In this episode, we explore why confidence might be overrated as a performance goal, how one specific audition where her low notes wouldn't come out reshaped her approach to nerves, why she now works with her nervous system instead of trying to override it, what it means to treat courage as a choice rather than a feeling, and the small, deliberate rituals - from a mantra repeated before walking on stage to a notebook carried into her biggest audition - that help her get through high-stakes performances.
Get all the nerdy details in this month's interview:
Lorna Mcghee: Treating Confidence as Something You Do, Not Something You Feel
More from The Bulletproof Musician
In this episode, we explore why confidence might be overrated as a performance goal, how one specific audition where her low notes wouldn't come out reshaped her approach to nerves, why she now works with her nervous system instead of trying to override it, what it means to treat courage as a choice rather than a feeling, and the small, deliberate rituals - from a mantra repeated before walking on stage to a notebook carried into her biggest audition - that help her get through high-stakes performances.
Get all the nerdy details in this month's interview:
Lorna Mcghee: Treating Confidence as Something You Do, Not Something You Feel
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Dr. Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse is a triple board-certified neurologist, sleep specialist, and epileptologist at the University of Pittsburgh, where her work focuses on cognitive performance, sleep, and neurological recovery under high-demand conditions. In addition to her clinical and academic work, she consults with high-performing populations including professional athletes, executives, pilots, and first responders, and has served as a neurology consultant to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In this episode, we explore why practice sometimes doesn’t “stick,” how sleep affects emotional reactivity and performance anxiety, why pianists improved 10-13% overnight without additional practice, how naps and “sleep banking” can help before auditions and performances, what musicians should know about jet lag and chronotypes, and the surprisingly small sleep habits that may have the biggest impact on performing at your true level.
Get all the nerdy details in this month's interview:
Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse: The Science of Sleep for Musicians
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Dr. Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse is a triple board-certified neurologist, sleep specialist, and epileptologist at the University of Pittsburgh, where her work focuses on cognitive performance, sleep, and neurological recovery under high-demand conditions. In addition to her clinical and academic work, she consults with high-performing populations including professional athletes, executives, pilots, and first responders, and has served as a neurology consultant to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In this episode, we explore why practice sometimes doesn’t “stick,” how sleep affects emotional reactivity and performance anxiety, why pianists improved 10-13% overnight without additional practice, how naps and “sleep banking” can help before auditions and performances, what musicians should know about jet lag and chronotypes, and the surprisingly small sleep habits that may have the biggest impact on performing at your true level.
Get all the nerdy details in this month's interview:
Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse: The Science of Sleep for Musicians
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Maybe it’s a passage where tension creeps back in. Or a section where your fingers revert to an old fingering. Or some aspect of your technique that you’ve worked hard to fix - until it shows up again at exactly the wrong moment.
Why does this happen?
In this month's episode, cognitive psychologist Paul Baxter explains why bad habits are so persistent, and shares a little-known research-based method that may help change stubborn habits more quickly - and permanently.
Get all the nerdy details in this month's interview:
Paul Baxter: Why Bad Habits Keep Coming Back (And a Faster Way to Change Them)
Additional Resources
The exact Old Way New Way protocol and examples across a wide range of performance domains can be found in Paul's book, Overcoming Performance Roadblocks
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Maybe it’s a passage where tension creeps back in. Or a section where your fingers revert to an old fingering. Or some aspect of your technique that you’ve worked hard to fix - until it shows up again at exactly the wrong moment.
Why does this happen?
In this month's episode, cognitive psychologist Paul Baxter explains why bad habits are so persistent, and shares a little-known research-based method that may help change stubborn habits more quickly - and permanently.
Get all the nerdy details in this month's interview:
Paul Baxter: Why Bad Habits Keep Coming Back (And a Faster Way to Change Them)
Additional Resources
The exact Old Way New Way protocol and examples across a wide range of performance domains can be found in Paul's book, Overcoming Performance Roadblocks
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Micah Killion is Assistant Professor of Trumpet and Brass Coordinator at Montclair State University and former principal trumpet of the United States Air Force Band in Washington, D.C. A Yamaha Performing Artist with degrees from Juilliard, Teachers College–Columbia, and UT Austin, his research on expert practice and music learning has been presented at leading institutions including Juilliard, Eastman, and the Royal Academy of Music.
In this episode, Micah shares what he discovered after closely analyzing how elite performers actually practice - and why their approach looks very different from the way most musicians were taught. We explore the decision-making process behind effective practice, the surprising role of mistakes in learning, and a simple strategy that can help musicians practice more efficiently, musically, and consistently.
Get all the nerdy details right here:
Micah Killion: The One Thing Artist-Level Musicians Do Differently in the Practice Room
More from The Bulletproof Musician
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Micah Killion is Assistant Professor of Trumpet and Brass Coordinator at Montclair State University and former principal trumpet of the United States Air Force Band in Washington, D.C. A Yamaha Performing Artist with degrees from Juilliard, Teachers College–Columbia, and UT Austin, his research on expert practice and music learning has been presented at leading institutions including Juilliard, Eastman, and the Royal Academy of Music.
In this episode, Micah shares what he discovered after closely analyzing how elite performers actually practice - and why their approach looks very different from the way most musicians were taught. We explore the decision-making process behind effective practice, the surprising role of mistakes in learning, and a simple strategy that can help musicians practice more efficiently, musically, and consistently.
Get all the nerdy details right here:
Micah Killion: The One Thing Artist-Level Musicians Do Differently in the Practice Room
More from The Bulletproof Musician
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Not because the opening is more difficult technically, but because we’ve generally been sitting around for a little while, so we’re feeling kind of cold, a little disconnected from our instrument, and nervous and jittery.
And it often takes us a minute or two to get warmed up and really hit our stride. Which might not be the end of the world if you’re playing a 30-minute concerto. But if it’s an audition that only lasts a few minutes, this “warm-up” period can feel like a really long (and crappy) couple minutes.
Is there something we can do to be more accurate right from the start, and skip that “settling-in” period? (spoiler alert - yes, there is 😁).
Get all the nerdy details here:
How to Start a Performance with More Accuracy (Without the "Onstage Warm-Up")
Live mental skills class begins soon!
Learn research-based strategies for effective practice, managing nerves, getting into the zone, and performing more confidently with a month of live Zoom sessions, weekly homework, and feedback.
Registration ends January 25th.
👉 Join Performance Psych Essentials - Cohort 26 (February 1 - March 1)
References
Perry, I. S., and Katz, Y. J. (2015). Pre-performance routines, accuracy in athletic performance and self-control. Athens J. Sports 2, 137–152. doi: 10.30958/ajspo.2-3-1
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Not because the opening is more difficult technically, but because we’ve generally been sitting around for a little while, so we’re feeling kind of cold, a little disconnected from our instrument, and nervous and jittery.
And it often takes us a minute or two to get warmed up and really hit our stride. Which might not be the end of the world if you’re playing a 30-minute concerto. But if it’s an audition that only lasts a few minutes, this “warm-up” period can feel like a really long (and crappy) couple minutes.
Is there something we can do to be more accurate right from the start, and skip that “settling-in” period? (spoiler alert - yes, there is 😁).
Get all the nerdy details here:
How to Start a Performance with More Accuracy (Without the "Onstage Warm-Up")
Live mental skills class begins soon!
Learn research-based strategies for effective practice, managing nerves, getting into the zone, and performing more confidently with a month of live Zoom sessions, weekly homework, and feedback.
Registration ends January 25th.
👉 Join Performance Psych Essentials - Cohort 26 (February 1 - March 1)
References
Perry, I. S., and Katz, Y. J. (2015). Pre-performance routines, accuracy in athletic performance and self-control. Athens J. Sports 2, 137–152. doi: 10.30958/ajspo.2-3-1
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Whichever kind of year this is shaping up to be for you, I have a few things planned these next few weeks to help make it a productive one.
Today, I have a couple studies to share that look at a popular technique for getting started when your motivation isn’t quite there.
Then, Coworking Week begins Monday, where we’ll have five days of drop-in coworking calls to clear distractions, get unstuck, and check things off your list (join here).
And the week after that, I’ll be opening the doors for the Winter Psych Essentials class, where through a month of group classes and gentle peer accountability, you’ll learn how to accelerate your progress, and perform more confidently in 2026 with research-based techniques and exercises from performance science that you can apply to your daily practice (details here).
But for now, let's take a look at a strategy that could make it easier to start (and finish) tasks, whether that be practicing, studying, or doing the laundry:
When You Can’t Get Yourself to Start Practicing, Try This
References
Ara, Z., Rahim, I. B., Zhou, P., Yu, L., Esmaeili, B., Yu, L., & Hong, S. R. (2025). You are not alone: Designing body doubling for ADHD in virtual reality. arXiv (Cornell University). https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2509.12153
Eagle, T., Baltaxe-Admony, L. B., & Ringland, K. E. (2024). “It Was Something I Naturally Found Worked and Heard About Later”: An Investigation of Body Doubling with Neurodivergent Participants. ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing, 17(3), 1–30. https://doi.org/10.1145/3689648
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Whichever kind of year this is shaping up to be for you, I have a few things planned these next few weeks to help make it a productive one.
Today, I have a couple studies to share that look at a popular technique for getting started when your motivation isn’t quite there.
Then, Coworking Week begins Monday, where we’ll have five days of drop-in coworking calls to clear distractions, get unstuck, and check things off your list (join here).
And the week after that, I’ll be opening the doors for the Winter Psych Essentials class, where through a month of group classes and gentle peer accountability, you’ll learn how to accelerate your progress, and perform more confidently in 2026 with research-based techniques and exercises from performance science that you can apply to your daily practice (details here).
But for now, let's take a look at a strategy that could make it easier to start (and finish) tasks, whether that be practicing, studying, or doing the laundry:
When You Can’t Get Yourself to Start Practicing, Try This
References
Ara, Z., Rahim, I. B., Zhou, P., Yu, L., Esmaeili, B., Yu, L., & Hong, S. R. (2025). You are not alone: Designing body doubling for ADHD in virtual reality. arXiv (Cornell University). https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2509.12153
Eagle, T., Baltaxe-Admony, L. B., & Ringland, K. E. (2024). “It Was Something I Naturally Found Worked and Heard About Later”: An Investigation of Body Doubling with Neurodivergent Participants. ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing, 17(3), 1–30. https://doi.org/10.1145/3689648
More from The Bulletproof Musician
But in doing so, we end up accumulating more and more incorrect repetitions and reinforcing mistakes. So what’s the alternative?
A new study took a rare, close-up, repetition by repetition look at how artist-level musicians practice difficult passages. And it identified some key similarities in how they approach problems and keep making progress - without reinforcing mistakes.
The result is a concrete practice framework that any musician can use to guide their practice. You might even argue that this is THE core process that underlies effective skill learning.
Get all the nerdy details here:
The Central Strategy Expert Musicians Use to Practice Difficult Passages
References
Killion, M. F., & Duke, R. A. (2025). The central strategy of music practice: A blow-by-blow account. Journal of Expertise, 8(2–3), 85–128.
More from The Bulletproof Musician
But in doing so, we end up accumulating more and more incorrect repetitions and reinforcing mistakes. So what’s the alternative?
A new study took a rare, close-up, repetition by repetition look at how artist-level musicians practice difficult passages. And it identified some key similarities in how they approach problems and keep making progress - without reinforcing mistakes.
The result is a concrete practice framework that any musician can use to guide their practice. You might even argue that this is THE core process that underlies effective skill learning.
Get all the nerdy details here:
The Central Strategy Expert Musicians Use to Practice Difficult Passages
References
Killion, M. F., & Duke, R. A. (2025). The central strategy of music practice: A blow-by-blow account. Journal of Expertise, 8(2–3), 85–128.
More from The Bulletproof Musician
A 2014 study identified a self-talk strategy that led to improved performances, and less post-performance shame and rumination.
And it doesn’t require us to shush the inner critic entirely (whew, because that’s really difficult!). It’s just a small, simple - yet quirky - tweak that anyone can do.
Get all the nerdy details here:
How a Small Change in Self-Talk Could Improve Performance Under Pressure
References
Kross, E., Bruehlman-Senecal, E., Park, J., Burson, A., Dougherty, A., Shablack, H., Bremner, R., Moser, J., & Ayduk, O. (2014). Self-talk as a regulatory mechanism: How you do it matters. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 106(2), 304–324. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035173
More from The Bulletproof Musician
A 2014 study identified a self-talk strategy that led to improved performances, and less post-performance shame and rumination.
And it doesn’t require us to shush the inner critic entirely (whew, because that’s really difficult!). It’s just a small, simple - yet quirky - tweak that anyone can do.
Get all the nerdy details here:
How a Small Change in Self-Talk Could Improve Performance Under Pressure
References
Kross, E., Bruehlman-Senecal, E., Park, J., Burson, A., Dougherty, A., Shablack, H., Bremner, R., Moser, J., & Ayduk, O. (2014). Self-talk as a regulatory mechanism: How you do it matters. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 106(2), 304–324. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035173
More from The Bulletproof Musician
So what is the constraints-led approach? And is it relevant to musicians?
Spoiler alert - yes, it totally is. 😁
And if you’ve ever been frustrated by how you can play exactly the way you want in the practice room, but find that things start to break down when you’re surrounded by other musicians, or playing in a new hall, or on a different piano, this can not only help you be more comfortable in performance, but have way more fun in your daily practice too.
Get all the nerdy details right here:
A Learning Method That Outperformed Traditional Practice
More joy in the practice room and on stage in 2026?
Get the Beyond Practicing 2-for-1 offer (ends on December 14, 2025 at 11:59pm)
More from The Bulletproof Musician
So what is the constraints-led approach? And is it relevant to musicians?
Spoiler alert - yes, it totally is. 😁
And if you’ve ever been frustrated by how you can play exactly the way you want in the practice room, but find that things start to break down when you’re surrounded by other musicians, or playing in a new hall, or on a different piano, this can not only help you be more comfortable in performance, but have way more fun in your daily practice too.
Get all the nerdy details right here:
A Learning Method That Outperformed Traditional Practice
More joy in the practice room and on stage in 2026?
Get the Beyond Practicing 2-for-1 offer (ends on December 14, 2025 at 11:59pm)
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Well, spoiler alert, it's not a simple yes or no answer. And there are a lot of fascinating nuances to explore.
One of which involves performance anxiety, and the question of whether perfectionism increases or decreases nerves.
Get all the nerdy details and find out how much perfectionism might work best:
How Much Perfectionism Do You Really Need to Succeed?
References
Racine, P., Laflamme, S. V., Gaudreau, P., & Langlois, F. (2025). Please don’t stop the music! A new look at the performance anxiety of musicians with the model of excellencism and perfectionism. Psychology of Music. https://doi.org/10.1177/03057356241300538
☃️ Holiday 2-for-1 Offer
Get the Beyond Practicing course, with bonus account and two additional bonuses for you and a buddy (ends December 7, 2025):
👉 Get the 2-for-1 offer + bonuses
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Well, spoiler alert, it's not a simple yes or no answer. And there are a lot of fascinating nuances to explore.
One of which involves performance anxiety, and the question of whether perfectionism increases or decreases nerves.
Get all the nerdy details and find out how much perfectionism might work best:
How Much Perfectionism Do You Really Need to Succeed?
References
Racine, P., Laflamme, S. V., Gaudreau, P., & Langlois, F. (2025). Please don’t stop the music! A new look at the performance anxiety of musicians with the model of excellencism and perfectionism. Psychology of Music. https://doi.org/10.1177/03057356241300538
☃️ Holiday 2-for-1 Offer
Get the Beyond Practicing course, with bonus account and two additional bonuses for you and a buddy (ends December 7, 2025):
👉 Get the 2-for-1 offer + bonuses
More from The Bulletproof Musician
But performing can also be a real thrill, and one of the most satisfying and meaningful things we do in music. So I thought it might be fun to explore performing and practicing from this more positive angle as well.
My guest today is pianist Pallavi Mahidhara. A prizewinner at the Geneva International Piano Competition and the International Prokofiev Competition in Saint Petersburg Russia, Pallavi has performed across five continents, and at festivals such as Marlboro and Verbier. She also hosts the “Conscious Artist” podcast, which promotes mental health awareness for performing artists, and is often invited to give workshops and master classes at universities and summer programs as well.
In this episode, you’ll hear Pallavi describe how practicing and performing are separate, how practicing and performing are connected, how she is able to look for the good rather than the bad in each piano she plays, how she is able to be present and trust herself in performance, and why it’s helpful - both in music and in life - to have no regrets.
Get all the nerdy details right here:
Pallavi Mahidhara: On Practicing for Flexibility, Not Perfection
More from The Bulletproof Musician
But performing can also be a real thrill, and one of the most satisfying and meaningful things we do in music. So I thought it might be fun to explore performing and practicing from this more positive angle as well.
My guest today is pianist Pallavi Mahidhara. A prizewinner at the Geneva International Piano Competition and the International Prokofiev Competition in Saint Petersburg Russia, Pallavi has performed across five continents, and at festivals such as Marlboro and Verbier. She also hosts the “Conscious Artist” podcast, which promotes mental health awareness for performing artists, and is often invited to give workshops and master classes at universities and summer programs as well.
In this episode, you’ll hear Pallavi describe how practicing and performing are separate, how practicing and performing are connected, how she is able to look for the good rather than the bad in each piano she plays, how she is able to be present and trust herself in performance, and why it’s helpful - both in music and in life - to have no regrets.
Get all the nerdy details right here:
Pallavi Mahidhara: On Practicing for Flexibility, Not Perfection
More from The Bulletproof Musician
And studies suggest that this investment of time is very much worth their while, when it comes to high-level performance.
But how much of a difference would an additional 90 minutes of sleep make when it comes to music performance?
Get all the nerdy details and see what happened when a group of music students and professional musicians added an extra 90 minutes to their sleep for a week:
What Happened When Musicians Slept 90 Minutes More
References
Pelletier, B. (2025). Effects of sleep extension on musical performance skills. Music & Science, 8. https://doi.org/10.1177/20592043251385420
More from The Bulletproof Musician
And studies suggest that this investment of time is very much worth their while, when it comes to high-level performance.
But how much of a difference would an additional 90 minutes of sleep make when it comes to music performance?
Get all the nerdy details and see what happened when a group of music students and professional musicians added an extra 90 minutes to their sleep for a week:
What Happened When Musicians Slept 90 Minutes More
References
Pelletier, B. (2025). Effects of sleep extension on musical performance skills. Music & Science, 8. https://doi.org/10.1177/20592043251385420
More from The Bulletproof Musician
I couldn’t have been more than 9 or 10 at the time, so the notion of me teaching myself was hard to fathom. It was difficult enough to just play in tune, never mind come up with my own bowings and fingerings, or making decisions about phrasing and all the musical details and nuances involved.
Of course, she was right. One day I wouldn’t have a teacher. Or even if I did, I would only have that teacher’s assistance for one brief hour out of each week. Which meant that for 99.4% of the week, I was on my own. And if I wanted to make meaningful progress during the week, I’d have to learn how to teach myself.
But how exactly do you teach someone to become a more independent learner?
Get all the nerdy details right here:
Why Being Too Quick to Offer Feedback Could Inhibit Learning
References
Swinnen, S. P., Schmidt, R. A., Nicholson, D. E., & Shapiro, D. C. (1990). Information feedback for skill acquisition: Instantaneous knowledge of results degrades learning. Journal of Experimental Psychology Learning Memory and Cognition, 16(4), 706–716. https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-7393.16.4.706
More from The Bulletproof Musician
I couldn’t have been more than 9 or 10 at the time, so the notion of me teaching myself was hard to fathom. It was difficult enough to just play in tune, never mind come up with my own bowings and fingerings, or making decisions about phrasing and all the musical details and nuances involved.
Of course, she was right. One day I wouldn’t have a teacher. Or even if I did, I would only have that teacher’s assistance for one brief hour out of each week. Which meant that for 99.4% of the week, I was on my own. And if I wanted to make meaningful progress during the week, I’d have to learn how to teach myself.
But how exactly do you teach someone to become a more independent learner?
Get all the nerdy details right here:
Why Being Too Quick to Offer Feedback Could Inhibit Learning
References
Swinnen, S. P., Schmidt, R. A., Nicholson, D. E., & Shapiro, D. C. (1990). Information feedback for skill acquisition: Instantaneous knowledge of results degrades learning. Journal of Experimental Psychology Learning Memory and Cognition, 16(4), 706–716. https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-7393.16.4.706
More from The Bulletproof Musician
I think we all know that the same is true for learning a new piece of music too - but often, this is not actually what our practice looks like. While we might have a pretty good idea what we don’t want something to sound like, our approach to practicing suggests that we are typically much less clear about what exactly we do want.
A 2023 study illustrates how taking a moment to be clearer about our musical intentions (with a 4-step process) could lead to more effective practice!
Get all the nerdy details here:
Fewer Repetitions….But More Rapid Progress?
References
Williams, S. G., van Ketel, J. E., & Schaefer, R. S. (2023). Practicing Musical Intention: The Effects of External Focus of Attention on Musicians’ Skill Acquisition. Music & Science, 6. https://doi.org/10.1177/20592043231151416
More from The Bulletproof Musician
I think we all know that the same is true for learning a new piece of music too - but often, this is not actually what our practice looks like. While we might have a pretty good idea what we don’t want something to sound like, our approach to practicing suggests that we are typically much less clear about what exactly we do want.
A 2023 study illustrates how taking a moment to be clearer about our musical intentions (with a 4-step process) could lead to more effective practice!
Get all the nerdy details here:
Fewer Repetitions….But More Rapid Progress?
References
Williams, S. G., van Ketel, J. E., & Schaefer, R. S. (2023). Practicing Musical Intention: The Effects of External Focus of Attention on Musicians’ Skill Acquisition. Music & Science, 6. https://doi.org/10.1177/20592043231151416
More from The Bulletproof Musician
And if you’re not a string player, don’t worry - many of the principles are equally applicable to other instruments too.
Get all the nerdy details and learn how to level up your practice in this month’s interview:
Ida Kavafian: Habits That Separate Good Musicians from Great Ones
More from The Bulletproof Musician
And if you’re not a string player, don’t worry - many of the principles are equally applicable to other instruments too.
Get all the nerdy details and learn how to level up your practice in this month’s interview:
Ida Kavafian: Habits That Separate Good Musicians from Great Ones
More from The Bulletproof Musician
There's not a lot of direct data that speaks to this question, but there are some clues here and there, suggesting that the answer might be a little more nuanced than a simple yes or no.
Get all the nerdy details right here:
Can Memorizing Music Make You a More Expressive Performer?
A course on how to develop “bulletproof” memory (registration ends 10/26/25)
Most of us never learn how, but memorizing music is actually a concrete skill that can be learned. Discover a step-by-step, 3-phase, research-based framework for memorizing music that draws from the strategies that expert musicians and effective memorizers use to memorize music efficiently, and perform more confidently from memory - even under pressure.
Get the Bulletproof Memory course (Public release ends October 26, 2025)
References
Chaffin, R., Gerling, C. C., & Demos, A. P. (2024). How secure memorization promotes expression: A longitudinal case study of performing Chopin’s Barcarolle, Op. 60. Musicae Scientiae, 28(4), 703-722. https://doi.org/10.1177/10298649241241405
Williamon, A. (1999). The Value of Performing from Memory. Psychology of Music, 27(1), 84-95. https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735699271008
Woody, R. H. (2006). The effect of various instructional conditions on expressive music performance. Journal of Research in Music Education, 54(1), 21–36. https://doi.org/10.1177/002242940605400103
More from The Bulletproof Musician
There's not a lot of direct data that speaks to this question, but there are some clues here and there, suggesting that the answer might be a little more nuanced than a simple yes or no.
Get all the nerdy details right here:
Can Memorizing Music Make You a More Expressive Performer?
A course on how to develop “bulletproof” memory (registration ends 10/26/25)
Most of us never learn how, but memorizing music is actually a concrete skill that can be learned. Discover a step-by-step, 3-phase, research-based framework for memorizing music that draws from the strategies that expert musicians and effective memorizers use to memorize music efficiently, and perform more confidently from memory - even under pressure.
Get the Bulletproof Memory course (Public release ends October 26, 2025)
References
Chaffin, R., Gerling, C. C., & Demos, A. P. (2024). How secure memorization promotes expression: A longitudinal case study of performing Chopin’s Barcarolle, Op. 60. Musicae Scientiae, 28(4), 703-722. https://doi.org/10.1177/10298649241241405
Williamon, A. (1999). The Value of Performing from Memory. Psychology of Music, 27(1), 84-95. https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735699271008
Woody, R. H. (2006). The effect of various instructional conditions on expressive music performance. Journal of Research in Music Education, 54(1), 21–36. https://doi.org/10.1177/002242940605400103
More from The Bulletproof Musician
We’ve worked on unpacking various aspects of memory over the last couple weeks - with Jane Ginsborg two episodes here and why pianists can have more difficulty than other musicians here.
And today, we’ll be looking at the pros and cons of the two different types of memory that musicians rely on. Spoiler alert - the one that most of us rely on is the less reliable of the two, which is why our memory is often not as reliable under pressure as we’d like!
Also, if you’ve been a long-time listener, you might remember that I mentioned working on a memorization course a couple summers ago. Well, the Bulletproof Memory course is finally ready - and will be available on a limited basis through next Sunday, October 26th (you can get immediate access to the course right here).
Ready to see which type of memory you might be using?
Get all the nerdy details here:
Two Approaches to Memorization (Beware: One Could Leave You Stranded!)
Learn how to develop “bulletproof” memory
Memorizing music can be a gift, but is very much also a skill that can be learned. Discover a step-by-step, 3-phase, research-based framework for memorizing music that draws from the strategies that expert musicians and effective memorizers use to memorize music efficiently, and perform more confidently from memory - even under pressure.
Bulletproof Memory (available for a limited time only - Oct. 19-26)
References
Chaffin, R., Lisboa, T., Logan, T., & Begosh, K. T. (2009). Preparing for memorized cello performance: the role of performance cues. Psychology of Music, 38(1), 3–30. https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735608100377
More from The Bulletproof Musician
We’ve worked on unpacking various aspects of memory over the last couple weeks - with Jane Ginsborg two episodes here and why pianists can have more difficulty than other musicians here.
And today, we’ll be looking at the pros and cons of the two different types of memory that musicians rely on. Spoiler alert - the one that most of us rely on is the less reliable of the two, which is why our memory is often not as reliable under pressure as we’d like!
Also, if you’ve been a long-time listener, you might remember that I mentioned working on a memorization course a couple summers ago. Well, the Bulletproof Memory course is finally ready - and will be available on a limited basis through next Sunday, October 26th (you can get immediate access to the course right here).
Ready to see which type of memory you might be using?
Get all the nerdy details here:
Two Approaches to Memorization (Beware: One Could Leave You Stranded!)
Learn how to develop “bulletproof” memory
Memorizing music can be a gift, but is very much also a skill that can be learned. Discover a step-by-step, 3-phase, research-based framework for memorizing music that draws from the strategies that expert musicians and effective memorizers use to memorize music efficiently, and perform more confidently from memory - even under pressure.
Bulletproof Memory (available for a limited time only - Oct. 19-26)
References
Chaffin, R., Lisboa, T., Logan, T., & Begosh, K. T. (2009). Preparing for memorized cello performance: the role of performance cues. Psychology of Music, 38(1), 3–30. https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735608100377
More from The Bulletproof Musician
A Hidden Reason You Forget Music on Stage
Wish you could perform more confidently from memory?
Memorization can feel like a mysterious process, but it's a more concrete and practical process than you might think. I’ve distilled a couple decades of research, and over a hundred studies, book chapters, dissertations, and case studies into a 5-module step-by-step course on memorization for musicians, that will be available for a limited public release from October 19 - 26, 2025. If you’d like to get on the waitlist so you don’t miss it, you can do that right here: bulletproofmusician.com/memory
References
Mishra, J., & Backlin, W. M. (2007). The effects of altering environmental and instrumental context on the performance of memorized music. Psychology of Music, 35(3), 453–472. https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735607077838
More from The Bulletproof Musician
A Hidden Reason You Forget Music on Stage
Wish you could perform more confidently from memory?
Memorization can feel like a mysterious process, but it's a more concrete and practical process than you might think. I’ve distilled a couple decades of research, and over a hundred studies, book chapters, dissertations, and case studies into a 5-module step-by-step course on memorization for musicians, that will be available for a limited public release from October 19 - 26, 2025. If you’d like to get on the waitlist so you don’t miss it, you can do that right here: bulletproofmusician.com/memory
References
Mishra, J., & Backlin, W. M. (2007). The effects of altering environmental and instrumental context on the performance of memorized music. Psychology of Music, 35(3), 453–472. https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735607077838
More from The Bulletproof Musician
One of the problems, was that I never learned how to memorize music. And not because my teachers were negligent in any way. We just didn’t really know that much back then about how memory works!
But thanks to the efforts of several researchers in the last couple decades, we now know quite a bit about the most - and least - effective ways to get all those notes into and out of our brains.
One of those researchers is Jane Ginsborg. And in today’s episode, Jane will share many key tips and details with us on the science of memorization, specifically as it relates to musicians. And because Jane’s background is in voice, there are some special nuances included for singers as well!
Get all the nerdy details right here:
Jane Ginsborg: On Building Stronger and More Reliable Musical Memory
A memory course
If you'd like to learn more about the music memorization process and get more comfortable (and confident) performing from memory, you may be interested in the Bulletproof Memory course that will be released soon. You can join the waitlist for the limited public release right here.
More from The Bulletproof Musician
One of the problems, was that I never learned how to memorize music. And not because my teachers were negligent in any way. We just didn’t really know that much back then about how memory works!
But thanks to the efforts of several researchers in the last couple decades, we now know quite a bit about the most - and least - effective ways to get all those notes into and out of our brains.
One of those researchers is Jane Ginsborg. And in today’s episode, Jane will share many key tips and details with us on the science of memorization, specifically as it relates to musicians. And because Jane’s background is in voice, there are some special nuances included for singers as well!
Get all the nerdy details right here:
Jane Ginsborg: On Building Stronger and More Reliable Musical Memory
A memory course
If you'd like to learn more about the music memorization process and get more comfortable (and confident) performing from memory, you may be interested in the Bulletproof Memory course that will be released soon. You can join the waitlist for the limited public release right here.
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Not exactly the parting wisdom you’d expect, right?
But hidden in that odd-sounding advice is an important mental shift that could help you play with more freedom and confidence under pressure.
Get all the nerdy details in today's episode. Or, get the text version with references, links, and other details right here:
How to Use Focus Cues to Play More Freely on Stage
A live online performance enhancement class (registration closes on 9.28.2025)
Performance Psych Essentials: Work on practicing more effectively and performing more optimally alongside a global cohort of musicians, educators, and learners of all ages. Registration for the live online 4-week class is open! (Class runs from October 5 - November 2)
References
Aiken, C. A., & Becker, K. A. (2022). Utilising an internal focus of attention during preparation and an external focus during execution may facilitate motor learning. European Journal of Sport Science, 23(2), 259–266. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2022.2042604
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Not exactly the parting wisdom you’d expect, right?
But hidden in that odd-sounding advice is an important mental shift that could help you play with more freedom and confidence under pressure.
Get all the nerdy details in today's episode. Or, get the text version with references, links, and other details right here:
How to Use Focus Cues to Play More Freely on Stage
A live online performance enhancement class (registration closes on 9.28.2025)
Performance Psych Essentials: Work on practicing more effectively and performing more optimally alongside a global cohort of musicians, educators, and learners of all ages. Registration for the live online 4-week class is open! (Class runs from October 5 - November 2)
References
Aiken, C. A., & Becker, K. A. (2022). Utilising an internal focus of attention during preparation and an external focus during execution may facilitate motor learning. European Journal of Sport Science, 23(2), 259–266. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2022.2042604
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Get all the nerdy details in today's episode. Or, get the text version with references, links, and other details right here:
Is There Hope for the Most Anxious Performers?
Additional links
Registration for Cohort 25 is open (signups close on 9.28.2025)
Performance Psych Essentials: Work on practicing more effectively and performing more optimally alongside a global cohort of musicians, educators, and learners of all ages. Registration for the live online 4-week class is open! (Class runs from October 5 - November 2)
References
Lubert, V. J., Nordin-Bates, S. M., & Gröpel, P. (2023). Effects of tailored interventions for anxiety management in choking-susceptible performing artists: a mixed-methods collective case study. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1164273
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Get all the nerdy details in today's episode. Or, get the text version with references, links, and other details right here:
Is There Hope for the Most Anxious Performers?
Additional links
Registration for Cohort 25 is open (signups close on 9.28.2025)
Performance Psych Essentials: Work on practicing more effectively and performing more optimally alongside a global cohort of musicians, educators, and learners of all ages. Registration for the live online 4-week class is open! (Class runs from October 5 - November 2)
References
Lubert, V. J., Nordin-Bates, S. M., & Gröpel, P. (2023). Effects of tailored interventions for anxiety management in choking-susceptible performing artists: a mixed-methods collective case study. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1164273
More from The Bulletproof Musician
But how does one do this? What can we do in the hours and minutes before a performance to get into a good headspace?
Get all the nerdy details here:
How to Get Your Mind in the Right Place Before Going On Stage
References
Watanabe, A., Kondoh, S., Samma, T., & Fujii, S. (2025). Enhanced subjective performance achievement in wind instrument playing through positive memory recall: effects of sympathetic activation and emotional valence. Frontiers in Psychology, 16. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1544069
Registration begins soon! (9.21.2025 - 9.28.2025)
Performance Psych Essentials: Work on practicing more effectively and performing more optimally alongside a global cohort of musicians, educators, and learners of all ages. Live 4-week class begins soon! (October 5 - November 2)
More from The Bulletproof Musician
But how does one do this? What can we do in the hours and minutes before a performance to get into a good headspace?
Get all the nerdy details here:
How to Get Your Mind in the Right Place Before Going On Stage
References
Watanabe, A., Kondoh, S., Samma, T., & Fujii, S. (2025). Enhanced subjective performance achievement in wind instrument playing through positive memory recall: effects of sympathetic activation and emotional valence. Frontiers in Psychology, 16. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1544069
Registration begins soon! (9.21.2025 - 9.28.2025)
Performance Psych Essentials: Work on practicing more effectively and performing more optimally alongside a global cohort of musicians, educators, and learners of all ages. Live 4-week class begins soon! (October 5 - November 2)
More from The Bulletproof Musician
For most of my life, practicing felt an awful lot like memorizing my multiplication tables. A lot of mind-numbing repetition, and not much fun.
We know that mindless drudgery doesn’t make for very effective learning, of course - but what is the alternative? What might more playful practice actually look like?
Enter today’s guest, Graham Fitch. He’s a pianist, but the ideas and concepts that he shares with us in today’s chat can be applied or translated to any instrument.
So if you haven’t been learning music or improving overall as quickly as you would like, or your practice has felt stale or stagnant, I think today’s episode will help to revitalize your practice and scooch it a few notches in the direction of fun. 😜
Get all the nerdy details on memorization, slow practice, fast practice, metronome practice, hands together vs. separate and more, in this month's episode:
Graham Fitch: On Playful Practice and Muscle Memory You Can Trust
Additional Resources
Graham mentioned chaining and interleaved practice. Here's more on both of those concepts.
How to do chaining: Jason Sulliman: On Why Fast, At-Tempo Practice Can Be More Efficient and Effective Than Slow Practice
How to do interleaved practice: Why the Progress You Make in the Practice Room Seems to Disappear Overnight
More from The Bulletproof Musician
For most of my life, practicing felt an awful lot like memorizing my multiplication tables. A lot of mind-numbing repetition, and not much fun.
We know that mindless drudgery doesn’t make for very effective learning, of course - but what is the alternative? What might more playful practice actually look like?
Enter today’s guest, Graham Fitch. He’s a pianist, but the ideas and concepts that he shares with us in today’s chat can be applied or translated to any instrument.
So if you haven’t been learning music or improving overall as quickly as you would like, or your practice has felt stale or stagnant, I think today’s episode will help to revitalize your practice and scooch it a few notches in the direction of fun. 😜
Get all the nerdy details on memorization, slow practice, fast practice, metronome practice, hands together vs. separate and more, in this month's episode:
Graham Fitch: On Playful Practice and Muscle Memory You Can Trust
Additional Resources
Graham mentioned chaining and interleaved practice. Here's more on both of those concepts.
How to do chaining: Jason Sulliman: On Why Fast, At-Tempo Practice Can Be More Efficient and Effective Than Slow Practice
How to do interleaved practice: Why the Progress You Make in the Practice Room Seems to Disappear Overnight
More from The Bulletproof Musician
But it's always interesting to get some actual data on this sort of thing, so a team of researchers conducted a series of studies to see if striving for perfection had benefits beyond aiming for excellence. The results might surprise you.
Get all the nerdy details:
Does Aiming for Perfection Actually Hurt Performance?
Additional resources
References
Gaudreau, P., Schellenberg, B. J. I., Gareau, A., Kljajic, K., & Manoni-Millar, S. (2022). Because excellencism is more than good enough: On the need to distinguish the pursuit of excellence from the pursuit of perfection. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 122(6), 1117–1145. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000411
Gaudreau, P. (2019). On the distinction between personal standards perfec- tionism and excellencism: A theory elaboration and research agenda. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 14(2), 197–215. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691618797940
More from The Bulletproof Musician
But it's always interesting to get some actual data on this sort of thing, so a team of researchers conducted a series of studies to see if striving for perfection had benefits beyond aiming for excellence. The results might surprise you.
Get all the nerdy details:
Does Aiming for Perfection Actually Hurt Performance?
Additional resources
References
Gaudreau, P., Schellenberg, B. J. I., Gareau, A., Kljajic, K., & Manoni-Millar, S. (2022). Because excellencism is more than good enough: On the need to distinguish the pursuit of excellence from the pursuit of perfection. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 122(6), 1117–1145. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000411
Gaudreau, P. (2019). On the distinction between personal standards perfec- tionism and excellencism: A theory elaboration and research agenda. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 14(2), 197–215. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691618797940
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Indeed, performance anxiety can feel pretty uncomfortable! And it’s one thing if we still sound pretty good on stage regardless, and have a positive experience of performing overall. But when we get nervous and sound like just a shell of ourselves in performance, it could make us wonder why we keep putting ourselves up there...
So I was intrigued by a 2025 study which looked to see if deliberate practice might play a role in this equation between performance anxiety and performance success and thoughts about quitting. Check out the episode to see what they discovered!
Additional links
Practice That Sticks (self-paced course)
References
Hash, P. M. (2021). Student Retention in School Bands and Orchestras: A Literature Review. Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, 40(3), 11-19. https://doi.org/10.1177/87551233211042585
Hatfield, J. L., & Williamon, A. (2025). Competitiveness and performance anxiety as predictors of performance success and intent to quit playing: deliberate practice as mediator and moderator. Music Education Research, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/14613808.2025.2543376
Hernández, S. O., Zarza-Alzugaray, F. J., & Casanova, O. (2018). Music performance anxiety. Substance use and career abandonment in Spanish music students. International Journal of Music Education, 36(3), 460–472. https://doi.org/10.1177/0255761418763903
Zimmerman, B. J. (2002). Becoming a Self-Regulated Learner: An Overview. Theory Into Practice, 41(2), 64–70. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15430421tip4102_2
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Indeed, performance anxiety can feel pretty uncomfortable! And it’s one thing if we still sound pretty good on stage regardless, and have a positive experience of performing overall. But when we get nervous and sound like just a shell of ourselves in performance, it could make us wonder why we keep putting ourselves up there...
So I was intrigued by a 2025 study which looked to see if deliberate practice might play a role in this equation between performance anxiety and performance success and thoughts about quitting. Check out the episode to see what they discovered!
Additional links
Practice That Sticks (self-paced course)
References
Hash, P. M. (2021). Student Retention in School Bands and Orchestras: A Literature Review. Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, 40(3), 11-19. https://doi.org/10.1177/87551233211042585
Hatfield, J. L., & Williamon, A. (2025). Competitiveness and performance anxiety as predictors of performance success and intent to quit playing: deliberate practice as mediator and moderator. Music Education Research, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/14613808.2025.2543376
Hernández, S. O., Zarza-Alzugaray, F. J., & Casanova, O. (2018). Music performance anxiety. Substance use and career abandonment in Spanish music students. International Journal of Music Education, 36(3), 460–472. https://doi.org/10.1177/0255761418763903
Zimmerman, B. J. (2002). Becoming a Self-Regulated Learner: An Overview. Theory Into Practice, 41(2), 64–70. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15430421tip4102_2
More from The Bulletproof Musician
It’s a little like the time my family visited Paris when I was a kid, and my dad got stuck in the roundabout around the Arc de Triomphe. I don’t know how long we drove around and around, but I do know that I fell asleep at some point, and when I woke up, we were still looping around. 🤣🥲
So what causes these worry loops? And is there a way to stay in a better headspace in the leadup to performances?
Additional Links
David Juncos & Elvire de Paiva e Pona: On ACT and a New Approach to Overcoming Performance Anxiety
A Simple Strategy for Reducing Worries and Practicing With More Focus
References
Davey, G. C., Eldridge, F., Drost, J., & MacDonald, B. A. (2006). What ends a worry bout? An analysis of changes in mood and stop rule use across the catastrophising interview task. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 45(6), 1231–1243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2006.08.024
Davey, G. C., & Meeten, F. (2016). The perseverative worry bout: A review of cognitive, affective and motivational factors that contribute to worry perseveration. Biological Psychology, 121, 233–243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2016.04.003
More from The Bulletproof Musician
It’s a little like the time my family visited Paris when I was a kid, and my dad got stuck in the roundabout around the Arc de Triomphe. I don’t know how long we drove around and around, but I do know that I fell asleep at some point, and when I woke up, we were still looping around. 🤣🥲
So what causes these worry loops? And is there a way to stay in a better headspace in the leadup to performances?
Additional Links
David Juncos & Elvire de Paiva e Pona: On ACT and a New Approach to Overcoming Performance Anxiety
A Simple Strategy for Reducing Worries and Practicing With More Focus
References
Davey, G. C., Eldridge, F., Drost, J., & MacDonald, B. A. (2006). What ends a worry bout? An analysis of changes in mood and stop rule use across the catastrophising interview task. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 45(6), 1231–1243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2006.08.024
Davey, G. C., & Meeten, F. (2016). The perseverative worry bout: A review of cognitive, affective and motivational factors that contribute to worry perseveration. Biological Psychology, 121, 233–243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2016.04.003
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Either way, given that today is National Lazy Day, I thought it would be the perfect time to look at a couple studies which suggest that naps could play a significant role in accelerating the learning of physical skills.
Check out the episode for all the nerdy details about how long of a nap might be best and who perhaps should not try this.
References
Milner, C. E., Fogel, S. M., & Cote, K. A. (2006). Habitual napping moderates motor performance improvements following a short daytime nap. Biological Psychology, 73(2), 141–156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2006.01.015
Morita, Y., Ogawa, K., & Uchida, S. (2016). Napping after complex motor learning enhances juggling performance. Sleep Science, 9(2), 112–116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.slsci.2016.04.002
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Either way, given that today is National Lazy Day, I thought it would be the perfect time to look at a couple studies which suggest that naps could play a significant role in accelerating the learning of physical skills.
Check out the episode for all the nerdy details about how long of a nap might be best and who perhaps should not try this.
References
Milner, C. E., Fogel, S. M., & Cote, K. A. (2006). Habitual napping moderates motor performance improvements following a short daytime nap. Biological Psychology, 73(2), 141–156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2006.01.015
Morita, Y., Ogawa, K., & Uchida, S. (2016). Napping after complex motor learning enhances juggling performance. Sleep Science, 9(2), 112–116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.slsci.2016.04.002
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Mostly I remember how dependent I was on my vision. On the violin, I didn’t look at my fingers or music much at all. But on the piano, I was constantly looking at either the music or my hands (I know, I know, I probably shouldn’t have let myself do that...).
But have you ever wondered what it might be like to learn and perform music if you couldn’t see? Or what sighted musicians might be able to learn from musicians who are blind?
In today’s episode I’ll be chatting with concert pianist Ignasi Cambra, who will share insights on learning and performing that we can all apply to our own practicing and performing, from the perspective of a blind musician.
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Mostly I remember how dependent I was on my vision. On the violin, I didn’t look at my fingers or music much at all. But on the piano, I was constantly looking at either the music or my hands (I know, I know, I probably shouldn’t have let myself do that...).
But have you ever wondered what it might be like to learn and perform music if you couldn’t see? Or what sighted musicians might be able to learn from musicians who are blind?
In today’s episode I’ll be chatting with concert pianist Ignasi Cambra, who will share insights on learning and performing that we can all apply to our own practicing and performing, from the perspective of a blind musician.
More from The Bulletproof Musician
But there are others who argue that we should start with expression from the very beginning, rather than waiting.
Who's right? Which ultimately leads to better performances?
Get all the nerdy details, including the instructional videos used in the study right here:
Notes First or Music First? Which Leads to Better Performance?
More from The Bulletproof Musician
But there are others who argue that we should start with expression from the very beginning, rather than waiting.
Who's right? Which ultimately leads to better performances?
Get all the nerdy details, including the instructional videos used in the study right here:
Notes First or Music First? Which Leads to Better Performance?
More from The Bulletproof Musician
But what if there's a different way to approach this? A way where you come out of the experience feeling less judged, and more supported instead? With concrete and useful advice that you can act on to get better, rather than a list of things that sound good or bad to stew on and feel crummy about?
A Harvard Business School study identified a simple strategy that could help you get more useful feedback. Get all the nerdy details right here:
A Way to Get More Useful Performance Feedback?
More from The Bulletproof Musician
But what if there's a different way to approach this? A way where you come out of the experience feeling less judged, and more supported instead? With concrete and useful advice that you can act on to get better, rather than a list of things that sound good or bad to stew on and feel crummy about?
A Harvard Business School study identified a simple strategy that could help you get more useful feedback. Get all the nerdy details right here:
A Way to Get More Useful Performance Feedback?
More from The Bulletproof Musician
But what if your students were already more savvy and capable practicers than they realize? What if we just need to create the conditions for these abilities to emerge?
Get all the nerdy details (and download the full case study) here:
How to Unlock Your Students’ Hidden Practice Abilities
More from The Bulletproof Musician
But what if your students were already more savvy and capable practicers than they realize? What if we just need to create the conditions for these abilities to emerge?
Get all the nerdy details (and download the full case study) here:
How to Unlock Your Students’ Hidden Practice Abilities
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Internationally renowned harpist Judy Loman remains an active practicer, performer, and teacher at 89 years of age - and still clearly enjoys and loves what she does.
So how does one maintain motivation and a sense of joy in making music through life’s ups and downs, good and bad practice days, and peak and not-so-peak performances?
In this episode, you’ll hear the five pieces of advice she would offer to an aspiring harpist (they’re applicable to singers and other musicians too), learn how to approach pieces that you might not like, and find out the two things she would do if she had only 20 minutes to practice today.
Get the full transcript and watch the video version of the full interview right here:
Judy Loman: On the Best Advice For an Aspiring Harpist (or Musician)
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Internationally renowned harpist Judy Loman remains an active practicer, performer, and teacher at 89 years of age - and still clearly enjoys and loves what she does.
So how does one maintain motivation and a sense of joy in making music through life’s ups and downs, good and bad practice days, and peak and not-so-peak performances?
In this episode, you’ll hear the five pieces of advice she would offer to an aspiring harpist (they’re applicable to singers and other musicians too), learn how to approach pieces that you might not like, and find out the two things she would do if she had only 20 minutes to practice today.
Get the full transcript and watch the video version of the full interview right here:
Judy Loman: On the Best Advice For an Aspiring Harpist (or Musician)
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Are there faster ways to help students play more expressively?
Like, what about the sorts of things that our teachers did for us when we were students? Like demonstrating certain passages in lessons, so we’d have a clearer model to aim for (or having us listen to recordings, or encouraging us to go to concerts).
Or using metaphors or images to help us understand the mood or character of a particular moment more clearly.
Or simply telling us what to do - like explaining how short the dots should be, or where exactly the accelerando should start, etc.
Well, lucky for us, a 2006 study compared these strategies to see if they worked - and if any of them was more effective than the others.
Get all the nerdy details (and musical examples and links to additional resources and related podcast episodes not included in the audio version) here:
A Comparison of Three Approaches to Teaching Expressiveness
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Are there faster ways to help students play more expressively?
Like, what about the sorts of things that our teachers did for us when we were students? Like demonstrating certain passages in lessons, so we’d have a clearer model to aim for (or having us listen to recordings, or encouraging us to go to concerts).
Or using metaphors or images to help us understand the mood or character of a particular moment more clearly.
Or simply telling us what to do - like explaining how short the dots should be, or where exactly the accelerando should start, etc.
Well, lucky for us, a 2006 study compared these strategies to see if they worked - and if any of them was more effective than the others.
Get all the nerdy details (and musical examples and links to additional resources and related podcast episodes not included in the audio version) here:
A Comparison of Three Approaches to Teaching Expressiveness
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Would be nice if we could have more of those kinds of days, no? 😅
Are these good days a function of simply practicing more? And making sure our technique is totally secure and solid so we have total confidence in our ability to play accurately and consistently? Or could it be that there’s something more involved?
Get all the nerdy details and learn more about the aspect of practice that could enhance your ability to get into flow states in performance:
The Overlooked Skill That Could Make Performing More Enjoyable
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Would be nice if we could have more of those kinds of days, no? 😅
Are these good days a function of simply practicing more? And making sure our technique is totally secure and solid so we have total confidence in our ability to play accurately and consistently? Or could it be that there’s something more involved?
Get all the nerdy details and learn more about the aspect of practice that could enhance your ability to get into flow states in performance:
The Overlooked Skill That Could Make Performing More Enjoyable
More from The Bulletproof Musician
But what do they actually do differently?
One of the big differences between better and worse practicers in a 2021 study was the time spent in "non-playing" practice activities. Like, those periods between the playing and repetitions where our fingers aren't moving and making sounds come out of our instruments.
And what exactly is happening in those quiet moments? Get all the nerdy details in this week's episode, with links to additional resources here if you'd like to explore this further:
How Do Effective Practicers Make the Most of Their Practice Time?
More from The Bulletproof Musician
But what do they actually do differently?
One of the big differences between better and worse practicers in a 2021 study was the time spent in "non-playing" practice activities. Like, those periods between the playing and repetitions where our fingers aren't moving and making sounds come out of our instruments.
And what exactly is happening in those quiet moments? Get all the nerdy details in this week's episode, with links to additional resources here if you'd like to explore this further:
How Do Effective Practicers Make the Most of Their Practice Time?
More from The Bulletproof Musician
But what do you think?
Both play some role of course, but which do you think is more important for achieving success - innate ability or effortful training?
What would you say if I said that you might be fooling yourself? Where even if you think that you believe effort and training to be more important, deep down, you might actually favor natural ability over hard work?
Are we all biased against effort without realizing it?
Get all the nerdy details here:
Do We Unconsciously Favor Talent Over Effort?
More from The Bulletproof Musician
But what do you think?
Both play some role of course, but which do you think is more important for achieving success - innate ability or effortful training?
What would you say if I said that you might be fooling yourself? Where even if you think that you believe effort and training to be more important, deep down, you might actually favor natural ability over hard work?
Are we all biased against effort without realizing it?
Get all the nerdy details here:
Do We Unconsciously Favor Talent Over Effort?
More from The Bulletproof Musician
In this episode, we explore…
For the complete transcript and other notes and links, visit:
Cellist Yumi Kendall: On Becoming a More Positive (And Effective) Practicer
More from The Bulletproof Musician
In this episode, we explore…
For the complete transcript and other notes and links, visit:
Cellist Yumi Kendall: On Becoming a More Positive (And Effective) Practicer
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Ever wonder where this voice and all that negativity comes from? And why it can suddenly become more critical at certain times more than others?
A 1990 study provides some intriguing clues!
Get all the nerdy details right here:
How to Keep Your Inner Critic From Getting the Better of You
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Ever wonder where this voice and all that negativity comes from? And why it can suddenly become more critical at certain times more than others?
A 1990 study provides some intriguing clues!
Get all the nerdy details right here:
How to Keep Your Inner Critic From Getting the Better of You
More from The Bulletproof Musician
So does that mean that we can't afford to take any days off, if we're truly serious about our craft? And what does it mean if we start to feel burned out and stale?
Well...it could be my imagination, but I swear I once saw a video in which Heifetz said that he always took one day off from practicing a week. And I've heard a number of well-known musicians encourage students to take a day, or at least 24 hours off every week.
So maybe it doesn't have to be "all gas, no brakes?"
Get all the nerdy details here:
Pre-Performance Apathy (and the Importance of Mentally Disengaging From Practice)
More from The Bulletproof Musician
So does that mean that we can't afford to take any days off, if we're truly serious about our craft? And what does it mean if we start to feel burned out and stale?
Well...it could be my imagination, but I swear I once saw a video in which Heifetz said that he always took one day off from practicing a week. And I've heard a number of well-known musicians encourage students to take a day, or at least 24 hours off every week.
So maybe it doesn't have to be "all gas, no brakes?"
Get all the nerdy details here:
Pre-Performance Apathy (and the Importance of Mentally Disengaging From Practice)
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Like the same exact crescendo or the same exact speed of vibrato?
Do we just need to practice more? Or is there something else involved?
Turns out our brain isn't wired for this kind of consistency. But that's actually a good thing! And it has some interesting implications on how we ought to approach practicing too.
Get all the nerdy details here:
Your Brain Isn’t Built for Consistency - Here’s How to Make That Work for You
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Like the same exact crescendo or the same exact speed of vibrato?
Do we just need to practice more? Or is there something else involved?
Turns out our brain isn't wired for this kind of consistency. But that's actually a good thing! And it has some interesting implications on how we ought to approach practicing too.
Get all the nerdy details here:
Your Brain Isn’t Built for Consistency - Here’s How to Make That Work for You
More from The Bulletproof Musician
What is trauma? What "counts" and what doesn't? How does this happen? How does it affect us? How can we know if a student has experienced trauma? Could we unintentionally (and unknowingly) be causing trauma?
To better understand trauma and its intersection with performance, I spoke with Dr. Mitch Abrams - a forensic and sport psychologist who shares insights on how trauma shows up, and what steps we can begin to take towards healing.
Get a full transcript and all the nerdy details here:
Mitch Abrams: On Trauma and High-Level Performance
More from The Bulletproof Musician
What is trauma? What "counts" and what doesn't? How does this happen? How does it affect us? How can we know if a student has experienced trauma? Could we unintentionally (and unknowingly) be causing trauma?
To better understand trauma and its intersection with performance, I spoke with Dr. Mitch Abrams - a forensic and sport psychologist who shares insights on how trauma shows up, and what steps we can begin to take towards healing.
Get a full transcript and all the nerdy details here:
Mitch Abrams: On Trauma and High-Level Performance
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Get all the nerdy details here:
Reward vs. Punishment: Which Leads to Faster Learning?
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Get all the nerdy details here:
Reward vs. Punishment: Which Leads to Faster Learning?
More from The Bulletproof Musician
But doesn't it feel like sometimes a parents' worry is contagious? Where their stress or worry rubs off on their child, and the kid starts worrying or feeling more pressure as the performance approaches too?
The answer is not to tell your students' parents to chill out and stop worrying, of course. Because that's not likely to happen no matter what you say! 😅
But the research suggests that there are better or more productive ways to worry. So if a parent is going to worry, they might as well worry the right way.
Wait...what? There are better and worse ways to worry?
Get all the nerdy details in today's episode. References available here:
One Way Parents Can Help Their Kids Be Less Anxious
More from The Bulletproof Musician
But doesn't it feel like sometimes a parents' worry is contagious? Where their stress or worry rubs off on their child, and the kid starts worrying or feeling more pressure as the performance approaches too?
The answer is not to tell your students' parents to chill out and stop worrying, of course. Because that's not likely to happen no matter what you say! 😅
But the research suggests that there are better or more productive ways to worry. So if a parent is going to worry, they might as well worry the right way.
Wait...what? There are better and worse ways to worry?
Get all the nerdy details in today's episode. References available here:
One Way Parents Can Help Their Kids Be Less Anxious
More from The Bulletproof Musician
The participants’ self-talk.
As in, what do participants say when they run into a task that feels impossible or beyond their abilities?
“I can’t”
When participants start saying “I can’t,” they often stop trying and appear to be on the verge of quitting altogether. After all, “can’t” is a pretty disempowering word.
The reality of course, whether it’s eating snake meat or swimming laps in a bog or bungee jumping into a ravine, is that when push comes to shove, they discover that they absolutely can do these things.
So how much of an effect does self-talk like this have on us, actually?
Well, a 2011 study found that when participants replaced the word “can’t” with 🫢🫢🫢🫢, they were eight times more likely to achieve their goals!
Get all the nerdy details here:
A Self-Talk Tweak to Boost the Odds of Achieving Your Goals
More from The Bulletproof Musician
The participants’ self-talk.
As in, what do participants say when they run into a task that feels impossible or beyond their abilities?
“I can’t”
When participants start saying “I can’t,” they often stop trying and appear to be on the verge of quitting altogether. After all, “can’t” is a pretty disempowering word.
The reality of course, whether it’s eating snake meat or swimming laps in a bog or bungee jumping into a ravine, is that when push comes to shove, they discover that they absolutely can do these things.
So how much of an effect does self-talk like this have on us, actually?
Well, a 2011 study found that when participants replaced the word “can’t” with 🫢🫢🫢🫢, they were eight times more likely to achieve their goals!
Get all the nerdy details here:
A Self-Talk Tweak to Boost the Odds of Achieving Your Goals
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Maybe you’re not happy with your sound, or your intonation is sketchy, or perhaps it’s one of those days when it feels like everything needs attention?
We only have so much time and energy, so what are we to do?
Flutist Linda Chesis is a soloist, chamber musician, educator, and festival director. She was a student of Jean-Pierre Rampal at the Paris Conservatory, a top prizewinner at the Paris and Barcelona International Competitions, and has been a longtime faculty member at the Manhattan School of Music and Chair of the Woodwind Department.
In this episode, Linda shares insights on how to cultivate a more beautiful sound, walks us through a checklist for what exactly to listen and look for when listening back to recordings of ourselves, and how to manage and organize our practice time when we have too much music to learn and not quite enough time:
Get all the nerdy details and connect with Linda here:
Linda Chesis: On Cultivating a More Beautiful Sound and Becoming a Better Practicer
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Maybe you’re not happy with your sound, or your intonation is sketchy, or perhaps it’s one of those days when it feels like everything needs attention?
We only have so much time and energy, so what are we to do?
Flutist Linda Chesis is a soloist, chamber musician, educator, and festival director. She was a student of Jean-Pierre Rampal at the Paris Conservatory, a top prizewinner at the Paris and Barcelona International Competitions, and has been a longtime faculty member at the Manhattan School of Music and Chair of the Woodwind Department.
In this episode, Linda shares insights on how to cultivate a more beautiful sound, walks us through a checklist for what exactly to listen and look for when listening back to recordings of ourselves, and how to manage and organize our practice time when we have too much music to learn and not quite enough time:
Get all the nerdy details and connect with Linda here:
Linda Chesis: On Cultivating a More Beautiful Sound and Becoming a Better Practicer
More from The Bulletproof Musician
It all felt like a crapshoot, and none of it ever made sense. Like, why were nerves sometimes helpful and sometimes not helpful? Should I be trying harder to calm down? And even if I could, given some of my subpar calm performances, was that even the answer?
If you’ve ever had questions like this, today’s article has some answers!
Get all the nerdy details and learn where the optimal anxiety level might be:
Finding Your Optimal Anxiety Level: Why Calm Isn’t Always Better
More from The Bulletproof Musician
It all felt like a crapshoot, and none of it ever made sense. Like, why were nerves sometimes helpful and sometimes not helpful? Should I be trying harder to calm down? And even if I could, given some of my subpar calm performances, was that even the answer?
If you’ve ever had questions like this, today’s article has some answers!
Get all the nerdy details and learn where the optimal anxiety level might be:
Finding Your Optimal Anxiety Level: Why Calm Isn’t Always Better
More from The Bulletproof Musician
What if mistakes are actually an essential part of learning? And what if we actually learn faster when we're in a challenge "sweet spot" and playing nowhere near perfectly?
If that were true...where might this sweet spot be?
Get all the nerdy details and learn why you don't want practicing to feel too easy right here:
The 70% Rule: Why Practicing Shouldn’t Be Too Easy
More from The Bulletproof Musician
What if mistakes are actually an essential part of learning? And what if we actually learn faster when we're in a challenge "sweet spot" and playing nowhere near perfectly?
If that were true...where might this sweet spot be?
Get all the nerdy details and learn why you don't want practicing to feel too easy right here:
The 70% Rule: Why Practicing Shouldn’t Be Too Easy
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Should it be easy enough that you can read it more or less perfectly, without any mistakes?
Should it be difficult enough that you're making lots of mistakes, and feeling really challenged?
Could there a specific "sweet spot" or Goldilocks zone where your sight-reading skills improve at the fastest possible rate?
Get all the nerdy details here:
Sight Reading: The Ideal Error Rate for Optimal Learning
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Should it be easy enough that you can read it more or less perfectly, without any mistakes?
Should it be difficult enough that you're making lots of mistakes, and feeling really challenged?
Could there a specific "sweet spot" or Goldilocks zone where your sight-reading skills improve at the fastest possible rate?
Get all the nerdy details here:
Sight Reading: The Ideal Error Rate for Optimal Learning
More from The Bulletproof Musician
These distractions often seem like such trivial things, but sometimes, they can take up more space in our thoughts than they ought to, and lead to little slip-ups. Which can be pretty frustrating, lead to more little mistakes, and then begin to send the whole performance into a downward spiral.
Is there any way to become more distraction-proof on stage? And perform better even when surrounded by unanticipated distractions of various sorts?
Get all the nerdy details here:
Why Practicing While Distracted Is Actually Very Important
More from The Bulletproof Musician
These distractions often seem like such trivial things, but sometimes, they can take up more space in our thoughts than they ought to, and lead to little slip-ups. Which can be pretty frustrating, lead to more little mistakes, and then begin to send the whole performance into a downward spiral.
Is there any way to become more distraction-proof on stage? And perform better even when surrounded by unanticipated distractions of various sorts?
Get all the nerdy details here:
Why Practicing While Distracted Is Actually Very Important
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Have you ever found yourself repeating yourself from one week to the next? Having to remind students about things you've already talked about in previous lessons?
If you'd like to help students remember more from their lessons (and other classes too), I think you'll be intrigued by the finding of a 2014 study which compared two approaches to learning, and found one that significantly enhanced students' recall.
Get all the nerdy details here:
How to Help Students Remember More From Each Lesson
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Have you ever found yourself repeating yourself from one week to the next? Having to remind students about things you've already talked about in previous lessons?
If you'd like to help students remember more from their lessons (and other classes too), I think you'll be intrigued by the finding of a 2014 study which compared two approaches to learning, and found one that significantly enhanced students' recall.
Get all the nerdy details here:
How to Help Students Remember More From Each Lesson
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Whether it's walking into a room for a job interview or college/grad school audition, playing in a new ensemble for the first time, or meeting your partner's family for the first time, how can we increase our chances of being liked and accepted?
A 2009 study suggests that our mindset could play a role in this.
Get all the nerdy details here:
How to Increase the Likelihood of Being Accepted by Others
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Whether it's walking into a room for a job interview or college/grad school audition, playing in a new ensemble for the first time, or meeting your partner's family for the first time, how can we increase our chances of being liked and accepted?
A 2009 study suggests that our mindset could play a role in this.
Get all the nerdy details here:
How to Increase the Likelihood of Being Accepted by Others
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Wouldn't it be nice if we could have those moments more often?
Well, a 2012 study suggests that you may be able to cultivate these kinds of moments and increase your creative problem-solving abilities by taking a short break from the task. But not any old break will do - it has to be a specific type of break!
Get all the nerdy details here:
Stumped by a Problem in the Practice Room? Try an “Incubation” Break
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Wouldn't it be nice if we could have those moments more often?
Well, a 2012 study suggests that you may be able to cultivate these kinds of moments and increase your creative problem-solving abilities by taking a short break from the task. But not any old break will do - it has to be a specific type of break!
Get all the nerdy details here:
Stumped by a Problem in the Practice Room? Try an “Incubation” Break
More from The Bulletproof Musician
But could it also be that they’re doing something different in the practice room? Like is there some sort of newfangled cutting-edge practice strategy they’re using that you’re not?
Well, these faster learners may be doing something quite different than what you’d expect. As a 2014 Harvard study found when they tested a strategy utilized by…birds. 🤔
Get all the nerdy details here:
Perfect Shmerfect. Could More “Mistakes” Accelerate Learning?
More from The Bulletproof Musician
But could it also be that they’re doing something different in the practice room? Like is there some sort of newfangled cutting-edge practice strategy they’re using that you’re not?
Well, these faster learners may be doing something quite different than what you’d expect. As a 2014 Harvard study found when they tested a strategy utilized by…birds. 🤔
Get all the nerdy details here:
Perfect Shmerfect. Could More “Mistakes” Accelerate Learning?
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Or maybe you haven’t even gotten on stage yet. But as you’re waiting your turn, you overhear the person playing right before you, who sounds amazing? And then the voice suddenly makes you question and doubt everything?
Yeah, the voice that lives in our head is not always such a good friend. But what can we do about it? How can we turn that off when it’s not helping us?
In this month’s episode, flutist Carolyn Christie explains how she overcame her own experience with “terrifying” nerves when she was a member of the Montreal Symphony, and shares other insights on practice planning, how to avoid overthinking, and staying in a more positive headspace with “clinical” self-evaluation.
Get all the nerdy details and learn how to cultivate these essential mental skills for performance:
Carolyn Christie: On Overcoming Nerves With Healthier Internal Dialogue - and Phrasing!
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Or maybe you haven’t even gotten on stage yet. But as you’re waiting your turn, you overhear the person playing right before you, who sounds amazing? And then the voice suddenly makes you question and doubt everything?
Yeah, the voice that lives in our head is not always such a good friend. But what can we do about it? How can we turn that off when it’s not helping us?
In this month’s episode, flutist Carolyn Christie explains how she overcame her own experience with “terrifying” nerves when she was a member of the Montreal Symphony, and shares other insights on practice planning, how to avoid overthinking, and staying in a more positive headspace with “clinical” self-evaluation.
Get all the nerdy details and learn how to cultivate these essential mental skills for performance:
Carolyn Christie: On Overcoming Nerves With Healthier Internal Dialogue - and Phrasing!
More from The Bulletproof Musician
More from The Bulletproof Musician
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In this month’s chat, pianist Orli Shaham shares a deeply personal story about a performance at the Spoleto Festival in Italy, where rehearsals went so badly, that the piece she prepared was pulled from the program. It felt like a “complete failure” at the time, but the experience prompted her to evaluate her preparation process. Which eventually led to one of her career highlights - a performance of John Adams’s first piano concerto, in Carnegie Hall, where Adams came onstage during the applause and gave her the greatest compliment she could have asked for, as he said “You got it. You really got it.”
If you’ve ever struggled with feeling out of your depth, this episode is for you.
Get all the nerdy details right here:
Orli Shaham: On Overcoming Setbacks and Learning to Trust the Process
More from The Bulletproof Musician
In this month’s chat, pianist Orli Shaham shares a deeply personal story about a performance at the Spoleto Festival in Italy, where rehearsals went so badly, that the piece she prepared was pulled from the program. It felt like a “complete failure” at the time, but the experience prompted her to evaluate her preparation process. Which eventually led to one of her career highlights - a performance of John Adams’s first piano concerto, in Carnegie Hall, where Adams came onstage during the applause and gave her the greatest compliment she could have asked for, as he said “You got it. You really got it.”
If you’ve ever struggled with feeling out of your depth, this episode is for you.
Get all the nerdy details right here:
Orli Shaham: On Overcoming Setbacks and Learning to Trust the Process
More from The Bulletproof Musician
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It’s quite a helpful model, but if you’ve ever tried your hand at teaching, you know how incredibly challenging that can be. Often, teaching a skill can be even more difficult that doing the skill itself!
Like, how can we teach a student to be more expressive? How can we ensure each student has a positive emotional connection with the music at each lesson - even if just for a moment? How can we turn students into active/inquisitive learners rather than passive/compliant learners?
Laurie Scott (University of Texas at Austin) and Cornelia Watkins (Northwestern University) co-authored From the Stage to the Studio: How Fine Musicians Become Great Teachers, which is written for university studio faculty, music pedagogy teachers, college music majors, and performing musicians, who are looking to be more effective in their teaching.
In this month’s chat, we’ll learn more about the synergistic relationship between playing and teaching, the problems of dividing music students into “pedagogy” and “performance” majors, how we can teach musical expression very early on in a student’s development, how we can all become better teachers using a technique that won’t come as a surprise but most of us will probably try to avoid, how to help your students become better noticers, and much more.
Get all the nerdy details here:
Laurie Scott & Cornelia Watkins: On Going From the Stage to the Studio
More from The Bulletproof Musician
It’s quite a helpful model, but if you’ve ever tried your hand at teaching, you know how incredibly challenging that can be. Often, teaching a skill can be even more difficult that doing the skill itself!
Like, how can we teach a student to be more expressive? How can we ensure each student has a positive emotional connection with the music at each lesson - even if just for a moment? How can we turn students into active/inquisitive learners rather than passive/compliant learners?
Laurie Scott (University of Texas at Austin) and Cornelia Watkins (Northwestern University) co-authored From the Stage to the Studio: How Fine Musicians Become Great Teachers, which is written for university studio faculty, music pedagogy teachers, college music majors, and performing musicians, who are looking to be more effective in their teaching.
In this month’s chat, we’ll learn more about the synergistic relationship between playing and teaching, the problems of dividing music students into “pedagogy” and “performance” majors, how we can teach musical expression very early on in a student’s development, how we can all become better teachers using a technique that won’t come as a surprise but most of us will probably try to avoid, how to help your students become better noticers, and much more.
Get all the nerdy details here:
Laurie Scott & Cornelia Watkins: On Going From the Stage to the Studio
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But I’ve had students and professional musicians alike tell me that they sometimes have difficulty making the imagery feel real. Or that they have difficulty staying engaged with it. As in, one minute they’re visualizing some music, and the next, their mind has drifted off to food. Or they fall asleep. 🤣
Could there be a better way to do visualization?
Get all the nerdy details and study links here:
A Better Way to Do Mental Practice?
More from The Bulletproof Musician
But I’ve had students and professional musicians alike tell me that they sometimes have difficulty making the imagery feel real. Or that they have difficulty staying engaged with it. As in, one minute they’re visualizing some music, and the next, their mind has drifted off to food. Or they fall asleep. 🤣
Could there be a better way to do visualization?
Get all the nerdy details and study links here:
A Better Way to Do Mental Practice?
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Nathan will also be teaching a live, 4-day, guided (and free) practice workshop on the Scheherazade solos from September 19-22, 2024 (at 4pm Eastern). Whether you’re aspiring to take concertmaster auditions yourself, or simply want to learn some of Nathan practice techniques and strategies for better intonation, sound, and expressive clarity that you can apply to other music that you’re working on, this will be a great way to jumpstart your fall practice with some new tools.
You can also study with Nathan through his online group learning program - Daily Virtuoso - where each quarter, he leads an in-depth study of a new set of masterworks from the repertoire. You’ll learn how to approach both the technical and musical challenges in each piece through live calls, practice assignments, and video lessons, alongside a supportive community of fellow learners.
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Nathan will also be teaching a live, 4-day, guided (and free) practice workshop on the Scheherazade solos from September 19-22, 2024 (at 4pm Eastern). Whether you’re aspiring to take concertmaster auditions yourself, or simply want to learn some of Nathan practice techniques and strategies for better intonation, sound, and expressive clarity that you can apply to other music that you’re working on, this will be a great way to jumpstart your fall practice with some new tools.
You can also study with Nathan through his online group learning program - Daily Virtuoso - where each quarter, he leads an in-depth study of a new set of masterworks from the repertoire. You’ll learn how to approach both the technical and musical challenges in each piece through live calls, practice assignments, and video lessons, alongside a supportive community of fellow learners.
More from The Bulletproof Musician
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This sort of emotional expressivity is an important part of communicating from the stage - but there’s a negative side of this too, of course.
Because I'm guessing we've all been told by a teacher at some point that we should walk out on stage confidently, with a smile. And that we should avoid frowning or expressing frustration when the performance isn’t going well.
Yet...how much does this really matter? Does any of it make a difference, as long as we play well?
A 2017 study by previous podcast guests Aaron Williamon and George Waddell provide some surprising answers.
Get all the nerdy details here:
Why Every Performer Needs a Good Poker Face
More from The Bulletproof Musician
This sort of emotional expressivity is an important part of communicating from the stage - but there’s a negative side of this too, of course.
Because I'm guessing we've all been told by a teacher at some point that we should walk out on stage confidently, with a smile. And that we should avoid frowning or expressing frustration when the performance isn’t going well.
Yet...how much does this really matter? Does any of it make a difference, as long as we play well?
A 2017 study by previous podcast guests Aaron Williamon and George Waddell provide some surprising answers.
Get all the nerdy details here:
Why Every Performer Needs a Good Poker Face
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Ever wonder how long your breaks should be? Or for that matter, how long your practice sessions should be?
If you've ever wondered if there's such a thing as an optimal practice-to-rest ratio that maximizes productivity and effective practice, there's some data out there which provides some clues. But the question is...will the data align with your own experience? 😁
Get all the nerdy details and this week's practice hack here:
What’s the Optimal Practice-To-Rest Ratio?
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Ever wonder how long your breaks should be? Or for that matter, how long your practice sessions should be?
If you've ever wondered if there's such a thing as an optimal practice-to-rest ratio that maximizes productivity and effective practice, there's some data out there which provides some clues. But the question is...will the data align with your own experience? 😁
Get all the nerdy details and this week's practice hack here:
What’s the Optimal Practice-To-Rest Ratio?
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Well, the voice in our head can kind of be like that unfiltered 1st grader. Because we often say some rather unkind and borderline abusive things to ourselves quite automatically.
We might not truly believe the mean and discouraging thoughts we think to ourselves - at least at first. But if you’ve ever found yourself struggling with confidence, and started questioning yourself, and wondering if maybe your inner critic was right, you’re not alone.
A 1977 study (it’s an oldie, but goodie) explains why this happens - and gives us some clues on how we might interrupt the automatic habit that often undermines our confidence.
Get all the nerdy details here:
The Subtle Habit That Might Be Undermining Your Confidence
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Well, the voice in our head can kind of be like that unfiltered 1st grader. Because we often say some rather unkind and borderline abusive things to ourselves quite automatically.
We might not truly believe the mean and discouraging thoughts we think to ourselves - at least at first. But if you’ve ever found yourself struggling with confidence, and started questioning yourself, and wondering if maybe your inner critic was right, you’re not alone.
A 1977 study (it’s an oldie, but goodie) explains why this happens - and gives us some clues on how we might interrupt the automatic habit that often undermines our confidence.
Get all the nerdy details here:
The Subtle Habit That Might Be Undermining Your Confidence
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A Gentle Way to Help Kids (or Adults) Build Performance Confidence?
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A Gentle Way to Help Kids (or Adults) Build Performance Confidence?
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Still, whether we write them down or not, New Year’s resolutions and our most well-intentioned plans can start to go off the rails pretty quickly.
So if you’ve found yourself slipping already, know that it’s not just you!
And there’s no need to beat yourself up about this either. Because in all likelihood it’s not you, your commitment, or your willpower that’s the issue. It might just be that there’s a small (but often-overlooked) step missing from your goal-setting process that could make all the difference.
Get all the nerdy details right here:
WOOP: A Better Way to Set Goals?
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Still, whether we write them down or not, New Year’s resolutions and our most well-intentioned plans can start to go off the rails pretty quickly.
So if you’ve found yourself slipping already, know that it’s not just you!
And there’s no need to beat yourself up about this either. Because in all likelihood it’s not you, your commitment, or your willpower that’s the issue. It might just be that there’s a small (but often-overlooked) step missing from your goal-setting process that could make all the difference.
Get all the nerdy details right here:
WOOP: A Better Way to Set Goals?
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A Mindset Shift That Can Help You Respond to Setbacks With Even Better Performances
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A Mindset Shift That Can Help You Respond to Setbacks With Even Better Performances
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I figured we might as well stay on that theme, so this week I have a study which compared several different types of breathing, to see if there was a particular way of breathing that might reduce our stress more than others.
Turns out not all breathing techniques have the same effect! So whether you’re looking for a way to regulate your stress before a performance or keep your cool amidst family drama during the Thanksgiving holidays, I think you’ll find this week’s breathing technique to be a very handy addition to your emotional regulation toolkit. 😅
Get all the nerdy details here: The Best Way to Breathe for Reducing Stress?
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I figured we might as well stay on that theme, so this week I have a study which compared several different types of breathing, to see if there was a particular way of breathing that might reduce our stress more than others.
Turns out not all breathing techniques have the same effect! So whether you’re looking for a way to regulate your stress before a performance or keep your cool amidst family drama during the Thanksgiving holidays, I think you’ll find this week’s breathing technique to be a very handy addition to your emotional regulation toolkit. 😅
Get all the nerdy details here: The Best Way to Breathe for Reducing Stress?
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Whether it’s getting through challenging passages that have become “a thing,” troubleshooting intonation in an ensemble without judgment, or making sure you’re not accidentally reinforcing bad habits when practicing slowly, bassoonist Benjamin Kamins has seen it or worked through it in his years as an orchestral musician, chamber musician, soloist, educator, and Alexander Technique teacher.
In this month’s interview, you’ll hear lots of anecdotes and tips for overcoming some of the common challenges we often encounter in the practice room and on stage.
Get all the nerdy details (and transcript) here:
Benjamin Kamins: On Self-Judgment, Slow Practice, and Reed-Making
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Whether it’s getting through challenging passages that have become “a thing,” troubleshooting intonation in an ensemble without judgment, or making sure you’re not accidentally reinforcing bad habits when practicing slowly, bassoonist Benjamin Kamins has seen it or worked through it in his years as an orchestral musician, chamber musician, soloist, educator, and Alexander Technique teacher.
In this month’s interview, you’ll hear lots of anecdotes and tips for overcoming some of the common challenges we often encounter in the practice room and on stage.
Get all the nerdy details (and transcript) here:
Benjamin Kamins: On Self-Judgment, Slow Practice, and Reed-Making
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Intuitively, you’d think that the same would be true when it comes to learning and performing an instrument as well.
But as you’ll see in today’s study, that’s not always the case. As in, there are times when relaxing or lowering our standards can actually lead to better learning, and better performance too.
How can that be?! Yeah, I know. This all sounds wrong, right?
Get all the nerdy details here: Why Lowering Standards Can Sometimes Promote Better Learning
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Intuitively, you’d think that the same would be true when it comes to learning and performing an instrument as well.
But as you’ll see in today’s study, that’s not always the case. As in, there are times when relaxing or lowering our standards can actually lead to better learning, and better performance too.
How can that be?! Yeah, I know. This all sounds wrong, right?
Get all the nerdy details here: Why Lowering Standards Can Sometimes Promote Better Learning
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Sure, nerves can play a role in this, but part of the problem is how we practice. There's a tendency to strive for too much consistency in the practice room - which sounds like the right thing to do, but can actually be counterproductive. I know that seems bonkers, but we'll explore a couple studies today that will illustrate why aiming for too many "perfect" repetitions in a row can paradoxically lead to less consistency and accuracy on stage. And you'll learn what we should be doing more of instead.
Get all the nerdy details and this week’s practice hack right here:
How to Practice for More Consistent Performances
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Sure, nerves can play a role in this, but part of the problem is how we practice. There's a tendency to strive for too much consistency in the practice room - which sounds like the right thing to do, but can actually be counterproductive. I know that seems bonkers, but we'll explore a couple studies today that will illustrate why aiming for too many "perfect" repetitions in a row can paradoxically lead to less consistency and accuracy on stage. And you'll learn what we should be doing more of instead.
Get all the nerdy details and this week’s practice hack right here:
How to Practice for More Consistent Performances
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I'm also guessing that you've been accused, or praised, for being a perfectionist at some point or another. Maybe even both - because I think society sends us a lot of mixed messages about perfectionism.
On one hand, I think we know that it doesn’t make us look great to humblebrag about our perfectionism, and claim it as our biggest weakness in job interviews.
But on the other hand, we often get a pat on the back for our perfectionistic tendencies, when people marvel at our “attention to detail,” or how “dedicated” or “diligent” or “committed” we are.
It’s easy to confuse perfectionism with having high standards, and assume that being a perfectionist is a good thing in the practice room. But it turns out that perfectionism could push us to practice in a way that not only makes practicing less fun, but inhibits our learning, and could even make us less effective and compelling musicians.
So why exactly is “perfect practice” a problem? And what’s the more effective alternative?
Get all the nerdy details, and links to studies and practice strategies referenced in the episode right here:
On the Perils of “Perfect Practice”: Christine Carter & Ellen Hendriksen
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I'm also guessing that you've been accused, or praised, for being a perfectionist at some point or another. Maybe even both - because I think society sends us a lot of mixed messages about perfectionism.
On one hand, I think we know that it doesn’t make us look great to humblebrag about our perfectionism, and claim it as our biggest weakness in job interviews.
But on the other hand, we often get a pat on the back for our perfectionistic tendencies, when people marvel at our “attention to detail,” or how “dedicated” or “diligent” or “committed” we are.
It’s easy to confuse perfectionism with having high standards, and assume that being a perfectionist is a good thing in the practice room. But it turns out that perfectionism could push us to practice in a way that not only makes practicing less fun, but inhibits our learning, and could even make us less effective and compelling musicians.
So why exactly is “perfect practice” a problem? And what’s the more effective alternative?
Get all the nerdy details, and links to studies and practice strategies referenced in the episode right here:
On the Perils of “Perfect Practice”: Christine Carter & Ellen Hendriksen
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Today, in Part 2 of this two-part miniseries, we’ll hear from cellist Ken Kubota (160k+) and bassoonist Morgan Davison (35k+), who highlight some of the more meaningful, but less-obvious benefits of becoming a social media content creator. Benefits like improved practice motivation and efficiency, as well as more confidence in performance.
You’ll also hear about some early mistakes that were made (plus solutions), dealing with imposter syndrome, and more.
If you’re wondering if it’s worth dipping your toes into the social media waters, or whether it’s worth continuing your efforts, I think you’ll enjoy this episode.
Get all the nerdy details here:
On Building an Audience in 2023: Ken Kubota & Morgan Davison
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Today, in Part 2 of this two-part miniseries, we’ll hear from cellist Ken Kubota (160k+) and bassoonist Morgan Davison (35k+), who highlight some of the more meaningful, but less-obvious benefits of becoming a social media content creator. Benefits like improved practice motivation and efficiency, as well as more confidence in performance.
You’ll also hear about some early mistakes that were made (plus solutions), dealing with imposter syndrome, and more.
If you’re wondering if it’s worth dipping your toes into the social media waters, or whether it’s worth continuing your efforts, I think you’ll enjoy this episode.
Get all the nerdy details here:
On Building an Audience in 2023: Ken Kubota & Morgan Davison
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I guess in an ideal world, we'd be able to pick a strategy, hop into a time machine, and see how it pans out in the future. And then go back to the present, pick another strategy, peek at the future again, and see which worked better.
But for now, there's a 2001 study that basically does the time travel thing for us. Where it compares the practice behaviors of the best free throw shooters and that of the worst free throw shooters to see if they do anything different.
Spoiler alert, there is a difference. Two important differences that we can apply to music practice.
It's actually one of the specific things we're going to work on in the live practice "bootcamp" that starts this week (details here).
But whether you plan to join in or not, do give this week's practice hack a try and see what you think. This is one of the most fundamental aspects of effective practice, and an approach to practicing that can completely transform how you feel about practicing - especially if you've always had a sort of tolerate/hate relationship with practicing. 😅
Get all the nerdy details and this week’s practice hack right here:
Two Things Experts Do Differently When Practicing
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I guess in an ideal world, we'd be able to pick a strategy, hop into a time machine, and see how it pans out in the future. And then go back to the present, pick another strategy, peek at the future again, and see which worked better.
But for now, there's a 2001 study that basically does the time travel thing for us. Where it compares the practice behaviors of the best free throw shooters and that of the worst free throw shooters to see if they do anything different.
Spoiler alert, there is a difference. Two important differences that we can apply to music practice.
It's actually one of the specific things we're going to work on in the live practice "bootcamp" that starts this week (details here).
But whether you plan to join in or not, do give this week's practice hack a try and see what you think. This is one of the most fundamental aspects of effective practice, and an approach to practicing that can completely transform how you feel about practicing - especially if you've always had a sort of tolerate/hate relationship with practicing. 😅
Get all the nerdy details and this week’s practice hack right here:
Two Things Experts Do Differently When Practicing
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Can growing an online audience have tangible benefits to one’s career? Or is the reality different from how it appears from the outside?
If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to build a sizable online following, and whether it’s worth taking the leap, I think you’ll enjoy today’s episode with violinist Sumina Studer (340k followers) and violist Drew Forde (160k followers).
Spoiler alert: it turns out that the experience can be a nuanced mix of positives and negatives, and be different for each person too.
Get all the nerdy details here:
On Building an Audience in 2023: Sumina Studer & Drew Forde
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Can growing an online audience have tangible benefits to one’s career? Or is the reality different from how it appears from the outside?
If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to build a sizable online following, and whether it’s worth taking the leap, I think you’ll enjoy today’s episode with violinist Sumina Studer (340k followers) and violist Drew Forde (160k followers).
Spoiler alert: it turns out that the experience can be a nuanced mix of positives and negatives, and be different for each person too.
Get all the nerdy details here:
On Building an Audience in 2023: Sumina Studer & Drew Forde
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But what has your experience (or that of your students) been as a participant in competitions? Whether it be small local competitions, or a regional, national or international competitions, have your experiences been largely positive? Or not so positive?
You might have some strong feelings about competitions, and whether your students should enter competitions or not. And so in this month’s conversation, I chat with both a researcher and a musician who can speak to different aspects of this question, and help you better prepare yourself, your students, and their parents for the music competition experience.
Get all the nerdy details in the full episode below (there’s also a transcript with timestamps if you’d like to jump right to a few key points of interest):
George Waddell: On the Hidden Consequences of Music Competitions
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But what has your experience (or that of your students) been as a participant in competitions? Whether it be small local competitions, or a regional, national or international competitions, have your experiences been largely positive? Or not so positive?
You might have some strong feelings about competitions, and whether your students should enter competitions or not. And so in this month’s conversation, I chat with both a researcher and a musician who can speak to different aspects of this question, and help you better prepare yourself, your students, and their parents for the music competition experience.
Get all the nerdy details in the full episode below (there’s also a transcript with timestamps if you’d like to jump right to a few key points of interest):
George Waddell: On the Hidden Consequences of Music Competitions
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Violinist (and childhood Suzuki buddy) Christian Howes will be teaching a live, free, play-along class where he'll share three approaches to improvisation that can work for you, and explain why other methods may not have worked before. You'll also learn (and experience) the difference between learning harmony and doing improvisation. And you'll get to do lots of playing the whole time (muted, of course)!
Sign up for the free improv session here: Free, live, play-along improvisation workshop with Christian Howes
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Violinist (and childhood Suzuki buddy) Christian Howes will be teaching a live, free, play-along class where he'll share three approaches to improvisation that can work for you, and explain why other methods may not have worked before. You'll also learn (and experience) the difference between learning harmony and doing improvisation. And you'll get to do lots of playing the whole time (muted, of course)!
Sign up for the free improv session here: Free, live, play-along improvisation workshop with Christian Howes
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However, there is some research in this area, and a couple studies provide insights on how to create more pressure in mocks and practice performances, and better prepare you for the live experience. Turns out some methods work better than others.
Get all the nerdy details and this week’s practice hack right here:
Two Ways to Simulate Performance Pressure (and Which Works Best)
Also, if you've been looking for some new tools for enhancing the effectiveness of your practice or performance preparation, and would like to do more performance practice alongside a supportive cohort of other musicians, you may be interested in the live, 5-week Performance Psych Essentials class that begins next weekend. Get all the details here: Performance Psych Essentials
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However, there is some research in this area, and a couple studies provide insights on how to create more pressure in mocks and practice performances, and better prepare you for the live experience. Turns out some methods work better than others.
Get all the nerdy details and this week’s practice hack right here:
Two Ways to Simulate Performance Pressure (and Which Works Best)
Also, if you've been looking for some new tools for enhancing the effectiveness of your practice or performance preparation, and would like to do more performance practice alongside a supportive cohort of other musicians, you may be interested in the live, 5-week Performance Psych Essentials class that begins next weekend. Get all the details here: Performance Psych Essentials
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Aaron Williamon: On Becoming a Better, Happier, and Healthier Musician
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Aaron Williamon: On Becoming a Better, Happier, and Healthier Musician
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It might mean that you could use a quick nap, practice break, or even a drink of water (yep, there's a study on that!) to clear your head. But it could also be that you've just got a lot of stuff on your to-do list competing for your time and attention.
Jotting down these tasks on a to-do list can help - but a 2011 study found that this may not be enough to stop them from randomly popping into your thoughts and being a distraction. Luckily, the researchers also found a simple technique that can help to increase your focus in the moment!
Get all the nerdy details and this week’s practice hack right here:
How to Increase Your Focus in the Practice Room
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It might mean that you could use a quick nap, practice break, or even a drink of water (yep, there's a study on that!) to clear your head. But it could also be that you've just got a lot of stuff on your to-do list competing for your time and attention.
Jotting down these tasks on a to-do list can help - but a 2011 study found that this may not be enough to stop them from randomly popping into your thoughts and being a distraction. Luckily, the researchers also found a simple technique that can help to increase your focus in the moment!
Get all the nerdy details and this week’s practice hack right here:
How to Increase Your Focus in the Practice Room
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I can certainly appreciate the appeal of having something to boost your energy and get you through those mid-afternoon slumps. But what if there was a better way to not only get through the day but also increase the effectiveness of your practice, while improving learning and performance?
A 2008 study suggests that napping may be a better way to go for maximal practice gains, as caffeine might actually impair learning. Eek! 😳
Get all the nerdy details right here:
Boost Learning and Performance With Naps, Not Coffee!
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I can certainly appreciate the appeal of having something to boost your energy and get you through those mid-afternoon slumps. But what if there was a better way to not only get through the day but also increase the effectiveness of your practice, while improving learning and performance?
A 2008 study suggests that napping may be a better way to go for maximal practice gains, as caffeine might actually impair learning. Eek! 😳
Get all the nerdy details right here:
Boost Learning and Performance With Naps, Not Coffee!
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How can we avoid this, and approach practicing so that we are able to boost our creative problem-solving abilities and come up with more effective solutions in less time?
A 2017 study provides some surprising answers!
The Problem With Intense Laser-Like Focus in the Practice Room
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How can we avoid this, and approach practicing so that we are able to boost our creative problem-solving abilities and come up with more effective solutions in less time?
A 2017 study provides some surprising answers!
The Problem With Intense Laser-Like Focus in the Practice Room
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Conventional wisdom suggests that we have to find a way to eliminate this self-doubt, but it turns out the relationship between self-doubt and performance may not be what you’d expect.
Why a Little Self-Doubt Before Performing Could Be a Good Thing
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Conventional wisdom suggests that we have to find a way to eliminate this self-doubt, but it turns out the relationship between self-doubt and performance may not be what you’d expect.
Why a Little Self-Doubt Before Performing Could Be a Good Thing
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Today’s episode is made extra special, in that I’m joined by guest co-host Catherine Cho (violin). A top prize-winner at the Hannover, Queen Elizabeth, and Montreal competitions, Catherine maintains an active performing career, serves on the faculty at The Juilliard School, and has also recently been appointed Artistic Advisor of the biennial Starling-DeLay Symposium.
In today’s episode, we’ll explore…
4:12 - Why is playing horn such a mental game? And what do horn players worry about anyway? Jennifer illustrates the mind of a horn player by walking us through one of her recent low points - and how she recovered.
8:32 - How do you separate how you feel from how you sound? As in, how do you avoid getting sucked into the mental negativity spiral of assuming that if you feel bad you must sound bad?
11:29 - What do violinists (and string players) worry about? And whether as a horn player or violinist (or any musician, really), how can one get to a better place mentally?
14:05 - Jennifer describes the three ingredients that seem to contribute to an optimal mental balance during performing.
17:10 - A funny anecdote which illustrates how different musicians approach nerves differently.
18:38 - Are young musicians nowadays more open to talking about nerves than in previous generations? Or is that just because teachers are more open to providing a space to talk about this than in the past?
23:46 - How does parenthood affect you as a musician? What are the positive impacts, and what are some of the challenges?
28:43 - Jennifer and Catherine describe their teaching journeys and how they’ve worked at the craft of teaching over the years.
35:22 - What kinds of notes do Jennifer and Catherine take during (or after) lessons?
37:44 - What it says on the refrigerator magnet that Jennifer will look to for support on tough days.
35:08 - The thing Catherine did one year with her studio that made a “very, very significant” change in the growth of her students that year.
43:06 - What is something that was really difficult for Jennifer and Catherine? And what is something that has come pretty easily?
46:02 - The approach Jennifer adopted when recovering from a serious jaw injury that helped her go from feeling like a player with lots of technical shortcomings, to feeling like a much stronger and more confident technical player.
====
And, if you’ve been feeling stuck on a practice or performance or audition plateau lately, check out the Beyond Practicing mental skills course mentioned in the episode, which is available at bulletproofmusician.com/beyondpracticing.
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Today’s episode is made extra special, in that I’m joined by guest co-host Catherine Cho (violin). A top prize-winner at the Hannover, Queen Elizabeth, and Montreal competitions, Catherine maintains an active performing career, serves on the faculty at The Juilliard School, and has also recently been appointed Artistic Advisor of the biennial Starling-DeLay Symposium.
In today’s episode, we’ll explore…
4:12 - Why is playing horn such a mental game? And what do horn players worry about anyway? Jennifer illustrates the mind of a horn player by walking us through one of her recent low points - and how she recovered.
8:32 - How do you separate how you feel from how you sound? As in, how do you avoid getting sucked into the mental negativity spiral of assuming that if you feel bad you must sound bad?
11:29 - What do violinists (and string players) worry about? And whether as a horn player or violinist (or any musician, really), how can one get to a better place mentally?
14:05 - Jennifer describes the three ingredients that seem to contribute to an optimal mental balance during performing.
17:10 - A funny anecdote which illustrates how different musicians approach nerves differently.
18:38 - Are young musicians nowadays more open to talking about nerves than in previous generations? Or is that just because teachers are more open to providing a space to talk about this than in the past?
23:46 - How does parenthood affect you as a musician? What are the positive impacts, and what are some of the challenges?
28:43 - Jennifer and Catherine describe their teaching journeys and how they’ve worked at the craft of teaching over the years.
35:22 - What kinds of notes do Jennifer and Catherine take during (or after) lessons?
37:44 - What it says on the refrigerator magnet that Jennifer will look to for support on tough days.
35:08 - The thing Catherine did one year with her studio that made a “very, very significant” change in the growth of her students that year.
43:06 - What is something that was really difficult for Jennifer and Catherine? And what is something that has come pretty easily?
46:02 - The approach Jennifer adopted when recovering from a serious jaw injury that helped her go from feeling like a player with lots of technical shortcomings, to feeling like a much stronger and more confident technical player.
====
And, if you’ve been feeling stuck on a practice or performance or audition plateau lately, check out the Beyond Practicing mental skills course mentioned in the episode, which is available at bulletproofmusician.com/beyondpracticing.
More from The Bulletproof Musician
A 2013 paper describes three studies in different performance domains that give us a counterintuitive - and more effective - way to respond to performance anxiety.
Why Telling Yourself to “Calm Down” Backstage May Be Counterproductive
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A 2013 paper describes three studies in different performance domains that give us a counterintuitive - and more effective - way to respond to performance anxiety.
Why Telling Yourself to “Calm Down” Backstage May Be Counterproductive
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But sometimes it can be exhausting to keep it up!
So how important is it really, to maintain a positivity 24/7?
Or could there be some hidden downsides?
A 2018 study provides some counterintuitive findings, related not just to overall mental health and well-being, but performance as well.
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But sometimes it can be exhausting to keep it up!
So how important is it really, to maintain a positivity 24/7?
Or could there be some hidden downsides?
A 2018 study provides some counterintuitive findings, related not just to overall mental health and well-being, but performance as well.
More from The Bulletproof Musician
She shares her story in this episode, as well as tons of insights on practice and preparation, from how to listen, how to do repetitions in your practice without going on autopilot, and more.
Kim Laskowski: On Developing a Beautiful Expressive Sound and Teaching Yourself How to Learn
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She shares her story in this episode, as well as tons of insights on practice and preparation, from how to listen, how to do repetitions in your practice without going on autopilot, and more.
Kim Laskowski: On Developing a Beautiful Expressive Sound and Teaching Yourself How to Learn
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A 2012 study provides some answers - and additional insights on different types of listening: passive listening and distracted listening.
How Important is Listening to Recordings, Really?
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A 2012 study provides some answers - and additional insights on different types of listening: passive listening and distracted listening.
How Important is Listening to Recordings, Really?
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The Practice Strategy That Could “Bulletproof” Your Memory Under Pressure
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The Practice Strategy That Could “Bulletproof” Your Memory Under Pressure
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Most research centers on whether mental practice works, or what type is best, but today's study looks at a strategy for learning how to do mental practice. And it describes a technique for how to get better at mental practice - and see changes in performance - even if you've never been very good at imagery in the past.
A Better Way to Do Mental Practice
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Most research centers on whether mental practice works, or what type is best, but today's study looks at a strategy for learning how to do mental practice. And it describes a technique for how to get better at mental practice - and see changes in performance - even if you've never been very good at imagery in the past.
A Better Way to Do Mental Practice
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The Problem With Time and Repetition-Based Practice Goals (And What to Do Instead)
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The Problem With Time and Repetition-Based Practice Goals (And What to Do Instead)
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Of course, how far in advance of an audition or performance should we be playing for others? Is it important that we wait until things are pretty close to being performance-ready? Or should we be aiming to play for others much sooner than we might otherwise assume?
When is the Optimal Time to Start Doing Performance Practice?
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Of course, how far in advance of an audition or performance should we be playing for others? Is it important that we wait until things are pretty close to being performance-ready? Or should we be aiming to play for others much sooner than we might otherwise assume?
When is the Optimal Time to Start Doing Performance Practice?
More from The Bulletproof Musician
A 1976 analysis of legendary basketball coach John Wooden's coaching provides some surprising insights into what might actually work best.
What Is More Effective for Learning - Praise or Criticism?
Also, if you've been wanting to feel more comfortable performing, but aren't sure how to go about it, you might be interested in the live online 4-week class starting in October. Get all the details here:
Performance Psych Essentials (for Musicians)
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A 1976 analysis of legendary basketball coach John Wooden's coaching provides some surprising insights into what might actually work best.
What Is More Effective for Learning - Praise or Criticism?
Also, if you've been wanting to feel more comfortable performing, but aren't sure how to go about it, you might be interested in the live online 4-week class starting in October. Get all the details here:
Performance Psych Essentials (for Musicians)
More from The Bulletproof Musician
Researchers have wondered this as well, and a pair of studies suggest that we totally can!
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Researchers have wondered this as well, and a pair of studies suggest that we totally can!
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Turns out there's a relatively simple strategy we can use to significantly improve how much of the new music we're learning "sticks" in our memory.
Wish You Could Memorize Better? Why a Little Bit of "Verbalization" Might Be the Missing Ingredient.
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Turns out there's a relatively simple strategy we can use to significantly improve how much of the new music we're learning "sticks" in our memory.
Wish You Could Memorize Better? Why a Little Bit of "Verbalization" Might Be the Missing Ingredient.
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But what if we didn't have to? What if there were another way, another path to performing optimally where we didn't have to fight our nerves quite so much?
Today's guests share insights into a relatively new approach to managing nerves and performance stress that is gaining increasing interest in both sport and music circles - ACT.
David Juncos & Elvire de Paiva e Pona: On ACT and a New Approach to Overcoming Performance Anxiety
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But what if we didn't have to? What if there were another way, another path to performing optimally where we didn't have to fight our nerves quite so much?
Today's guests share insights into a relatively new approach to managing nerves and performance stress that is gaining increasing interest in both sport and music circles - ACT.
David Juncos & Elvire de Paiva e Pona: On ACT and a New Approach to Overcoming Performance Anxiety
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Today's study does just that and identifies one key practice process that's associated with the most growth and improvement.
Optimizing Practice: 2 Things That the Best Performers Do & 1 Thing That the Best “Improvers” Do
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Today's study does just that and identifies one key practice process that's associated with the most growth and improvement.
Optimizing Practice: 2 Things That the Best Performers Do & 1 Thing That the Best “Improvers” Do
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A 2004 study of pianists provides some answers!
Why Ear Training Might Matter More Than You Think
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A 2004 study of pianists provides some answers!
Why Ear Training Might Matter More Than You Think
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Two Helpful Things to Think About on Stage, Right Before You Start Playing
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Two Helpful Things to Think About on Stage, Right Before You Start Playing
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If You Have Difficulty Staying Focused While Practicing, Could Clutter Be a Factor?
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If You Have Difficulty Staying Focused While Practicing, Could Clutter Be a Factor?
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Recent research suggests that it may be possible to "edit" or update these memories so that they don't carry so much weight.
Memory Reconsolidation: A Way to Dump Your Negative Audition and Performance Baggage?
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Recent research suggests that it may be possible to "edit" or update these memories so that they don't carry so much weight.
Memory Reconsolidation: A Way to Dump Your Negative Audition and Performance Baggage?
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Three Ways to Teach Students How to Play More Expressively (Is There a “Best” Way?)
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Three Ways to Teach Students How to Play More Expressively (Is There a “Best” Way?)
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Turns out you may not have to worry as much as you'd think - as long as you're making mistakes the right way.
Wait...what does that even mean?!
More details in today's episode. =)
How Making Mistakes Can Accelerate Learning
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Turns out you may not have to worry as much as you'd think - as long as you're making mistakes the right way.
Wait...what does that even mean?!
More details in today's episode. =)
How Making Mistakes Can Accelerate Learning
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In today's episode, we'll explore four strategies for memorizing - all of which work, but two of which get you to the same place in much less time than the others.
The Two Most Efficient (and Two Least Efficient) Memorization Strategies
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In today's episode, we'll explore four strategies for memorizing - all of which work, but two of which get you to the same place in much less time than the others.
The Two Most Efficient (and Two Least Efficient) Memorization Strategies
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If you were never especially fond of music theory, this episode is for you. =) I'm joined by music theory professor Brian Alegant, and guest co-host violist Molly Gebrian (who taught music theory classes in her previous faculty position).
We won't talk about seventh chords or modes, but instead, have a chat about how we can make it feel more like MUSIC theory than music THEORY.
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If you were never especially fond of music theory, this episode is for you. =) I'm joined by music theory professor Brian Alegant, and guest co-host violist Molly Gebrian (who taught music theory classes in her previous faculty position).
We won't talk about seventh chords or modes, but instead, have a chat about how we can make it feel more like MUSIC theory than music THEORY.
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A 2015 study provides some clues on what exactly happens to the expressiveness of our playing when we're on stage, and even some details on what exactly happens with a particular aspect of expressiveness - phrasing that makes it sound less musical.
Why Your Playing (or Singing) Tends to Become Less Musically Expressive on Stage
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A 2015 study provides some clues on what exactly happens to the expressiveness of our playing when we're on stage, and even some details on what exactly happens with a particular aspect of expressiveness - phrasing that makes it sound less musical.
Why Your Playing (or Singing) Tends to Become Less Musically Expressive on Stage
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Of course, there’s a common counter-narrative which suggests that sometimes the best athletes, the top performers at work, and the most shredded folks at the gym, don’t necessarily make the best teachers.
So…which is it? Is a person’s performance a pretty good predictor of the quality of their advice? Or are performance and advice-giving two very different things?
Do the Best Performers Also Provide the Best Advice?
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Of course, there’s a common counter-narrative which suggests that sometimes the best athletes, the top performers at work, and the most shredded folks at the gym, don’t necessarily make the best teachers.
So…which is it? Is a person’s performance a pretty good predictor of the quality of their advice? Or are performance and advice-giving two very different things?
Do the Best Performers Also Provide the Best Advice?
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Research suggests that thinking out loud could enhance problem-solving, essentially making you a more efficient and effective practicer.
Why Thinking Out Loud Could Help You Become a More Efficient Practicer
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Research suggests that thinking out loud could enhance problem-solving, essentially making you a more efficient and effective practicer.
Why Thinking Out Loud Could Help You Become a More Efficient Practicer
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Peter Keller is a trombonist/composer-turned-music psychologist, who studies the neural and behavioral bases underlying effective ensemble playing.
In this episode, he shares some insights from cognitive science that could enable us to be more effective musical collaborators, whether playing in a duo, quartet, or orchestra.
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Peter Keller is a trombonist/composer-turned-music psychologist, who studies the neural and behavioral bases underlying effective ensemble playing.
In this episode, he shares some insights from cognitive science that could enable us to be more effective musical collaborators, whether playing in a duo, quartet, or orchestra.
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A recent study provides some insights on why this is, and what we can do about it.
An “Awkward” Way to Increase Motivation and Make More Progress Towards Your Goals.
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A recent study provides some insights on why this is, and what we can do about it.
An “Awkward” Way to Increase Motivation and Make More Progress Towards Your Goals.
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Previous research has found that writing out our worries right before a test (as counterintuitive as that sounds) can help to improve test performance. But would something like this work with musical performance as well?
How to Clear Your Mind of Worries Before a Big Performance (revisited)
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Previous research has found that writing out our worries right before a test (as counterintuitive as that sounds) can help to improve test performance. But would something like this work with musical performance as well?
How to Clear Your Mind of Worries Before a Big Performance (revisited)
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Evidence That Performing From Memory May Be More Challenging for Pianists Than Others (What?!)
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Evidence That Performing From Memory May Be More Challenging for Pianists Than Others (What?!)
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We know from previous research that mental practice plus physical practice leads to better learning than physical practice alone.
Could the same thing be true for memory too? Like, could substituting a bit of mental practice for physical practice lead to more reliable memory than physical practice alone?
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We know from previous research that mental practice plus physical practice leads to better learning than physical practice alone.
Could the same thing be true for memory too? Like, could substituting a bit of mental practice for physical practice lead to more reliable memory than physical practice alone?
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In Part 2 of my chat with flutist Keith Underwood, we get into the topic of breathing, and Keith explains and demonstrates a whole range of concepts that will help you play more effortlessly, and better understand how to "play on the breath, not with the breath."
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In Part 2 of my chat with flutist Keith Underwood, we get into the topic of breathing, and Keith explains and demonstrates a whole range of concepts that will help you play more effortlessly, and better understand how to "play on the breath, not with the breath."
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More from The Bulletproof Musician
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A couple imagery studies provide some intriguing clues on what they might be doing, that facilitates next-level ensemble coordination.
How Mental Imagery Can Help You Become a Better (Or More "Psychic") Chamber Music Partner
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A couple imagery studies provide some intriguing clues on what they might be doing, that facilitates next-level ensemble coordination.
How Mental Imagery Can Help You Become a Better (Or More "Psychic") Chamber Music Partner
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How Does One Learn to Play More Musically?
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How Does One Learn to Play More Musically?
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Do We Really Sound as Terrible on Stage as We Sometimes Think We Do?
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Do We Really Sound as Terrible on Stage as We Sometimes Think We Do?
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Turns out that one of the keys to starting off more effectively may have to do with our eyes, and what we look at or focus on in the moments right before beginning.
How so? A 2014 study gives us some intriguing clues...
"Quiet Eye": A Technique to Enhance Performance When You're Nervous
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Turns out that one of the keys to starting off more effectively may have to do with our eyes, and what we look at or focus on in the moments right before beginning.
How so? A 2014 study gives us some intriguing clues...
"Quiet Eye": A Technique to Enhance Performance When You're Nervous
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Research suggests that in some cases, no deadline could be best (what?!). And at other times, the wrong kind of deadline can make us more, not less, likely to procrastinate.
Prone to Procrastinating? Why the Way You Set Deadlines Could Make Things Worse, Not Better.
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Research suggests that in some cases, no deadline could be best (what?!). And at other times, the wrong kind of deadline can make us more, not less, likely to procrastinate.
Prone to Procrastinating? Why the Way You Set Deadlines Could Make Things Worse, Not Better.
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A 2006 study lays out a 3-step self-coaching process that we can use to become better teachers to ourselves. Or even share with our students as kind of a how-to-become-a-better-practicer cheat sheet.
Having a Bad Practice Day? Turn It Into a Good One With This 3-Step Self-Coaching Technique.
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A 2006 study lays out a 3-step self-coaching process that we can use to become better teachers to ourselves. Or even share with our students as kind of a how-to-become-a-better-practicer cheat sheet.
Having a Bad Practice Day? Turn It Into a Good One With This 3-Step Self-Coaching Technique.
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So what can we do to maximize the motor learning that occurs between practice sessions?
How to Get Your Brain to Do More Learning BETWEEN Practice Sessions
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So what can we do to maximize the motor learning that occurs between practice sessions?
How to Get Your Brain to Do More Learning BETWEEN Practice Sessions
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Turns out there's an intriguing motivation "hack" of sorts that could make it easier to start practicing, and naturally increase your motivation to do so. It even has a cool name - the "Zeigarnik effect."
How to Get Yourself to Practice When You Don't Feel Like It
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Turns out there's an intriguing motivation "hack" of sorts that could make it easier to start practicing, and naturally increase your motivation to do so. It even has a cool name - the "Zeigarnik effect."
How to Get Yourself to Practice When You Don't Feel Like It
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Why does this happen? And what can you do to prevent this without resorting to the nuclear option of airplane mode or an app that blocks you from the internet for a set period of time?
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Why does this happen? And what can you do to prevent this without resorting to the nuclear option of airplane mode or an app that blocks you from the internet for a set period of time?
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Conductor Joshua Weilerstein shares his own journey from violinist to conductor, and sheds some light on what a conductor is thinking about in the practice room, in rehearsal, and in performance. And why it might be kind of awesome if every musician had a chance to conduct for a day.
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Conductor Joshua Weilerstein shares his own journey from violinist to conductor, and sheds some light on what a conductor is thinking about in the practice room, in rehearsal, and in performance. And why it might be kind of awesome if every musician had a chance to conduct for a day.
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And what are self-regulation strategies, exactly?
Check out the episode to learn more about a couple simple and effective - but easy to neglect - self-regulation strategies.
Research-Tested Practice Strategies That Will Help You Learn New Pieces Faster
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And what are self-regulation strategies, exactly?
Check out the episode to learn more about a couple simple and effective - but easy to neglect - self-regulation strategies.
Research-Tested Practice Strategies That Will Help You Learn New Pieces Faster
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Research suggests that the way we talk to our students and provide feedback may actually be able to shape their inner dialogue - for better, or for worse.
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Research suggests that the way we talk to our students and provide feedback may actually be able to shape their inner dialogue - for better, or for worse.
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A team of Canadian researchers were curious about this exact question, and put together a study to find out if there was anything to this. And if so, what a better, creativity-optimizing alternative might be.
Does Perfectionism Really “Kill” Creativity? If So, What’s the Alternative?
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A team of Canadian researchers were curious about this exact question, and put together a study to find out if there was anything to this. And if so, what a better, creativity-optimizing alternative might be.
Does Perfectionism Really “Kill” Creativity? If So, What’s the Alternative?
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A Practice Strategy That Could Potentially Be Twice as Effective as Regular Practice?
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A Practice Strategy That Could Potentially Be Twice as Effective as Regular Practice?
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How to Be a Little More Awesome in 2022? Try These Top Tips and Insights From 2021.
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How to Be a Little More Awesome in 2022? Try These Top Tips and Insights From 2021.
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A 2010 study provides some clues on what happens at home during the week between lessons, and a couple things teachers can do to make sure this time is being spent making things better, not worse!
Why Practicing Practicing from an Early Age is So Important
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A 2010 study provides some clues on what happens at home during the week between lessons, and a couple things teachers can do to make sure this time is being spent making things better, not worse!
Why Practicing Practicing from an Early Age is So Important
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https://bulletproofmusician.com/musicians-seem-memorization-naturals-can-become-one
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https://bulletproofmusician.com/musicians-seem-memorization-naturals-can-become-one
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In this episode, you'll learn about PETTLEP; a 7-point "how-to" set of guidelines, developed by two British researchers, drawing from the research in performance psych and neuroscience.
Not Sure How to Do Mental Practice? Here's a 7-Point "How-To" Guide
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In this episode, you'll learn about PETTLEP; a 7-point "how-to" set of guidelines, developed by two British researchers, drawing from the research in performance psych and neuroscience.
Not Sure How to Do Mental Practice? Here's a 7-Point "How-To" Guide
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A recent Danish study suggests that integrating a bit of singing into one's practice might indeed have some real worthwhile benefits. Lead author and trumpet professor Kristian Steenstrup drops by to chat for a bit and shares more details on what they found, plus an intriguing 4-step process for learning new music a little more efficiently.
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A recent Danish study suggests that integrating a bit of singing into one's practice might indeed have some real worthwhile benefits. Lead author and trumpet professor Kristian Steenstrup drops by to chat for a bit and shares more details on what they found, plus an intriguing 4-step process for learning new music a little more efficiently.
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What?!
In today's episode, you'll learn why this is, and two strategies to help you learn a new piece at the goal tempo from day 1.
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What?!
In today's episode, you'll learn why this is, and two strategies to help you learn a new piece at the goal tempo from day 1.
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And that doing a bunch of goofy "wrong" repetitions that one would never do in performance could actually lead to more consistently and high-level execution of that skill.
What?!
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And that doing a bunch of goofy "wrong" repetitions that one would never do in performance could actually lead to more consistently and high-level execution of that skill.
What?!
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What's actually happening in our brains, that makes spaced practice more effective?
Why Too-Short Practice Breaks Could Undermine Your Learning
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What's actually happening in our brains, that makes spaced practice more effective?
Why Too-Short Practice Breaks Could Undermine Your Learning
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In this month's conversation, pianist and educator Vivian Hornik Weilerstein shares insights on how pianists can be better listeners, leaders, and collaborators with their music-making partners. And though I originally approached this episode with pianists in mind, I think you'll find that everything Vivian talks about applies to non-pianists who wish to collaborate more effectively with their keyboard colleagues as well!
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In this month's conversation, pianist and educator Vivian Hornik Weilerstein shares insights on how pianists can be better listeners, leaders, and collaborators with their music-making partners. And though I originally approached this episode with pianists in mind, I think you'll find that everything Vivian talks about applies to non-pianists who wish to collaborate more effectively with their keyboard colleagues as well!
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A team of researchers did something close to this - they videotaped expert and intermediate-level athletes practicing for the same exact amount of time, measured their improvement (the experts improved more), and then traced this back to specific differences in what they each group did with their practice time.
There were four key differences - differences that I think musicians (or athletes) at any level could benefit from!
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A team of researchers did something close to this - they videotaped expert and intermediate-level athletes practicing for the same exact amount of time, measured their improvement (the experts improved more), and then traced this back to specific differences in what they each group did with their practice time.
There were four key differences - differences that I think musicians (or athletes) at any level could benefit from!
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It's not a silver bullet, but the "directed abstraction" technique could help all of us become a little more confident and cultivate a stronger belief in ourselves.
What to Do When Everyone Thinks You're Great - But You Feel Like a Failure
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It's not a silver bullet, but the "directed abstraction" technique could help all of us become a little more confident and cultivate a stronger belief in ourselves.
What to Do When Everyone Thinks You're Great - But You Feel Like a Failure
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If We Want to Maximize Learning, is It Better to Focus on Our Failures? Or Our Successes?
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If We Want to Maximize Learning, is It Better to Focus on Our Failures? Or Our Successes?
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When that's the case, can listening to a recording really help to accelerate that process? And by how much?
A 2014 study provides some clues on how much of a difference this might make in accelerating the learning process.
Evidence That Listening to a Recording Could Accelerate the Learning Process for New Repertoire
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When that's the case, can listening to a recording really help to accelerate that process? And by how much?
A 2014 study provides some clues on how much of a difference this might make in accelerating the learning process.
Evidence That Listening to a Recording Could Accelerate the Learning Process for New Repertoire
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Merry Peckham: On Rehearsing, Performing, and Growing as a Musician (And Person!) in Chamber Music
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Merry Peckham: On Rehearsing, Performing, and Growing as a Musician (And Person!) in Chamber Music
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It's not your imagination - but there do seem to be some strategies that could help us offset this a bit.
One is a learning "metastrategy" simply called the "Five-Step Strategy" and has been shown to enhance learning in both young adults and older learners (~65 years) as well!
A 5-Step Strategy for Enhanced Motor Skill Learning (Especially if You're an Older Learner!)
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It's not your imagination - but there do seem to be some strategies that could help us offset this a bit.
One is a learning "metastrategy" simply called the "Five-Step Strategy" and has been shown to enhance learning in both young adults and older learners (~65 years) as well!
A 5-Step Strategy for Enhanced Motor Skill Learning (Especially if You're an Older Learner!)
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A recent meta-analysis looked through 10,000+ studies, and identified seven strategies that seemed to be the most effective in not only stopping worries and rumination, but contributed to better health outcomes as well.
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A recent meta-analysis looked through 10,000+ studies, and identified seven strategies that seemed to be the most effective in not only stopping worries and rumination, but contributed to better health outcomes as well.
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Daniel Matsukawa: On Cultivating a Great Sound, and Three Components of Becoming a Better Practicer
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Daniel Matsukawa: On Cultivating a Great Sound, and Three Components of Becoming a Better Practicer
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Which can not only have a negative on our physical and mental health and ability to learn and improve in the practice room, but can also just be plain annoying and frustrating too.
If you're tired of tossing and turning and clock-watching, the serial diverse imaging or "cognitive shuffle" strategy might be worth a try!
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Which can not only have a negative on our physical and mental health and ability to learn and improve in the practice room, but can also just be plain annoying and frustrating too.
If you're tired of tossing and turning and clock-watching, the serial diverse imaging or "cognitive shuffle" strategy might be worth a try!
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Does he know something we don't? Could knitting be a viable strategy for managing pre-competition stress?
There is actually a tiny bit of research on this, and that's what we'll take a look at in today's episode.
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Does he know something we don't? Could knitting be a viable strategy for managing pre-competition stress?
There is actually a tiny bit of research on this, and that's what we'll take a look at in today's episode.
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Is two perfect repetitions in a row good enough? Is 5 better? 7? Is aiming for 10 just a waste of time and energy?
Research on "overlearning" provides some clues on how many repetitions might be "enough."
Adequate Learning Vs Overlearning: How Many Repetitions Is Enough?
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Is two perfect repetitions in a row good enough? Is 5 better? 7? Is aiming for 10 just a waste of time and energy?
Research on "overlearning" provides some clues on how many repetitions might be "enough."
Adequate Learning Vs Overlearning: How Many Repetitions Is Enough?
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A 2010 basketball study reveals two specific differences in the practice habits of good and bad free throw shooters. Differences that can totally be applied to music as well.
Two Things Experts Do Differently Than Non-Experts When Practicing
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A 2010 basketball study reveals two specific differences in the practice habits of good and bad free throw shooters. Differences that can totally be applied to music as well.
Two Things Experts Do Differently Than Non-Experts When Practicing
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Director and choreographer Ann Bergeron explains how her experience training her dogs through positive reinforcement methods led to changes in her approach to teaching her dance students - and how perhaps we can all borrow a few things from those who teach our furry friends (wait...what?!).
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Director and choreographer Ann Bergeron explains how her experience training her dogs through positive reinforcement methods led to changes in her approach to teaching her dance students - and how perhaps we can all borrow a few things from those who teach our furry friends (wait...what?!).
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A Simple Practice Scheduling Hack That Couldn’t Possibly Be as Effective as It Seems
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A Simple Practice Scheduling Hack That Couldn’t Possibly Be as Effective as It Seems
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Why Thought Stopping Doesn’t Work (And the Paradoxical Strategy That Might Work Better)
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Why Thought Stopping Doesn’t Work (And the Paradoxical Strategy That Might Work Better)
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A 2014 study provides some clues on a strategy that could help to reduce the repetitive negative thoughts, and make it easier for us to quiet our inner doomsday monkey.
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A 2014 study provides some clues on a strategy that could help to reduce the repetitive negative thoughts, and make it easier for us to quiet our inner doomsday monkey.
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To that end, here's Alexander Technique teacher Lori Schiff's story of how she went from believing that Zoom was not a viable medium for teaching Alexander Technique, to finding ways to adapt and grow as a teacher, discovering that she could indeed make online Alexander Technique lessons a meaningful experience for students.
Lori Schiff: On Adapting to Remote Instruction, and Learning to Teach Alexander Technique Online
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To that end, here's Alexander Technique teacher Lori Schiff's story of how she went from believing that Zoom was not a viable medium for teaching Alexander Technique, to finding ways to adapt and grow as a teacher, discovering that she could indeed make online Alexander Technique lessons a meaningful experience for students.
Lori Schiff: On Adapting to Remote Instruction, and Learning to Teach Alexander Technique Online
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Sometimes this works, but sometimes the words just don't seem to resonate or sink in. A 2012 study suggests that there might be a better way to shift our mood in a more positive direction than simply talking to ourselves in a more positive way.
Which Is Better - A Verbal Pep Talk or a Visualization Pep Talk?
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Sometimes this works, but sometimes the words just don't seem to resonate or sink in. A 2012 study suggests that there might be a better way to shift our mood in a more positive direction than simply talking to ourselves in a more positive way.
Which Is Better - A Verbal Pep Talk or a Visualization Pep Talk?
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So are there practice strategies that could help to offset this a bit? A recent study tested out three different practice schedules, and identified one that leads to better retention, more flexible/adaptable skills, and more motivation too!
A Test of Three Practice Schedules, and the One That Works Best (Especially for Older Learners)
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So are there practice strategies that could help to offset this a bit? A recent study tested out three different practice schedules, and identified one that leads to better retention, more flexible/adaptable skills, and more motivation too!
A Test of Three Practice Schedules, and the One That Works Best (Especially for Older Learners)
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A 2013 study of pianists provides a few clues...
Need to Work on Shifting or Leaps From One Note to Another? Here’s How Mental Practice Could Help.
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A 2013 study of pianists provides a few clues...
Need to Work on Shifting or Leaps From One Note to Another? Here’s How Mental Practice Could Help.
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The Kantor Family: On Being Effective Music Parents to Musical Children
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The Kantor Family: On Being Effective Music Parents to Musical Children
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A recent study suggests that there are a couple study strategies that could be more effective than the standard approach of reading/rereading/reviewing your notes and assigned readings for a class.
Finals Coming Up Soon? Here’s Why You Shouldn't Just Read and Review Your Notes.
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A recent study suggests that there are a couple study strategies that could be more effective than the standard approach of reading/rereading/reviewing your notes and assigned readings for a class.
Finals Coming Up Soon? Here’s Why You Shouldn't Just Read and Review Your Notes.
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But is that true? Or just a myth?
Research on errors in learning suggest that error-free practice might actually hinder the learning process, and that how we respond to errors might be the more interesting factor to consider.
Is “Perfect” Practice as Essential a Thing As We Tend to Assume It Is?
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But is that true? Or just a myth?
Research on errors in learning suggest that error-free practice might actually hinder the learning process, and that how we respond to errors might be the more interesting factor to consider.
Is “Perfect” Practice as Essential a Thing As We Tend to Assume It Is?
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A recent study identified a strategy that may not wipe your memory clean of the negative performance, but could help you move past it a bit more effectively.
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A recent study identified a strategy that may not wipe your memory clean of the negative performance, but could help you move past it a bit more effectively.
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Typically though, memory athletes are asked to recall the information relatively soon after encoding the information into memory.
So...does this strategy work for more long-term memory too? And could it be used for music too?
Does the “Memory Palace” Strategy Really Work? And Is It Something Musicians Could Use?
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Typically though, memory athletes are asked to recall the information relatively soon after encoding the information into memory.
So...does this strategy work for more long-term memory too? And could it be used for music too?
Does the “Memory Palace” Strategy Really Work? And Is It Something Musicians Could Use?
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A new study suggests that this sort of thing might be happening more than you'd think - and that we may all be a lot worse at knowing when to end conversations than you'd think.
Evidence That Most of Us Are Terrible at Knowing When to End Conversations
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A new study suggests that this sort of thing might be happening more than you'd think - and that we may all be a lot worse at knowing when to end conversations than you'd think.
Evidence That Most of Us Are Terrible at Knowing When to End Conversations
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“Zoom Fatigue” - Why It Happens, and a Couple Things You Can Do About It
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“Zoom Fatigue” - Why It Happens, and a Couple Things You Can Do About It
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A Simple Writing Exercise That Could Help You Perform More Confidently
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A Simple Writing Exercise That Could Help You Perform More Confidently
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Astrid Schween: On Cultivating Routines, Curiosity, and 800 Different Spiccatos
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Astrid Schween: On Cultivating Routines, Curiosity, and 800 Different Spiccatos
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How NOT to Support a Student Who Is Struggling (and What TO Do as Well)
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How NOT to Support a Student Who Is Struggling (and What TO Do as Well)
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What?!
Specific Times When Smart Goals Can Be Counterproductive (and What Strategy to Use Instead)
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What?!
Specific Times When Smart Goals Can Be Counterproductive (and What Strategy to Use Instead)
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Is this something that classical musicians need to be mindful of? And if so, what can we do to protect our ears?
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Is this something that classical musicians need to be mindful of? And if so, what can we do to protect our ears?
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Does a Musician’s Physical Movements and Gestures Affect How Musical We Think They Are?
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Does a Musician’s Physical Movements and Gestures Affect How Musical We Think They Are?
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How to Cultivate Better Rhythm and Avoid Clipping Notes (and Rests) Short
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How to Cultivate Better Rhythm and Avoid Clipping Notes (and Rests) Short
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Research suggests that we may actually be able to heighten the accuracy of our timing perception if we keep time with our bodies too, not just in our heads. Err...and what does that mean exactly?
For Better Rhythm and Timing, Count With Your Body Too, Not Just Your Mind
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Research suggests that we may actually be able to heighten the accuracy of our timing perception if we keep time with our bodies too, not just in our heads. Err...and what does that mean exactly?
For Better Rhythm and Timing, Count With Your Body Too, Not Just Your Mind
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Recent research suggests that there's at least one way to shift your brain into a more positive headspace. And the nice thing is that it's pretty simple. And doesn't involve much thinking or require you to wrestle your thoughts into submission.
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Recent research suggests that there's at least one way to shift your brain into a more positive headspace. And the nice thing is that it's pretty simple. And doesn't involve much thinking or require you to wrestle your thoughts into submission.
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Make Practicing in 2021 a Little More Effective With These Top Tips From 2020
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Make Practicing in 2021 a Little More Effective With These Top Tips From 2020
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Recent research suggests that this can have an effect on our mood and various aspects of well-being. And that posting more authentically, might actually leave us feeling better.
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Recent research suggests that this can have an effect on our mood and various aspects of well-being. And that posting more authentically, might actually leave us feeling better.
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But I think we all intuitively know that achieving both likability and respect is kind of a tricky thing. In that bragging might achieve respect, but come at the expense of likability.
So what about the humblebrag? Is that a viable way to soften the brag a bit, so as to establish our competence but remain likable? Or is regular old bragging actually better?
Regular Bragging vs. Humblebragging: Which Works Better?
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But I think we all intuitively know that achieving both likability and respect is kind of a tricky thing. In that bragging might achieve respect, but come at the expense of likability.
So what about the humblebrag? Is that a viable way to soften the brag a bit, so as to establish our competence but remain likable? Or is regular old bragging actually better?
Regular Bragging vs. Humblebragging: Which Works Better?
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Research suggests that there is a way for us to gain some of the mental and emotional benefits of a vacation - without actually taking one!
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Research suggests that there is a way for us to gain some of the mental and emotional benefits of a vacation - without actually taking one!
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David Leisner: On Overcoming Focal Dystonia and Learning to Play With Ease
* * *
A quick heads-up that next weekend is the annual Beyond Practicing 2-for-1 event!
If you’ve been wanting to perform more consistently, but haven’t been sure exactly what adjustments to make to your practice to make that happen, or maybe you’ve just felt stuck in a bit of a practice rut lately, next weekend might be the ideal time to start learning the mental skills and practice techniques that can help you get where you’re trying to go.
To learn more about Beyond Practicing and the 2-for-1 offer, go to bulletproofmusician.com/beyondpracticing
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David Leisner: On Overcoming Focal Dystonia and Learning to Play With Ease
* * *
A quick heads-up that next weekend is the annual Beyond Practicing 2-for-1 event!
If you’ve been wanting to perform more consistently, but haven’t been sure exactly what adjustments to make to your practice to make that happen, or maybe you’ve just felt stuck in a bit of a practice rut lately, next weekend might be the ideal time to start learning the mental skills and practice techniques that can help you get where you’re trying to go.
To learn more about Beyond Practicing and the 2-for-1 offer, go to bulletproofmusician.com/beyondpracticing
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NOTE: This was recorded way back before I had the kind of gear that's necessary for capturing interviews, so the audio quality was pretty subpar, you could hear kids playing outside, etc. I've since remastered it to remove background noise, but it's still a little funky. It may help to refer to the transcript, which you can access here:
Toby Appel: On Learning to Trust Yourself
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NOTE: This was recorded way back before I had the kind of gear that's necessary for capturing interviews, so the audio quality was pretty subpar, you could hear kids playing outside, etc. I've since remastered it to remove background noise, but it's still a little funky. It may help to refer to the transcript, which you can access here:
Toby Appel: On Learning to Trust Yourself
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How Effective Is Mental Practice for Memorizing New Pieces?
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How Effective Is Mental Practice for Memorizing New Pieces?
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Stressed, Anxious, and Feeling a Little Burned Out? Here’s How an “Awe Walk” Could Help.
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Stressed, Anxious, and Feeling a Little Burned Out? Here’s How an “Awe Walk” Could Help.
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He once said that "anyone could do what I do if they knew what I know." And in this episode, he shares some of the key learning principles that he believes helped him achieve this enviable level of skill.
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He once said that "anyone could do what I do if they knew what I know." And in this episode, he shares some of the key learning principles that he believes helped him achieve this enviable level of skill.
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It seems that self-efficacy is an important ingredient in risk-taking, and in today's episode, I'll describe a simple exercise that can help with building some of this particular kind of confidence.
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It seems that self-efficacy is an important ingredient in risk-taking, and in today's episode, I'll describe a simple exercise that can help with building some of this particular kind of confidence.
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A Counterintuitive Way to Build Confidence, a Tiny Bit Each Day
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A Counterintuitive Way to Build Confidence, a Tiny Bit Each Day
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But what if I told you that there's a more efficient and effective way to get a difficult passage up to tempo? And that this slow-to-fast process can actually lead to bad habits that we later have to waste a lot of time unlearning?
Trombonist Jason Sulliman walks us through the motor learning/control research which suggests that there are many times when learning things at-tempo, from Day 1, may actually be the smarter, more effective approach.
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But what if I told you that there's a more efficient and effective way to get a difficult passage up to tempo? And that this slow-to-fast process can actually lead to bad habits that we later have to waste a lot of time unlearning?
Trombonist Jason Sulliman walks us through the motor learning/control research which suggests that there are many times when learning things at-tempo, from Day 1, may actually be the smarter, more effective approach.
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More from The Bulletproof Musician
More from The Bulletproof Musician
What Does the Research Say About Having a Couple Drinks Before Performing?
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What Does the Research Say About Having a Couple Drinks Before Performing?
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8 Things Top Practicers Do Differently
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8 Things Top Practicers Do Differently
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Minna Chung: On the Mysteries of Intonation and a Few Things We Can Do to Play Better in Tune
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Minna Chung: On the Mysteries of Intonation and a Few Things We Can Do to Play Better in Tune
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A Yale study of pianists provides some clues - and the numbers might surprise you.
How Many of Our Mistakes Do Audiences (and Other Musicians) Actually Notice?
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A Yale study of pianists provides some clues - and the numbers might surprise you.
How Many of Our Mistakes Do Audiences (and Other Musicians) Actually Notice?
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Is This Really a Significant Factor in How We Choose Our Teachers and Mentors?
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Is This Really a Significant Factor in How We Choose Our Teachers and Mentors?
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Why It May Be Useful to Laugh a Bit More in the Months Ahead
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Why It May Be Useful to Laugh a Bit More in the Months Ahead
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Pianist Stephen Hough weighs in on this question, and as you can imagine, the answer is rather complex and nuanced - but certainly a meaningful one for us all to think about!
Stephen Hough: On the Question “Is Memorizing Music Really All That Important?”
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Pianist Stephen Hough weighs in on this question, and as you can imagine, the answer is rather complex and nuanced - but certainly a meaningful one for us all to think about!
Stephen Hough: On the Question “Is Memorizing Music Really All That Important?”
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How could that be? Well, a recent study suggests that the answer may lie in how we respond to this inner critic. And there might be a simple tweak we can make to our inner dialogue that could help us become more resilient in the face of the bully that lives in our head.
How to Keep the Critic in Your Head From Wrecking Your Practice Session
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How could that be? Well, a recent study suggests that the answer may lie in how we respond to this inner critic. And there might be a simple tweak we can make to our inner dialogue that could help us become more resilient in the face of the bully that lives in our head.
How to Keep the Critic in Your Head From Wrecking Your Practice Session
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Clarinetist Christine Carter is back to answer many of the most common questions people encounter in trying to incorporate more interleaved practice into their daily practice routine.
Oh, and if the voice in your head is like "what the heck is interleaved practice?", this is going to change your practice week for sure!
Why the Progress You Make in the Practice Room Seems to Disappear Overnight - PART 2
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Clarinetist Christine Carter is back to answer many of the most common questions people encounter in trying to incorporate more interleaved practice into their daily practice routine.
Oh, and if the voice in your head is like "what the heck is interleaved practice?", this is going to change your practice week for sure!
Why the Progress You Make in the Practice Room Seems to Disappear Overnight - PART 2
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Research suggests that the way we close our emails can have more of an impact than we realize - and in some pretty surprising and unexpected ways that go beyond whether we get a response or not.
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Research suggests that the way we close our emails can have more of an impact than we realize - and in some pretty surprising and unexpected ways that go beyond whether we get a response or not.
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But given how much time it takes to listen back, how useful is this really? Met timpanist Jason Haaheim explains why he believes recording and transcribing your lessons is essential, and why this can significantly increase the effectiveness of your daily practice.
Jason Haaheim: On “Deliberate Lessons” and How to Become a Better Teacher to Yourself
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But given how much time it takes to listen back, how useful is this really? Met timpanist Jason Haaheim explains why he believes recording and transcribing your lessons is essential, and why this can significantly increase the effectiveness of your daily practice.
Jason Haaheim: On “Deliberate Lessons” and How to Become a Better Teacher to Yourself
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Research suggests that there may be a particular "strategic mindset" (and a few questions) that lends itself to thinking about problems in a more effective, strategic way. And that we could all use this to become more effective problem-solvers both in and out of the practice room.
3 Questions to Ask Yourself That Could Boost the Effectiveness of Your Next Practice Session
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Research suggests that there may be a particular "strategic mindset" (and a few questions) that lends itself to thinking about problems in a more effective, strategic way. And that we could all use this to become more effective problem-solvers both in and out of the practice room.
3 Questions to Ask Yourself That Could Boost the Effectiveness of Your Next Practice Session
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Research suggests that it might have a little something to do with what we think about in the moments leading up to the performance, and that we might be able to manage our nerves a little better if we engage in the right sort of mental script backstage.
How the Things You Think about Backstage Could Carry over into Your Performance
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Research suggests that it might have a little something to do with what we think about in the moments leading up to the performance, and that we might be able to manage our nerves a little better if we engage in the right sort of mental script backstage.
How the Things You Think about Backstage Could Carry over into Your Performance
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How to Talk to Yourself When You’re Having a Bad Practice Day (or Week)
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How to Talk to Yourself When You’re Having a Bad Practice Day (or Week)
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Recent research suggests that learning to "switch off" might be an important key to maintaining a consistently high level of practice and performance as well.
Struggling with Practice Apathy? You Might Be Neglecting “Psychological Rest”
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Recent research suggests that learning to "switch off" might be an important key to maintaining a consistently high level of practice and performance as well.
Struggling with Practice Apathy? You Might Be Neglecting “Psychological Rest”
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In Episode 3 of this mini-series, oboist Sarah Lewis shares insights on how she stays in a good headspace backstage, what her ideal day-of-audition routine looks like, and what she prioritized in the final week leading up to audition day, while also caring for her 3-month old daughter.
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In Episode 3 of this mini-series, oboist Sarah Lewis shares insights on how she stays in a good headspace backstage, what her ideal day-of-audition routine looks like, and what she prioritized in the final week leading up to audition day, while also caring for her 3-month old daughter.
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In Episode 2 of this mini-series, flutist Amanda Blaikie shares her insights on how to stay in a good headspace backstage, what her ideal day-of-audition routine looks like, and what she prioritized in the final week leading up to audition day.
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In Episode 2 of this mini-series, flutist Amanda Blaikie shares her insights on how to stay in a good headspace backstage, what her ideal day-of-audition routine looks like, and what she prioritized in the final week leading up to audition day.
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In Episode 1 of this mini-series, violist Caroline Coade shares her insights on how she stays in a good headspace backstage, what her ideal day-of-audition routine looks like, and what she prioritized in the final week leading up to audition day.
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In Episode 1 of this mini-series, violist Caroline Coade shares her insights on how she stays in a good headspace backstage, what her ideal day-of-audition routine looks like, and what she prioritized in the final week leading up to audition day.
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A Mental Time Travel Technique That Could Reduce Anxiety and Enhance Performance
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A Mental Time Travel Technique That Could Reduce Anxiety and Enhance Performance
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Molly Gebrian: On Efficient, Effective, and Reliable Memorization Strategies for Musicians
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Molly Gebrian: On Efficient, Effective, and Reliable Memorization Strategies for Musicians
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For the 45-min video demonstration on specific stretches and exercises recommended for musicians, go to:
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For the 45-min video demonstration on specific stretches and exercises recommended for musicians, go to:
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Tim Topham: On How to Maximize Your Effectiveness When Teaching Lessons Online
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Tim Topham: On How to Maximize Your Effectiveness When Teaching Lessons Online
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Targeted Memory Reactivation: A Hack to Improve Learning During Sleep?
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Targeted Memory Reactivation: A Hack to Improve Learning During Sleep?
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What Does Science Say About the Notion That We Don't Utilize Our Full Potential?
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What Does Science Say About the Notion That We Don't Utilize Our Full Potential?
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Fact or Myth: Does Thinking “Don’t Miss” Really Make Us More Likely to Mess Up?
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Fact or Myth: Does Thinking “Don’t Miss” Really Make Us More Likely to Mess Up?
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How to Get Better at Detecting Errors - Especially If They’re Hiding in Plain Sight
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How to Get Better at Detecting Errors - Especially If They’re Hiding in Plain Sight
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The Mindsets That Make It Easier (and Harder) to Bounce Back from Mistakes Mid-Performance
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The Mindsets That Make It Easier (and Harder) to Bounce Back from Mistakes Mid-Performance
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Is Videotaping Yourself Worth the Time and Trouble? And If Yes, How So? (Part 2 of 2)
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Is Videotaping Yourself Worth the Time and Trouble? And If Yes, How So? (Part 2 of 2)
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Is Videotaping Yourself Worth the Time and Trouble? And If Yes, How So? (Part 1 of 2)
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Is Videotaping Yourself Worth the Time and Trouble? And If Yes, How So? (Part 1 of 2)
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Mental Practice Not Working for You? This Might Be the Reason Why…
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Mental Practice Not Working for You? This Might Be the Reason Why…
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Structured Vs. Free Practice: Why You Probably Shouldn’t Just Be “Winging It” in the Practice Room
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Structured Vs. Free Practice: Why You Probably Shouldn’t Just Be “Winging It” in the Practice Room
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How Do Fear, Anxiety, and Other Negative Emotions Affect the Learning Process?
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How Do Fear, Anxiety, and Other Negative Emotions Affect the Learning Process?
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Musical Charades: Should This Be Part of Your Regular Practice Routine?
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Musical Charades: Should This Be Part of Your Regular Practice Routine?
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How Long Does It REALLY Take to Form a New Habit?
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How Long Does It REALLY Take to Form a New Habit?
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Phonetography: Does This Enhance or Diminish Our Enjoyment of an Experience?
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Phonetography: Does This Enhance or Diminish Our Enjoyment of an Experience?
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The Misinterpreted-Effort Hypothesis, and Why We Often Practice Less Effectively than We Could
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The Misinterpreted-Effort Hypothesis, and Why We Often Practice Less Effectively than We Could
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Mike Block: On Discovering Your Musical Identity, “Exploratory” Practice, and Taking Creative Risks
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Mike Block: On Discovering Your Musical Identity, “Exploratory” Practice, and Taking Creative Risks
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Why Highly “Representative” Practice Is so Important (Except When It Isn’t)
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Why Highly “Representative” Practice Is so Important (Except When It Isn’t)
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Change This One Word to Get More Useful Feedback From Peers and Colleagues
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Change This One Word to Get More Useful Feedback From Peers and Colleagues
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Can Young Students Be Taught to Engage in Deliberate Practice Too?
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Can Young Students Be Taught to Engage in Deliberate Practice Too?
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Angela Beeching: On the Keys to Developing a Career That’s Totally “You”
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Angela Beeching: On the Keys to Developing a Career That’s Totally “You”
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Quirky Pre-Performance Rituals: Do They Really Work?
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Quirky Pre-Performance Rituals: Do They Really Work?
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Get into a Better Pre-Audition Headspace with a "Heroic" Playlist
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Get into a Better Pre-Audition Headspace with a "Heroic" Playlist
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BTW, I mention Met percussionist Rob Knopper's article on practice, which is linked in the post above, but which you can go to directly here.
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BTW, I mention Met percussionist Rob Knopper's article on practice, which is linked in the post above, but which you can go to directly here.
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How to Use Positive “Trigger Words” for More Expressive Performances
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How to Use Positive “Trigger Words” for More Expressive Performances
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The “Gesturing Effect": A Way to Learn New Skills More Quickly?
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The “Gesturing Effect": A Way to Learn New Skills More Quickly?
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How Many of Our Worries Actually Come True?
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How Many of Our Worries Actually Come True?
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Your “Stress Mindset,” and How This Could Make Stress Work For or Against You
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Your “Stress Mindset,” and How This Could Make Stress Work For or Against You
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Why Day-of-Performance Butterflies May Actually Be a Good Thing
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Why Day-of-Performance Butterflies May Actually Be a Good Thing
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"Action Observation," And How to Get More out of Your Mental Imagery Practice
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"Action Observation," And How to Get More out of Your Mental Imagery Practice
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Tom Hooten: On Being Curious, and Elevating Learning and Growth Above Ego
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Tom Hooten: On Being Curious, and Elevating Learning and Growth Above Ego
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How to "Reset" Your Body Clock and Shift Your Peak Performance Window (& Thrive in AM Rehearsals)
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How to "Reset" Your Body Clock and Shift Your Peak Performance Window (& Thrive in AM Rehearsals)
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The Role of Self-Compassion in Overcoming Setbacks and Cultivating Mental Toughness
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The Role of Self-Compassion in Overcoming Setbacks and Cultivating Mental Toughness
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Self-Monitoring, and How “Happy Face” May Have Been a More Potent Practice Strategy than I Realized…
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Self-Monitoring, and How “Happy Face” May Have Been a More Potent Practice Strategy than I Realized…
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A Way to Amplify (or Weaken) the Effect of Self-Talk on Performance
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A Way to Amplify (or Weaken) the Effect of Self-Talk on Performance
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Menahem Pressler: On Following Your Heart
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Menahem Pressler: On Following Your Heart
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A Goal-Setting Tweak That Could Be the Difference Between an OK Performance and a Great Performance?
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A Goal-Setting Tweak That Could Be the Difference Between an OK Performance and a Great Performance?
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How Exaggerating Technical Errors Could Improve Your Technique
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How Exaggerating Technical Errors Could Improve Your Technique
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Should Phones and Laptops Be Banned in the Classroom? Or Is This Just Much Ado about Nothing?
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Should Phones and Laptops Be Banned in the Classroom? Or Is This Just Much Ado about Nothing?
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Margo Drakos: On Creating a Safety Net and Taking a Chance on Yourself
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Margo Drakos: On Creating a Safety Net and Taking a Chance on Yourself
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Why Learning the Wrong Way to Play Could Enhance Performance (and Confidence Too)
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Why Learning the Wrong Way to Play Could Enhance Performance (and Confidence Too)
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The Potential Upside of Having a "Rival"
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The Potential Upside of Having a "Rival"
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How to Keep Your Cool Backstage Before Auditions and Performances
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How to Keep Your Cool Backstage Before Auditions and Performances
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8 Strategies for Breaking Out of a Performance Slump
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8 Strategies for Breaking Out of a Performance Slump
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Catherine Cho: On Developing Great Rhythm (and Why Old-School Metronomes Are the Way to Go)
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Catherine Cho: On Developing Great Rhythm (and Why Old-School Metronomes Are the Way to Go)
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The Performance Post-Mortem: A Review Process to Bounce Back Better and Faster
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The Performance Post-Mortem: A Review Process to Bounce Back Better and Faster
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A Visualization Hack to Get More Out of Your Mental Practice
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A Visualization Hack to Get More Out of Your Mental Practice
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A Mental Tweak to Reduce the Gap Between Your Best Playing and What Happens Under Pressure
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David Kim: On Letting Go and Being Yourself
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A Scientific Rationale for Keeping Photos of Friends and Family in Your Case
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Get Into "The Zone" More Frequently with This Subtle Mental Adjustment
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A Comparison of Two Types of Anti-Choking Strategies
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Lori Schiff: On How Alexander Technique Can Enhance Learning and Performance Under Pressure
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How Perfect Does Your Intonation Have to Be?
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Does Focusing on Musical Expressiveness in Performance Come at the Expense of Technical Precision?
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A Mental Shift That Could Help You Produce a More Beautiful Sound on Stage
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Can’t Shut Off Your Brain and Get to Sleep? This 5-min Exercise Could Help.
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For additional notes and links, visit Mark Kosower: On Learning Music, Slow Practice, and the Kind of Focus That's Associated With His Best Performances
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A "Backwards" Strategy for Cultivating More Passion about Music You're Not in Love With
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Should You Be Using a Metronome When You Do Mental Practice?
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Why Worrying about Shaky Bow Just Makes Things Worse (and What You Could Focus on Instead)
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Jason Haaheim: On Practice, Talent, Motivation, and Playing the "Long Game"
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How to Minimize Jet Lag and Perform Your Best When Crossing Multiple Time Zones
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Do Other People Really Learn As Quickly As It Seems Like They Do?
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2 Ways to Shrink the “Intention-Behavior Gap,” Improve Your Follow-through, and Get Things Done
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Jay Larranaga: On Becoming the Best Version of Yourself That You Can Be
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Comparison videos and links at: Why an “Improvisational Mindset” Could Be Vital to Reducing Performance Anxiety and Increasing Audience Engagement
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Comparison videos and links at: Why an “Improvisational Mindset” Could Be Vital to Reducing Performance Anxiety and Increasing Audience Engagement
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How a Post-Practice Workout Could Help Boost Learning and Retention
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Do Classical Musicians Get More Nervous Than Non-Classical Musicians? (And If so, Why?)
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Do Classical Musicians Get More Nervous Than Non-Classical Musicians? (And If so, Why?)
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For links to the guitarists' recordings, go to 8 Strategies Musicians Use to Create Their Own Unique Interpretation of a Piece
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In this week's chat, LA Phil violinists (and husband/wife) Nathan Cole and Akiko Tarumoto share their thoughts on practicing and auditioning after kids, what they've learned from each other, and more.
For full transcript and links, go to: Nathan Cole & Akiko Tarumoto: On Practice, Lifelong Learning, and Balancing Life With Work and Audition Preparation
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In this week's chat, LA Phil violinists (and husband/wife) Nathan Cole and Akiko Tarumoto share their thoughts on practicing and auditioning after kids, what they've learned from each other, and more.
For full transcript and links, go to: Nathan Cole & Akiko Tarumoto: On Practice, Lifelong Learning, and Balancing Life With Work and Audition Preparation
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Have Difficulty Staying Awake During Mental Practice? Try "Dynamic" Mental Imagery Instead!
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An Easy-to-Overlook “Hack” for Enhancing Concentration in the Practice Room
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Carol Rodland: On Learning to Work with Your Body, Not Against It
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Does It Help (or Hurt) to Have Friends and Family in the Audience?
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For links and additional resources, go to: Julie Landsman: On Getting into the Zone and Developing Trust in Your Playing
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Research Suggests That While Mental Practice Is Good, This Hybrid Approach Is Even Better
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What's the Most (and Least) Helpful Thing to Text a Friend Before Their Audition?
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Janet Horvath: On Preventing Overuse Injuries and Playing Pain-Free
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“Mistake Rituals” and Why it's Important to Prepare for On-Stage Surprises
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Creativity Sounds Important…but at the Elite Level, How Valuable Is It Really?
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Need a Little Shot of Optimism? Try the "Best Possible Self" Exercise
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Just Thinking You Don't Have Enough Time (Even If That's Not True) Negatively Affects Performance
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