This research study examined 110 students from a suburban high school in southeastern Massachusetts’s perceptions of success in traditional and emerging high school music courses, including concert band, concert choir, music technology, pop rock, piano, and guitar. The participants in this study were students directly instructed by the researcher. While conceptualizations of success in music education have garnered significant attention (e.g. Attribution theory, Causality theory, Self-Determination theory, Expectancy-Value theory), the presence of emerging music courses in contemporary curricula warranted further examination of the topic, especially when addressing the gap in literature regarding perceptions of student success in emerging music courses. This study built upon several previous studies (Legette, 1998; Rados, 2003; Rosevear, 2010) that tracked the perceptions of success among music students in traditional ensembles. The revised Causal Dimension Scale II was used to measure students’ perception of success in their music course. Results of the survey indicated that students in traditional and emerging music courses perceived success in similar ways. Participants emphasized that a stable learning environment and clear external feedback from peers and teachers are crucial for successful interactions in music. Results from this study highlighted the importance of structured feedback, scaffolded assignments, and reflective teaching practices in fostering student agency and stability. Implementation of additional supports in these areas has the potential to promote the accessibility and impact of traditional and emerging music courses.