In the last few months, several people have asked me whether all of the ups and downs we’ve experienced over these last several years have in any way diminished my enthusiasm, my belief, or my commitment to Simply Music.

It’s been some time since I’ve spoken to you all as a whole about how this period has affected me, and more importantly, where I am now in regard to Simply Music, our future, and the greater possibility we’re here to serve.

So, I wanted to send this update today and speak to that directly.

The simple answer is that my commitment has not been diminished.

In fact, in many respects, my belief is stronger than ever.

I’m certainly not saying that these last few years have been easy. They haven’t. And, as many of you know, the Simply Music journey has never really been easy. Since its formal beginning, on January 1st, 1998, we’ve had a long and complex history. There have been wonderful moments, extraordinary breakthroughs, and countless lives impacted in deeply meaningful ways. But there have also been difficulties, disappointments, delays, setbacks, and times when far more things did not work out than did.

I’m not interested in pretending otherwise.

Yet I don’t relate to any of this as something that has happened to us. I see it as something that has happened for us. And, frankly, I see much of it as something that has happened for me.

There are things I could’ve done better. I could’ve been more consistent. I could’ve been more aggressive in amplifying my voice and the message. I could’ve done more to bring public awareness to what I know we have created. And I take responsibility for that.

At the same time, I remain enormously proud of what Simply Music is.

Even after all these years, I believe that the Simply Music method is still the finest, entry-level Teacher Training  program available in the world. I believe it remains one of the most original contributions to music education in generations. I believe that what we’ve created is not merely a different way of teaching piano, but a fundamentally different way of relating to music learning, music teaching, musicality, and human potential.

At its core, and as each of you know, Simply Music is built on a premise of fundamental importance:
all human beings, without exception, are deeply, naturally, and profoundly musical.

This has always been our starting point. It remains our starting point. And I believe it’s more important now than ever before.

A few years ago, I began to see a new and larger context for our work. That became the essence of my book, Music on Mars, and the core of the message I’ve been sharing in my TEDx Talk, my Oxford Talk, my M.I.T presentation, and on other stages.

My message remains consistent. We’re moving into a future that will be redefined by technology. These technologies are not merely going to change a few industries. They’re going to redefine life on earth. They’re going to redefine work, education, relationships, identity, and, ultimately, what it means to be human.

And whilst much about that future is unpredictable, one thing is very clear: humanity is going to need to become more creative than ever before.

Not creative in the narrow sense of being artistic or decorative or expressive. I mean creativity at the most practical level—the ability to see things differently, think about things differently, and do things differently.
The ability to adapt, adjust, solve problems, identify opportunity, and bring something new into reality.

That kind of creativity will become a critical human asset.

And what’s so extraordinary is that, at the very same time that technology is accelerating so rapidly, we’re also gaining new insight into the unique impact that musicianship has on the brain.

Learning how to play music provides the brain with critical neurological nutrition that develops neural connectivity, and strengthens the very machinery that supports creative capability.

This, to me, is not a small idea.

It means that music education has a new and elevated role to play in the world.

And it means that Simply Music has a new and elevated role to play as well.

We have a method that connects people to their natural musicianship quickly, naturally, and successfully. We have a method that dismantles many of the barriers that have kept the majority of people from experiencing music as a lifelong companion. We have a method that allows children, teens, adults, and elders to immediately experience their natural musianship and the self-affirming power of playing music.

That matters. Now more than ever.

It matters in your studios. It matters in the lives of your students. It matters in the lives of their families. And I believe it matters in the broader context of where humanity is heading.

I also want to speak directly about technology and AI.

I know that many of you are not particularly tech-savvy. I know that many of you may feel resistant to technology, and I know that some of you feel especially resistant to AI. I understand that. I really do.

But whether or not we personally feel ready for this new world, it has arrived and it will keep arriving.

Your students will be engaging with AI. Their parents will be. Their schools will be. Their workplaces will be. Their communities will be. In one way or another, all of us will be interacting with these technologies across multiple platforms and in multiple areas of life.

So the question is not whether this wave is coming. It’s already here, and it’s just beginning.

The question is whether we will resist it, ignore it, or learn how to understand it well enough to use it in service of our greater purpose.

And that’s how I am choosing to relate to it. I see technology as making what we do even more important.

The more technologically advanced the world becomes, the more important it will be for human beings to be connected to their creativity, their adaptability, their emotional depth, their self-expression, their relationships, and their humanity.

That is the arena in which music has always lived.

And that’s the arena in which Simply Music has something powerful to contribute.

Now, as you also know, in order to grow Simply Music and support a greater level of impact, we needed a new administrative and technology platform. Our existing systems were developed in a very different era. They served us for a long time, but are now dated and incapable of supporting real growth.

A few years ago, I took on the project of building a new platform from the ground up. That project became far more complex, far more problematic, and far more expensive than expected. Ultimately, after an independent audit, it became clear that we needed to stop that project completely and begin again from the ground up.

That was a very significant blow.

It’s had a major financial impact. It’s caused disruption for our administration, for our team, and for many of you and your student families. I know that. And I want to acknowledge the patience, loyalty, and support that so many of you have shown throughout what has been, at times, a very bumpy road.

I am deeply grateful for that.

In some respects, we’re now beginning again. We’re doing so incrementally. We’re doing so with very limited resources. We’re doing so more carefully, more thoughtfully, and with a much clearer understanding of what’s needed.

But I want you to know this: the interruption of one technology project is not the interruption of the Simply Music project.

The Simply Music project is alive.

The Simply Music possibility is alive.

And my commitment to building the biggest, brightest, most effective version of Simply Music is alive.

I also want to say that this next chapter cannot be about me alone. It never really has been. Yes, I need to amplify my voice. Yes, I need to be more visible. Yes, I need to speak more consistently into the world about what Simply Music is and why it matters.

But we also need to develop a stronger collective voice.

This is why you’ll begin hearing more regular updates from me, and also from our team members. I want our teacher community to feel more connected to, and supported by the Simply Music team, and I want our student community to feel increasingly connected to the larger movement that they’re part of.

We need to strengthen the connective tissue between all of us.

Because this is not merely an organization. It’s not merely a method. It’s not merely a curriculum. It’s a global community of people who are standing for the possibility that music can, and should belong to everyone.

And each of you plays a part in that.

Every time you sit with a student who believes they are not musical, and you help them discover that they are, you are contributing to this possibility.

Every time you help a parent understand the nature of the long-term relationship, you are contributing to this possibility.

Every time you help a student build repertoire, self-expression, creativity, and discipline, you are contributing to this possibility.

And every time you teach Simply Music with care, patience, professionalism, and belief, you are helping to keep this movement alive.

So where am I at?

I’m inspired.

I’m sober about the challenges.

I’m clear that we have a great deal of work to do.

I’m aware that we will need to be disciplined, resourceful, and patient.

And I’m more convinced than ever that Simply Music has an important role to play in the world.

We’ve ridden some very complex and turbulent whitewater rapids. But we’re still here. The method is still extraordinary. The need is greater than ever. The future is opening in front of us. And together, if we remain united, engaged, and clear about what we’re really here to do, we can create a louder voice, a stronger presence, and a far greater impact than we have ever produced before.

Thank you for your loyalty.

Thank you for your patience.

Thank you for your belief in this program.

And thank you for the work you continue to do with your students and families.

I remain deeply proud of Simply Music.

I remain deeply proud of, and grateful to you.

And I remain absolutely committed to the future we are building together.

With love and appreciation,

Neil