Happy September! I hope your school year is off to a wonderful start. This time of year always feels a little askew as we settle into new routines for our families and our lives. I’ll admit—I didn’t write a blog post last week because I knew you’d be too busy to read it… hehe. I’m sure you missed me. 😉
September is here. The new school year is here. And Donais Studios has officially launched a brand-new season. We can’t wait to see the incredible growth and transformation this year holds—musically and personally—for each of our students.
As a singer, choral conductor, and arts educator who has been teaching for over 20 years, I hear the same concerns come up time and again. From parents: “I can’t get my child to practice.” From teens and adults: “I don’t have time to practice.”
I get it!
Life is full, and there are so many competing priorities. It’s not always easy to carve out time for music with everything else pulling at our attention.
But here’s my challenge to you: what if we reframed how we think about music and artistic learning? What if practice wasn’t just something you have to do, but instead part of your daily wellness routine? Something that nourishes your brain, body, and spirit? When you shift your perspective and see artistry as a practice—like mindfulness, exercise, or journaling—everything changes.
Drawing on neuroscience, positive psychology, physiology, and arts education research, I’ve created a practice guide to help artists of all ages and levels develop a daily routine that feels joyful, sustainable, and transformative. Practice shouldn’t feel like a chore. It should be a place of solace, challenge, growth, and fulfillment.
Over the next few months, I’ll be sharing the Artist Within Method here on the blog. This approach harnesses the power of neuroplasticity—helping you build habits and stronger neural connections that make your artistry a steady, empowering part of your life. Each week, I’ll share inspiration, ideas, challenges, and free downloads to help keep you motivated and on track.
Through my years of teaching, I’ve seen firsthand (and research confirms) that the arts unlock a deep inner strength and self-trust. That strength becomes confidence—the courage to express yourself freely, to listen deeply, and to show up in the world with curiosity, conviction, and connection.
If you haven’t made your practice plan for the season yet, now’s the time. Be sure to check out the post, “What’s Your Plan?” to get started.
This Month’s Colour: RED
Each month, we’ll focus on a specific colour to shape our lessons, rehearsals, and practice time. September’s colour is red—the colour of excitement, passion, courage, energy, and attention.
Harness this spark as you begin building your practice routine. Motivation is high in September—let’s use it!
This Week’s Focus Word: EXCITEMENT
Week 1: September 6–12
Let yourself feel the excitement of a new beginning. Enjoy your first lesson or rehearsal of the season. Take time to set up your practice space, create your routine, and most of all—have fun with it.
We’re in this together. May you be inspired, challenged, and transformed as you make artistry a daily practice in your life.
Now, let’s get excited and get going!
Keep singing,
Andrea “fired up” Donais