The Bulletproof Musician

Have you ever had a memory slip in performance or worried about having one on stage? University of Arizona viola professor and brain enthusiast (she majored in neuroscience in college) Molly Gebrian shares some insights on the science of memory, and describes simple, straightforward, musician-friendly strategies that you can use to make sure that future performances are a more positive (and less anxiety-inducing) experience!

Molly Gebrian: On Efficient, Effective, and Reliable Memorization Strategies for Musicians

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Flutist-turned-yoga educator Nicole Newman shares insights on how yoga practice can not only have physical benefits that transfer to more effective performance, but also mental benefits in terms of enhancing concentration and focus.

For the 45-min video demonstration on specific stretches and exercises recommended for musicians, go to:

Nicole Newman: On Using Yoga to Develop Sustained Focused Attention, and Practice Getting into the Zone

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Having to go from live in-person lessons, to teaching through a laptop screen overnight can be a stressful experience. In this episode, piano teacher, educator, and podcaster Tim Topham will share some simple, and immediately actionable strategies and techniques that will help you feel more comfortable and increase your confidence in your ability to be effective when teaching online.

Tim Topham: On How to Maximize Your Effectiveness When Teaching Lessons Online

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It's well known that sleep is a key ingredient in optimal learning. But a recent study takes things a step further and suggests that we can selectively optimize the learning of certain information while we sleep - with "odor cues." Wait...what?!

Targeted Memory Reactivation: A Hack to Improve Learning During Sleep?

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Harpist Lynne Aspnes shares insights on the role of singing in music-making, how to make breathing a more organic part of your playing, and the value of having diverse musical influences.

Lynne Aspnes: On Breathing, Singing, and the Value of Cultivating a Diverse Range of Musical Influences

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It's often said that we are capable of more than we realize - but is there any research evidence suggesting that we consistently underestimate our abilities?

What Does Science Say About the Notion That We Don't Utilize Our Full Potential?

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You've probably heard that saying "don't miss" to yourself makes you more likely to mess up. But is this actually true? Or is it just a myth?

Fact or Myth: Does Thinking “Don’t Miss” Really Make Us More Likely to Mess Up?

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Are we actually as good at detecting errors and imperfections in our playing as we think? We definitely are on stage - but research suggests we might be missing things in the practice room. Here are a few ways to make sure that doesn't happen.

How to Get Better at Detecting Errors - Especially If They’re Hiding in Plain Sight

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Recovering from a poor start to your performance, or bouncing back from a botched excerpt in an audition can be a real challenge - though very much doable. But what separates those who can get back on track, from those that struggle and get sucked into the downward spiral of doom? Research suggests that it might have something to do with the type of perfectionist you are.

The Mindsets That Make It Easier (and Harder) to Bounce Back from Mistakes Mid-Performance

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Ever feel like you've reached a wall, and can't get your body to do what it needs to do to produce what you hear in your head? Violinist Jennifer Johnson explains how a better understanding of one's body through Body Mapping can help musicians not only avoid pain and injury, but play with more freedom and ease as well.

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Athletes have been using videotape analysis to enhance learning and performance for years. But is it really worth the investment of time necessary? Does it lead to meaningful benefits above and beyond practice without video?

Is Videotaping Yourself Worth the Time and Trouble? And If Yes, How So? (Part 2 of 2)

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Athletes have been using videotape analysis to enhance learning and performance for years. But is it really worth the investment of time necessary? What does the research say?

Is Videotaping Yourself Worth the Time and Trouble? And If Yes, How So? (Part 1 of 2)

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Research has found that doing mental practice while watching video could be more effective than imagery alone. But if this sort of thing hasn't worked for you, a recent study has identified a reason for why that could be...

Mental Practice Not Working for You? This Might Be the Reason Why…

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Met Opera oboist Nathan Hughes shares insights on how he prepares, so that he can play more confidently on stage, under pressure. Not just in terms of practicing the music, but managing the mental game and the uncertainty of reeds as well.

Nathan Hughes: On Being Honest in the Practice Room, and Learning How to Balance Being Analytical and Being Expressive

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Research suggests that "structured practice" could lead to much more improvement in the same amount of practice time as "free practice" - but how exactly are the two different?

Structured Vs. Free Practice: Why You Probably Shouldn’t Just Be “Winging It” in the Practice Room

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Whether it's an intimidating conductor or the fear of falling short of expectations in a lesson, there are many moments in our music studies where we might experience anxiety, fear, shame, or other negative emotions. Does that just come with the territory and make us stronger, or do such emotions impair our ability to learn?

How Do Fear, Anxiety, and Other Negative Emotions Affect the Learning Process?

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Doing impressions of famous musicians is a fun game to play with friends when you're in the mood to procrastinate - but could this actually be a useful practice exercise? And have some potentially meaningful musical benefits as well?

Musical Charades: Should This Be Part of Your Regular Practice Routine?

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Horn player Erik Ralske (Met Opera) provides insights on how to get into "the zone," and the paradoxical way in which giving yourself permission to miss notes could lead to more accurate playing.

Erik Ralske: On Developing a Stronger Internal Pulse, and the Paradoxical Benefits of Giving Yourself Permission to Miss Notes

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It's often said that it takes 21 days to form a new habit. But is this actually true?

How Long Does It REALLY Take to Form a New Habit?

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Nowadays, camera phones are everywhere. And we seem to photograph everything. But what effect does this have on our enjoyment of these experiences?

Phonetography: Does This Enhance or Diminish Our Enjoyment of an Experience?

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One of my teachers once said that if you sound good in the practice room, you're probably not practicing. Indeed, research suggests that there is actually a lot of truth to this. So why do we naturally tend to gravitate towards less-effective practice strategies?

The Misinterpreted-Effort Hypothesis, and Why We Often Practice Less Effectively than We Could

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Ever feel creatively stuck, unsatisfied, or inhibited somehow - but can't quite figure out how to get out of your rut? Cellist Mike Block describes some of the experiences that helped him to discover his unique musical identity, and what he continues to do today - both in and out of the practice room - that helps him continue to make his way down this path.

Mike Block: On Discovering Your Musical Identity, “Exploratory” Practice, and Taking Creative Risks

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The idea of "performance practice," and preparing for the unique demands of performances makes a lot of intuitive sense - but are there times when this is NOT the most useful way to practice?

Why Highly “Representative” Practice Is so Important (Except When It Isn’t)

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Both giving and receiving feedback can be tricky (and icky). And if you've found feedback you've received to be kind of vague or otherwise unhelpful, research suggests that a tiny change to the language you use when requesting feedback can elicit much more helpful and useful comments.

Change This One Word to Get More Useful Feedback From Peers and Colleagues

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Deliberate or "deep" practice is widely acknowledged to be a critical factor in cultivating talent and ability. But at what age is this something that can be learned? Is this something that middle-school-aged students can learn to do, and sustain as a habit?

Can Young Students Be Taught to Engage in Deliberate Practice Too?

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Ever freak out about what exactly you're going to do when you finish school, and how you're going to get there? Or maybe you're on the other side of school, but struggling a bit to find your unique voice and cut through the noise? Career development guru Angela Beeching shares tips and insights on how to make the most of the resources around you, and craft a career that's more fully "you."

Angela Beeching: On the Keys to Developing a Career That’s Totally “You”

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Many athletes and musicians engage in quirky rituals before each show. Do these really work? And if so, why?

Quirky Pre-Performance Rituals: Do They Really Work?

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Staying in a good headspace when you have a lot of time to kill before a concert or audition can be a real challenge. But research suggests that listening to a particular kind of music could help.

Get into a Better Pre-Audition Headspace with a "Heroic" Playlist

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Is it more productive to front-load easy problems or to work on difficult ones? Well, research suggests that working on easy problems can be deceptively productive (and satisfying!) in the short term, but less productive in the long-term.

Why the “Task Completion Bias” Could Give You the Illusion of Productive Practice, but Make You Less Productive in the Long-Term

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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There's a legitimate reason (the "curse of expertise") why it can sometimes be difficult for experts to teach less experienced players how to learn skills that the expert has long ago encoded into their "muscle memory." But research suggests there may be a way to get around this and deliver more useful advice to students who are struggling to learn a new skill.

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High chinrest? Low chinrest? Centered? Shoulder rest? Shoulder pad/sponge? Or no shoulder rest at all? Finding the right setup can feel like a bewildering process of blind trial and error. But as Claire Stefani explains in this month's conversation, there are fundamental biomechanics principles involved that can guide your search for the optimal setup.

Claire Stefani: On Chinrests, Shoulder Rests, and How the Right Setup Can Facilitate More Effortless, Tension-free Playing

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Research suggests that positive "trigger words" can help you get into character more effectively, and facilitate more expressive performances.

How to Use Positive “Trigger Words” for More Expressive Performances

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Need to get a new piece learned faster? Here's a study which suggests we might be able to give ourselves a head start by gesturing while watching a video (like air guitar).

The “Gesturing Effect": A Way to Learn New Skills More Quickly?

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I once read a claim that 90% of the things we worry about never come true. But is this true? Or is it one of those made-up stats like how 73.6% of all statistics are made up?

How Many of Our Worries Actually Come True?

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Boston Symphony Principal Cello Blaise Déjardin shares insights on how he practices for consistently beautiful performances, and what he did to get into a good headspace on the day of his audition.

Blaise Déjardin: On Emotion, Technique, and the Kind of Practice That Facilitates Consistently Beautiful Performances

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Emerging research suggests that our "stress mindset" influences our physical, mental, and emotional response to stress - and whether it has a positive or negative effect.

Your “Stress Mindset,” and How This Could Make Stress Work For or Against You

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Have you ever wished there were a way to make performance days feel more like normal days and not have to deal with the butterflies? Well, research suggests that you may want to rethink this particular wish!

Why Day-of-Performance Butterflies May Actually Be a Good Thing

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Turns out mental imagery has a much bigger effect on learning and performance if you are good at imagery. So what are your options if imagery is something that you struggle with?

"Action Observation," And How to Get More out of Your Mental Imagery Practice

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Hear LA Phil Principal Trumpet Tom Hooten describe the uncommon mindset and approach to learning that has helped him become the player he is today.

Tom Hooten: On Being Curious, and Elevating Learning and Growth Above Ego

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Are you a "night owl" that struggles with sluggishness in morning rehearsals or practice sessions? A recent study suggests that you can actually become more of a morning person and be more effective by making a few adjustments to your daily routine.

How to "Reset" Your Body Clock and Shift Your Peak Performance Window (& Thrive in AM Rehearsals)

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Have you ever heard of a coffee nap? It's exactly what it sounds like - but is there any research supporting such a thing? Actually, yes! A few studies have looked at whether a coffee nap is better than either one alone.

Are Coffee Naps Legit?

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Setbacks are inevitable, and there may not be much we can do to prevent them - but we do have control over how we respond. A recent study illustrates how formerly excessively self-critical athletes have adopted a more self-compassionate mindset in how they approach practice and competition.

The Role of Self-Compassion in Overcoming Setbacks and Cultivating Mental Toughness

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Ever get paralyzed and indecisive when faced with a choice between two things that are either similar, or have competing pros and cons? Research suggests that a "random" decision aid can help accelerate the decision-making process at times like these.

Conflicted Between Two Different Choices? Here’s a “Random” Way to Accelerate the Decision-Making Process.

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Cellist and Feldenkrais practitioner Uri Vardi explains what Feldenkrais is (and isn't) and shares some examples of how this body awareness modality can help musicians play more efficiently and effectively.

Uri Vardi: On the Way Unconscious Habits Shape Our Playing, and How Feldenkrais Can Help Us Unlock More of Our Potential

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A 2017 study found that "self-monitoring" was a significant predictor of whether athletes were competing at an elite, less-elite, or recreational level. So what is self-monitoring exactly, and how does it affect learning?

Self-Monitoring, and How “Happy Face” May Have Been a More Potent Practice Strategy than I Realized…

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Research suggests that not all practice strategies are equally effective. So between blocked, random, and win-shift/lose-stay practice, which one is best? And just what do these strategies look like anyway?

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A recent study suggests that there is a simple self-talk hack that could make it even more effective in enhancing performance.

A Way to Amplify (or Weaken) the Effect of Self-Talk on Performance

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In this interview originally recorded over Skype and telephone back in 2012, renowned pianist Menahem Pressler speaks about the importance of finding your own voice, and shares many profound insights about the pursuit of a career in music, and what he has found most rewarding about his own journey.

 Menahem Pressler: On Following Your Heart

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We often hear that positive thinking, and envisioning the future we want is an important step in getting there - but research suggests that the best performers include another key ingredient that is an essential part of the equation.

A Goal-Setting Tweak That Could Be the Difference Between an OK Performance and a Great Performance?

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Struggling to nail a tricky shift or hit a difficult high note? Believe it or not, research suggests that instead of trying to do everything right, it might be worth trying to do everything wrong first.

How Exaggerating Technical Errors Could Improve Your Technique

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