardest part.
Small Wins Become Big
ProgressMusic is a great reminder that progress rarely happens all at once.
You learn one chord.
Then another.
Eventually you can switch between them.
Suddenly you’re playing a song.
The same thing happens with piano, drums, voice, bass, or almost anything else worth learning.
You don’t need to practice for hours every day to make progress. A few focused minutes on a regular basis can accomplish far more than an occasional marathon practice session.
Small choices become routines.
And routines have a funny way of turning into skills.
By December, something that felt impossible in September can feel completely normal.
Think About How You Want Music to Make You Feel
Goals don’t always have to be about accomplishing something.
Sometimes it’s more useful to ask how you want to feel.
Do you want to feel more creative?
More confident?
Less stressed?
More connected?
More challenged?
Do you simply want something fun in your week that has nothing to do with work, school, errands, or staring at another screen?
Music can check a surprising number of those boxes.
For adults especially, learning an instrument can create something that’s increasingly difficult to find: time spent doing something simply because you enjoy it.
No emails.
No meetings.
No doom scrolling.
Just you and an instrument trying to make something sound a little better than it did yesterday.
That’s a pretty good use of 30 minutes.
For Kids, A New School Year Can Mean Trying Something New
September naturally feels like a fresh start for kids, too.
New teachers. New classes. New routines. New opportunities.
It’s also a great time to introduce something that isn’t about grades, test scores, or homework.
Music gives kids a place to create, experiment, make mistakes, and figure things out.
They learn that being bad at something initially isn’t a reason to quit. It’s simply what being a beginner feels like.
Then they experience one of the coolest parts of learning music:
They get better.
The song they couldn’t play becomes the song they can’t stop playing.
The child who was nervous about performing becomes excited to get onstage.
The student who wasn’t sure they could do it suddenly realizes they can.
That’s bigger than learning an instrument.
That’s confidence.
Don’t Wait for the Perfect Time
There’s always a reason to wait.
Work is busy.
The kids have activities.
The holidays are coming.
Maybe January would be easier.
Then January becomes spring.
Spring becomes summer.
And another year goes by.
The perfect time rarely shows up on the calendar.
Sometimes you simply decide something matters enough to make room for it.
That’s true whether your goal is getting healthier, spending more time with family, traveling, starting a project, or finally learning to make music.
What Would You Be Glad You Started?
So here’s a simple September challenge.
Don’t make ten goals.
Make one.
Ask yourself:
What would I be glad I made time for before this year is over?
If music is somewhere on that list, start small.
Pick up the guitar.
Sit down at the piano.
Sing.
Play the drums.
Learn your first song.
Take your first lesson.
Or give your child the opportunity to discover an instrument they might love for the rest of their life.
If you’ve been searching for Scottsdale music lessons or music lessons Scottsdale for yourself or your child, September is as good a time as any to stop thinking about someday.
You still have several months before the calendar turns to January.
Imagine what you, or your child, could be playing by then.
Start there.