Susan Williams / Christopher Collings
Quality Practice
Practicing is the main activity of a musician. We all know that it is not just the amount of practice that we do that brings results, but the quality of our practice. When we understand how musical learning works and how we ourselves function best our practice can be efficient, effective and joyful! Learn about Quality Practice with musician and performance science expert Dr. Susan Williams.
Author
Susan Williams / Christopher Collings
Category
Podcast website
Latest episode
Feb 11, 2026
Where to listen?
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Episodes
Mapping Mastery 11.02.2026 10:37
Mapping Mastery is a self-paced video course designed as a complete learning cycle — from orientation and goal setting to performance and reflection. It brings clarity, structure and energy to your musical growth, supporting you in becoming your own self-trainer. The content explores ways of practicing and preparing performances, enhancing focus, reflecting on the process, and developing self-awar...
Here & Now: Sensory Awareness 01.06.2025 9:15
This guided visualisation helps you to develop sensory awareness – a great way to warm up and to reach a state of deep engagement.
Here & Now: Self-Awareness 01.05.2025 7:52
Here’s a visualisation exercise to help you connect with yourself – body, mind, and emotion – to help you be in a centred state for practice, performance and for formulating goals.
Performance Preparation Visualisation 18.04.2025 5:13
A very practical mental training tool for preparing your performances is to do a Performance Preparation Visualisation. Positive visualization exercises have the best effects when you do them directly before going to sleep. Try this one for a few nights before an important performance to release fear and stress and to program positive expectations and a convincing performance.
Performance Preparation Strategies 11.04.2025 9:45
Which strategies can help you to be able to say ‘I am well prepared’? Here is a look at the weeks before a performance and how you can best use them.
Performance Preparation 30.03.2025 19:56
How do you know if you are ready to perform something? Performing is a skill that needs to be developed and practiced. Once you know you can play a piece convincingly, you need to practice trust. Performance preparation involves practicing musical focus, building concentration, confidence and the ability to stay on track after a mistake. Having control over your thoughts and having something to sa...
Mindset 01.03.2025 20:05
In this episode, we dive into the power of mindset and the deep-seated beliefs we hold about ourselves. How do these beliefs shape our practice and performances, our confidence, and the opportunities we allow into our lives? And more importantly - how can we shift them to unlock our true potential?
Motivation 01.02.2025 17:55
In this episode, we dive into the different forms of motivation—intrinsic and extrinsic—and explore how they shape our actions. Why do some things excite us naturally, while others require external rewards? Understanding what truly drives us can help us stay inspired and achieve our goals more effectively.
Building Healthy Habits 29.12.2024 12:52
Creating healthy habits is an important part for being a musician. Changing habits sometimes seems hard, so we have to be aware of our subconscious mechanisms that hold us back from change.
You are the instrument 01.12.2024 17:29
There is a lot of injury, stress and burnout in the music profession. It’s important to take care of your own health and wellbeing to be a great learner and performer. That means the right amount and quality of sleep, diet and exercise. It also means taking care that you have breaks from highly cognitive work and that you have fun and positive connections with others. Take care of your physical, c...
Tools & Strategies 05.11.2024 18:17
Having a variety of tools and strategies of practicing is essential for optimal learning
Finding Flow 05.10.2024 17:54
Cultivating deep engagement and creating a state of flow
Attentional focus 24.08.2024 18:39
What do we need to focus on in order to learn and perform music?
Exploration 19.08.2024 17:12
Get to know your repertoire, instrument and self, rather than just trying to 'solve’ them
Self-regulation 11.08.2024 17:13
How you are able to control your learning process is a big predictor of success for musicians.
Foundations 02.08.2024 19:26
What are the qualities of a good learner and conditions for learning and how do we enhance them?
What is Quality Practice? 07.07.2024 19:31
This episode is an overview the basic structure of Quality Practice and the main themes and criteria for optimal learning for musicians.
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