Music Notes – an Xperience Article

Music Notes – an Xperience Article – by Peak Music Studios.

Let me say something that might sound uncomfortable at first.

Most people don’t fail at music because they lack passion. They fail because they spend an incredible amount of energy avoiding the very thing they want to get better at. We call it preserving our dignity. But if we’re honest, what we’re really preserving is fear:

Fear of failing.
Fear of looking bad.
Fear of being the person in the room who doesn’t quite have it yet.
And sometimes fear of success, because success means we have to change how we see ourselves.

So we do this dance.

We say, “I’ll start January first.” We buy a book or an online course because it feels productive, but it doesn’t ask us to risk anything emotionally. We set aside time. We skip the first week because, well … New Year’s Eve. The next week we make progress, we learn a chord, we sing a song, we feel good. Then work explodes. Life happens. Two or three weeks go by. We give it one more big push.

Then something else happens. Family, stress, summer plans. And somewhere along the way, a quiet thought creeps in: this was probably never going to work anyway. So, we say, “Maybe next year.”

Here’s the truth: that isn’t a passion problem. That’s a structure problem. The science is actually very clear on this. Skill isn’t built through motivation. It’s built through consistency. Your brain doesn’t care about big promises. It responds to repetition.

Neuroscience shows us that short, focused, daily practice creates stronger neural pathways than long, sporadic sessions ever will. Fifteen minutes a day, done consistently, with the proper guidance, will move you forward faster than hours of practice done once in a while. You don’t need to feel inspired every day. You need a system that still works on the days you don’t.

And one of the most powerful systems we have is learning with other people. Most of us are afraid of being the worst player in the room. But that room, the one where there are people better than you, is precisely where growth happens. The best musician in the room usually isn’t improving that much. It’s the people reaching for that level who are moving forward.

And here’s something important to know: real musicians, the ones who are actually good, are almost always kind. They remember what it was like to struggle. The people who put others down are usually protecting their ego, not pursuing mastery.

So as this new year begins, I want to offer a simple invitation: Stop listening to the fear that says you can’t do it.

You’re not too old.
You’re not too young.
It’s not too late, and it’s not too early.

Find a qualified teacher. Find a real musical community. Commit to doing something every day, even if it’s just a few minutes. Life is always ready for the bold. Especially those willing to risk a little embarrassment today for a lifetime of music.

Happy New Year!

Peak Music Studios

This Month in Music History

January 1, 1967
The Beatles release “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”

January 3, 1969
Led Zeppelin releases “Led Zeppelin I.”

January 10, 1970
Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” hits No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

January 13, 1968
Johnny Cash records “At Folsom Prison,” changing the idea of what a live performance could be.

January 16, 1957
Elvis Presley records “All Shook Up,” later becoming one of the best-selling singles of all time.

January 26, 1980
The final episode of “The Muppet Show” airs, having introduced millions of children to live musicians and orchestras.

January 30, 1969
The Beatles perform their iconic rooftop concert in London, their last public live performance.

Weird Music Fact: January

On January 30, 1969, during The Beatles’ rooftop concert in London, the band had no official plan for how long the show would last. They simply kept playing until the police shut them down for noise complaints. One of the most iconic moments in music history ended not with a grand finale, but with London authorities asking the greatest band in the world to please turn it down, a fitting end to a journey down rock and roll lane. John Lennon later joked that he wanted to respond, “We’re just trying to get an audition.”

 

 

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