The Bulletproof Musician

At some point or another, you've probably come across learning styles theory. Which suggests that some of us are visual learners, others are auditory learners, or kinesthetic learners, etc., and that we learn best if we are taught in a way that aligns with our learning style. This makes a lot of sense, and feels pretty true as well - but what does the research say? A 2009 review of the litera...

You know those moments when you're practicing, and suddenly wonder what time the 49ers game is tonight? Or if so-and-so returned your email? Or if it's going to rain tomorrow? Or what you should eat for lunch? Staying focused for extended periods of time can be a real challenge. And our phones dinging and buzzing every other minute certainly doesn't make this any easier. But airplan...

You know how some practice sessions can feel really good? Where it seems like you're making lots of improvement? But then the next day, things don't sound much better? And then sometimes, you have what feels like a crappy day in the practice room, where nothing seems to be improving...but then the next day, you sound so much better? A 2009 study provides some clues on why this is, what&a...

About a month ago, we heard from violinist Sumina Studer and violist Drew Forde ( click here if you missed it), who shared tips and insights on how they built their social media following (about half a million followers combined). 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,...

Like many other young kids, I never really thought twice about memorizing music. In the course of working on a piece, it usually just happened. Of course, at some point, memorizing music becomes more difficult for everyone. The repertoire gets more challenging, you start having lots of repertoire to learn at the same time, and performance deadlines don't leave you with as much time as you&apo...

Whether it's sticking to a regular practice routine, studying a little bit every day instead of cramming the night before an exam, or eating more healthily, I think it's pretty universal to wish that we had a little more self-discipline. Because that's the key to doing these things consistently, right? Well...what if there were an easier way to avoid temptations and distractions? On...

Whether it's changing your diet, investing your money, or practicing, it can sometimes be difficult to tell if you're doing it "right" because meaningful change usually happens gradually over time. 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 strateg...

So…everyone (and their dog 😅) seems to have a social media presence nowadays - whether on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, etc. But how important is it for musicians today to embrace social media, really? 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 siza...

Effective practice isn't always easy or fun. But a 2010 study reveals a psychological hack that could make longer and more challenging practice sessions, rehearsals, or lessons feel easier and more appealing than shorter and less effortful practice sessions. Which sounds totally backwards, but could come in handy if you have students who have a difficult time getting themselves to practice. O...

Ever notice how critical the voice in your head can be? That voice can make us feel pretty crummy at times - but is it also responsible for pushing us to strive for better? If we had been less self-abusive and more self-compassionate along the way, would we be where we are today? Or is it possible that we would have advanced even further, if we had been a little kinder to ourselves? There has been...

Have you ever studied with a teacher who encouraged you to sing during your practice? There are lots of reasons for this, but aside from doing it in a lesson when my teacher made me sing in front of them, I never integrated any singing into my daily practice. It just felt silly, and I wasn't sold on the benefits. Looking back, of course, I would have given it more of a chance. And if you need...

When you to students practicing, there's one thing that is often conspicuously absent. Silence. You'll typically hear a good bit of repetition - but not a lot of quiet time or space between repetitions. And why does this matter? Well, studies have found that too little space between repetitions - or too short an "inter-trial interval" can actually inhibit learning. So...is ther...

We’ve all probably (at least secretly) enjoyed watching shows like American Idol or The Voice at one point or another. 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...

Whether it's running through a piece in your head to see if it's memorized, or imagining different fingering options while taking a practice break, you've probably used mental imagery to supplement your physical practice at one point or another. Research in this area suggests that mental practice can indeed enhance learning and performance beyond physical practice alone, but how do...

Whether it's manipulating our air, making embouchure adjustments, or learning to use the weight of our arm to produce a beautiful sound, we spend a lot of time working really hard to get things just right. We ask for feedback and suggestions from our teachers, we watch YouTube videos of our favorite musicians, and get tips from instructional videos on the correct way to perform a skill. All o...

Have you ever watched your favorite musician perform, and wondered what goes through their head on stage? Like, what are they thinking about? Do they ever worry? What do they worry about? Is playing as easy as it looks? Or do they have bad days too? Does it ever get easier? How do they deal with criticism or bad reviews or even the critic in their own head? How similar is their experience in perfo...

If you play a string instrument, you know that the strings you use can make a big difference in how your instrument sounds and feels. But how can you find the combination of strings that makes your instrument sound its best? Which type of core material produces the type of sound you're going for, as well as the best response? What are the benefits of the different kinds of wraps? What gauge o...

It's often said that failure is the best teacher. Or at least, that failure is a better teacher than success. But how exactly are we supposed to learn from failure without getting discouraged? And why does success get such a bad rap as a teacher, anyhow? What if the problem is that we haven't been reflecting on our successes in the right way? A 2014 study provides some clues on how to en...

Intuitively, I think we approach teaching with the goal of helping students avoid failure. So it's natural to step in if we see students floundering about and approaching a problem the wrong way. But what if we are hindering students' learning by stepping in too soon? Like stepping in too soon to help with spotting someone at the gym, or helping them too much on that last repetition. We...

Improvisation has not traditionally been part of most young classical musicians' training. But should it be? Research suggests that the answer may be yes, and that there are a number of benefits that improvisation could provide. Not just to our playing, but to our mental state on stage as well. Read the full article for all the nerdy details: Why Improvisation Should Be Part of Every Young Mu...

We know it can be really helpful to do practice performances or mock auditions in advance of a high-pressure performance. However, it can be really difficult to simulate the nerves and pressure of a real performance or audition. Because for some, a mock audition feels pretty high-stress. While for others, the experience doesn't even come close. However, there is some research in this area, an...

If you’ve been a listener of this podcast for any period of time, you’ve probably already been influenced by today’s guest without realizing it - namely, performance science researcher Aaron Williamon. Aaron's research has produced influential insights in many different facets of a musician's life, from effective practice and performance preparation, to managing nerves, optimizing focus,...

We spend a lot of time and energy avoiding mistakes in the practice room and on stage. And we work super hard to make sure our students avoid doing things the "wrong way" too. But what if that's actually holding us back? A 2008 study suggests that if you do things the "wrong way" the right way, you might actually be able to accelerate learning pretty dramatically. Wait, wh...

Ever notice how it's easy to be optimistic about an audition or performance a month or two out, but things feel much different when the big day is now just one or two weeks away? Let alone one or two days ? Willing ourselves to adopt a more positive, self-affirming, performance-enhancing headspace takes some effort. So it can be easier to just let our thoughts naturally turn to the dark side...

If you ever watched the show Friends, you might remember the episode where Phoebe stayed on hold for two days with her phone company, because every time she was about to hang up, the voice on the other end would tell her "you're the next caller" and she didn't want to give up right before she might finally get to speak to a live representative. Have you ever had a similar sort...