The Bulletproof Musician

Have you been experiencing "Zoom fatigue?" There isn't a ton of research on this phenomenon quite yet - but a paper did come out recently identifying four potential causes, and a couple tips on how to manage this. I tried one of the Zoom fatigue "hacks" and found it surprisingly helpful! “Zoom Fatigue” - Why It Happens, and a Couple Things You Can Do About It More from The...

Some athletes have noted that visualizing past successes has helped them get into a more positive and confident headspace before competition. Which makes perfect sense, but is there any research evidence supporting this? A 2013 study provides some clues, and tests out a simple writing exercise that could help you present yourself more effectively - especially in performance situations where you ar...

Cellist Astrid Schween (Juilliard String Quartet) shares some of the daily routines she relies on to set herself up for a productive day of practice, as well as how to approach new repertoire, remain open to one's colleagues' ideas in rehearsal, and much more. Astrid Schween: On Cultivating Routines, Curiosity, and 800 Different Spiccatos More from The Bulletproof Musician Get the free w...

This week we take a look at a study which shows how a teacher's mindset beliefs (growth vs. fixed) can affect the way they try to support or console a student who is struggling. And how we can inadvertently do more harm than good, even if we have the best of intentions! How NOT to Support a Student Who Is Struggling (and What TO Do as Well) More from The Bulletproof Musician Get the free week...

You're probably familiar with the idea of a growth vs. fixed mindset, and how this affects your own learning and performance. But recent research has begun to look at how at teacher's mindset beliefs affect the learning and performance of their students too. Spoiler alert: it matters! Want Students to Be More Engaged, Take More Risks, and Get Better Grades in Class? Here’s Why Your Minds...

You've probably been told that when setting goals, they need to be SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timed). But recent research suggests that there are specific times when SMART goals can actually be counterproductive, where vague, open-ended goals can actually be more effective. What?! Specific Times When Smart Goals Can Be Counterproductive (and What Strategy to Use In...

I think all musicians are much more aware of tendonitis and other playing-related injuries than even just 10 or 20 years ago, but one health issue that isn't on many of our radars quite yet is noise-induced hearing loss. As in, hearing loss that results from exposure to loud music. Is this something that classical musicians need to be mindful of? And if so, what can we do to protect our ears?...

We tend to think of music as a sound-based art form (as opposed to dance, for instance, which has more of a visual component). But does a musician's physical movements on stage affect our impression of the performance more than we realize? Like, does a more physically communicative performance appear to sound more musical - even if it isn't? Does a Musician’s Physical Movements and Gestu...

Research suggests that in general, we may have a tendency to cut notes or rests short, and come in early, rather than late. If you've found yourself struggling to keep accurate time on long notes or in rests, a 2010 study tested a technique that can help you develop much more accurate timing and cultivate a stronger sense of internal rhythm. How to Cultivate Better Rhythm and Avoid Clipping N...

Maintaining good rhythm and timing is often a real challenge. Especially since our mind can be pretty squirrely and make us think we're totally playing in time when we're not (and get an earful from our pianist, quartet-mates, or conductor). 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 ou...

You know those times when life or stress sucks you into one of those negative thought spirals, where you start getting more and more stressed and worried and can't seem to focus on anything else? 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 think...

If practicing has felt a little stale lately, and you're looking for a bit of inspiration to jump start your routine, here are some of the most intriguing and potentially transformative things we learned on the podcast in 2020. Make Practicing in 2021 a Little More Effective With These Top Tips From 2020 More from The Bulletproof Musician Get the free weekly newsletter , for more nerdy detail...

There's a natural tendency for us to want to put our best foot forward online, whether in Facebook, Instagram, or Youtube. But sometimes, we can end up presenting an overly idealized version of ourselves that isn't really true and authentic. Recent research suggests that this can have an effect on our mood and various aspects of well-being. And that posting more authentically, might actu...

Presenting ourselves effectively to others is a really important skill. After all, there are a lot of benefits to being well-liked, and well-respected. 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 th...

Feel like you need a break or a vacation? But just can't take one at the moment, for one reason or another? 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! Need a Break? Here’s a Simple Way to Boost Your Mood and Feel More Refreshed After a Long Week of Practice. More from The Bulletproof Musician Get...

Guitarist David Leisner describes his journey with focal dystonia - and what he learned that enabled him to regain full use of his hands and fingers after years of being unable to play. 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...

In this 2013 interview pulled from the archives, Juilliard viola faculty member Toby Appel shares insights on practicing, teaching, and some of the things he's been grateful for over the course of his career. 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...

We've all heard how helpful a tool mental practice can be for honing and refining the level of our playing away from our instruments. But how useful a tool is it for memorizing music? How Effective Is Mental Practice for Memorizing New Pieces? More from The Bulletproof Musician Get the free weekly newsletter , for more nerdy details and bonus subscriber-only content. Pressure Proof : A free 7...

Learning how to manage our emotional health and recharge our batteries is an important part of cultivating mental toughness and resilience. "Awe walks" could be a simple, quick, research-based strategy to try that might be a useful strategy to add to your toolbox. Stressed, Anxious, and Feeling a Little Burned Out? Here’s How an “Awe Walk” Could Help. More from The Bulletproof Musician G...

Bob Fisher has set 25 Guinness world records in free throw shooting - all after the age of 50. How did he become so good at shooting free throws? 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.   More from The Bulletproof Musician Ge...

2020 has been an unusually stressful year for most. So when it comes to maximizing well-being, and being in as good a place mentally, physically, and emotionally, as we can be, is it more important that we set goals and stick to the path? Or that we take the time to relax and look for positive moments during each day (even if they're tiny and trivial in the grand scheme of things)? Having Lon...

Ever find yourself playing more cautiously and tentatively under pressure, and wondering how to loosen up, trust yourself, and play more freely like your teacher keeps encouraging you to do? 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....

If you had a choice between starting with your most challenging tasks and progressing towards the easier ones or starting with your easiest tasks and progressing towards the most challenging ones, what would you choose? And which one do you think would lead to greater confidence and self-efficacy? A recent study suggests that if your goal is to build confidence, one might be much more effective th...

Conventional wisdom suggests that when we're learning a difficult passage, we should start slow, and gradually work it up to tempo with a metronome. 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? Trombonis...

We've all been told that having phones nearby while studying or practicing can be a distraction and degrade the quality of our practicing/studying. But what about engaging in social media before we practice? Does what we do in the 30 minutes or so before practicing also matter? And if so, why? More from The Bulletproof Musician Get the free weekly newsletter , for more nerdy details and bonus...