The Bulletproof Musician

A few weeks ago, my dog herniated a disk. He could barely sit, let alone walk and squat to do his business. The vet gave him some drugs (apparently dogs take codeine?!), and told us that he needed to be kept in his crate, pretty much 24/7 for the next few weeks, to allow his spine to heal. For the first week or so, it seemed like nothing was changing, and we began to worry - what do we do if this...

Praising a student is easy. Giving critical feedback can be much tougher. I mean, how can we call their attention to the things that don't sound great, while still building up their confidence? Are feedback sandwiches (praise-criticism-praise) the answer? Or do we just praise their efforts? Or compliment mediocre work anyway? A 2014 study provides some clues, and highlights one specific ingre...

Have you ever had one of those moments in the practice room, where you suddenly notice that physically, you've been going through the motions for the last couple minutes, but mentally, you've been spacing out or thinking about something else entirely? 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...

I actually never got into coffee myself. Not for any health or philosophical reason, but because I'm not a fan of hot liquids in general (is that weird?). 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 pr...

It's often said that "perfect practice makes perfect," but what does "perfect practice" actually look like? Does it mean what it sounds like it means? And is the saying even true, anyhow? Researcher Robert Duke has been studying learning for decades, and has conducted a number of studies specifically in the area of music learning and teaching. In today's episode, he s...

Ever wonder what it is that makes great teachers great? Like, are there any commonalities in the pedagogical approaches of renowned teachers? A 2006 analysis of 30 hours of lesson footage of violinist Donald McInnes, oboist Richard Killmer, and pianist Nelita True found 19 common elements in their teaching approach across a range of students, from high school to doctoral level. Click through for a...

Have you ever had someone suggest that you "think of your performance as a gift that you are sharing with the audience" as a way to help you calm your nerves before a performance? Did that resonate with you at all? And either way, is there any evidence that reframing performances in such a way would help at all? A 2015 study provides some clues. Learn more in today's episode, or cli...

Ever find yourself struggling to get a tricky shift or big leap in tune consistently? There are lots of helpful ways to practice and problem-solve such challenges, but there's a method that comes from sports - involving a metronome, believe it or not - that might be helpful to add to your toolbox. How to Nail Shifts and Big Leaps More Consistently More from The Bulletproof Musician Get the fr...

As a kid, I had a habit of scanning the audience to see if I could catch a glimpse of my mom's reactions to my performance. Generally, she'd be making a frowny sort of face, which didn't feel great then, but I now understand was probably more a look of concern, rather than disapproval. I don't know why I did that, because it didn't help. And how freaky must that have been...

If you've ever wondered why New Year's resolutions have a way of falling by the wayside so quickly, today's episode might provide some insights (and suggestions on how to avoid the motivation slump). A 2017 study compared the effectiveness of big goals and tiny goals, and found that there was a third option that worked significantly better than either of the two. Learn how to set be...

When it comes to practicing (or exercising or studying, etc.), there are a lot of times when we want to do the right thing...but we don't feel like it. And because feelings often win out, it can be easy to end up procrastinating, delaying, and putting things off. But what if there were a way to make practicing (or working out/studying) more enjoyable? Turns out there's a very crafty way...

We tend to think of laser-like focus as a good thing - but sometimes this can lead to getting stuck obsessing about a particular section of music and working on it over and over, but with no real progress being made. 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...

Self-doubt is something that plagues us all from time to time. Whether it’s a rough semester in school, a trying week with a difficult conductor, or a string of auditions where it feels like we’ve stopped growing and hit a plateau, it can be easy to question our abilities and wonder if we have what it get any further down the path. Conventional wisdom suggests that we have to find a way to elimina...

Jennifer Montone is Principal Horn of The Philadelphia Orchestra, and teaches at teaches at the Curtis Institute of Music and The Juilliard School. Jennifer is an active chamber musician, hs performed as a guest artist or soloist with numerous orchestras, and the recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant, also has a Grammy Award for her performance of the Penderecki Horn Concerto with the Warsaw N...

Most people intuitively assume that the best way to address performance anxiety is to calm down, but research suggests that this may actually result in worse performances (?!). 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 Count...

We are often encouraged to maintain a positive mental attitude. And there are tons of books and blog posts devoted to explaining how important this is as well. 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 menta...

Kim Laskowski has been the associate principal bassoonist of the NY Philharmonic since 2003, winning her position at age 48 - without a prior symphonic background. 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 Ex...

You've probably had teachers who encouraged you to listen to recordings, and one of the Suzuki method's core elements is the importance of listening to recordings. But does this actually help learning? Or is it just one of those things that we do because it sounds like the right thing to do, and we've always done it that way? A 2012 study provides some answers - and additional insig...

Stress and nerves have a tendency to disrupt our memory, but a 2016 study suggests that this isn't inevitable. And that if we integrate a particular kind of practice into the learning and memorization process, we can make our memory more "bulletproof" under pressure.  The Practice Strategy That Could “Bulletproof” Your Memory Under Pressure More from The Bulletproof Musician Get the...

Most musicians (and athletes) have heard of mental practice, and have probably been encouraged to do it. But have you ever been taught *how* to do mental practice? 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...

As common as it is to create practice goals centered around time or repetition (e.g. practice scales for 10 minutes every day), a 2012 study suggests that there could be a better way to set practice goals, that could lead to significantly greater improvements in the same amount of practice time.  The Problem With Time and Repetition-Based Practice Goals (And What to Do Instead) More from The Bulle...

We all know how valuable practice performances and mock auditions can be - but I think it's probably human nature to wait until everything is "ready" before we start recording and playing for others. 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 sh...

Ever wonder what role praise and criticism plays in learning? Like, is there an optimal ratio of positive to negative that seems to work best? 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 comfor...

Ever wish there were a way to be less affected by nerves under pressure. Like, if there could be a flu shot equivalent for nerves to help "inoculate" you to pressure? Researchers have wondered this as well, and a pair of studies suggest that we totally can!  Is It Possible to Increase Your “Immunity” to Nerves? The Research Suggests Yes - And Here’s How to Do It. More from The Bulletproo...

Fear of memory slips is a common issue for many musicians. But I don't know that many of us have ever been taught specifically how to memorize either... 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&q...