The Bulletproof Musician

Effective practicers tend to be more motivated, empowered, and persistent, whereas less effective practicers tend to feel more helpless and lower self-efficacy.

But what do they actually do differently?

One of the big differences between better and worse practicers in a 2021 study was the time spent in "non-playing" practice activities. Like, those periods between the playing and repetitions where our fingers aren't moving and making sounds come out of our instruments. 

And what exactly is happening in those quiet moments? Get all the nerdy details  in this week's episode, with links to additional re...

You're probably heard the quote "Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration."

But what do you think? 

Both play some role of course, but which do you think is more important for achieving success - innate ability or effortful training?

What would you say if I said that you might be fooling yourself? Where even if you think that you believe effort and training to be more important, deep down, you might actually favor natural ability over hard work?

Are we all biased against effort without realizing it?

Get a...

Cellist Yumi Kendall has been the assistant principal cellist of the Philadelphia Orchestra since 2004, serves on the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music, co-hosts the Tacet No More podcast with bassist Joseph Conyers, and is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Master of Applied Positive Psychology program.

In this episode, we explore…

We all have a voice in our head, that can sometimes get pretty loud and awfully critical.

Ever wonder where this voice and all that negativity comes from? And why it can suddenly become more critical at certain times more than others?

A 1990 study provides some intriguing clues!

Get all the nerdy details right here:

How to Keep Your Inner Critic From Getting the Better of You

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Have you been feeling a little stuck or stagnant in the practice room? Or has performance anxiety and the gap between...

There's a famous quote attributed to Heifetz (or any number of different folks) - that if I don't practice one day, I know it; two days, the critics know it; three days, the public knows it.

So does that mean that we can't afford to take any days off, if we're truly serious about our craft? And what does it mean if we start to feel burned out and stale?

Well...it could be my imagination, but I swear I once saw a video in which Heifetz said that he always took one day off...

Ever wonder why it's so difficult to do the same thing twice, in exactly the same way?

Like the same exact crescendo or the same exact speed of vibrato?

Do we just need to practice more? Or is there something else involved?

Turns out our brain isn't wired for this kind of consistency. But that's actually a good thing! And it has some interesting implications on how we ought to approach practicing too.

Get all the nerdy details here:

Your Brain Isn’t Built for Consistency - Here’s How...

I think the last couple decades have seen a growing change in the music community, where there's a greater openness to talking about nerves and certain mental health struggles. But one area that isn't yet being talked about so much is trauma.

What is trauma? What "counts" and what doesn't? How does this happen? How does it affect us? How can we know if a student has experienced trauma? Could we unintentionally (and unknowingly) be causing trauma?

To better understand trauma and its intersection with performance, I spoke with Dr. Mitch Abrams - a forensic...

When it comes to motivating students, musicians, or even ourselves, we all wonder: is it better to reward effort — or call out mistakes? It turns out, both approaches can work… but they lead to very different kinds of learning.

Get all the nerdy details here:

Reward vs. Punishment: Which Leads to Faster Learning?

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Have you been feeling a little stuck or stagnant in the practice room? Or has performance anxiety and the gap between practice and performance been a nagging issue that hasn’t changed, no matter how well you've prepared for perfor...

It's hard to be a parent and not worry about one's kids. Especially when it comes to public performances, competitions, or auditions, whether big or small.

But doesn't it feel like sometimes a parents' worry is contagious? Where their stress or worry rubs off on their child, and the kid starts worrying or feeling more pressure as the performance approaches too?

The answer is not to tell your students' parents to chill out and stop worrying, of course. Because that's not likely to happen no matter what you say! 😅

But the research suggests tha...

My daughter and I have been binge-watching past seasons of The Amazing Race for some months now, and the psychology nerd in me has become increasingly fascinated by one particular aspect of the show.

The participants’ self-talk.

As in, what do participants say when they run into a task that feels impossible or beyond their abilities?

“I can’t”

When participants start saying “I can’t,” they often stop trying and appear to be on the verge of quitting altogether. After all, “can’t” is a pretty disempowering word.

The reality of cours...

Ever get that overwhelmed feeling in the practice room? Where you know there’s a ton of work to be done, but you’re not quite sure where to start or what exactly to do?

Maybe you’re not happy with your sound, or your intonation is sketchy, or perhaps it’s one of those days when it feels like everything needs attention?

We only have so much time and energy, so what are we to do?

Flutist Linda Chesis is a soloist, chamber musician, educator, and festival director. She was a student of Jean...

Even from a young age, I was always confused by the relationship between nerves and performance. There were times, for instance, when I’d be nervous and sound pretty terrible. But then there were other times when I’d be nervous and play better than ever. And then there were times when I’d be calm and sound very uninspired and mediocre.

It all felt like a crapshoot, and none of it ever made sense. Like, why were nerves sometimes helpful and sometimes not helpful? Should I be trying harder to calm down? And even if I could...

Somewhere along the line we learn that mistakes are bad, and perfect is good - but what if this is actually not true when it comes to learning?

What if mistakes are actually an essential part of learning? And what if we actually learn faster when we're in a challenge "sweet spot" and playing nowhere near perfectly?

If that were true...where might this sweet spot be?

Get all the nerdy details and learn why you don't want practicing to feel too easy right here:

The 70% Rule...

When you're practicing sight-reading, how difficult should the music be?

Should it be easy enough that you can read it more or less perfectly, without any mistakes?

Should it be difficult enough that you're making lots of mistakes, and feeling really challenged?

Could there a specific "sweet spot" or Goldilocks zone where your sight-reading skills improve at the fastest possible rate?

Get all the nerdy details here:

Sight Reading: The Ideal Error Rate for Optimal Learning

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Have you been feeling a little stuck or stagnant in...

Have you ever found yourself getting irritated or see your performance get derailed by distractions on stage? Maybe it was noises backstage, or movement in the audience, or people coughing and loudly unwrapping candy in the quiet moments?

These distractions often seem like such trivial things, but sometimes, they can take up more space in our thoughts than they ought to, and lead to little slip-ups. Which can be pretty frustrating, lead to more little mistakes, and then begin to send the whole performance into a downward spiral.

Is there any way to become more...

A one-hour lesson can often go by really quickly, but also be packed with lots and lots to remember.

Have you ever found yourself repeating yourself from one week to the next? Having to remind students about things you've already talked about in previous lessons?

If you'd like to help students remember more from their lessons (and other classes too), I think you'll be intrigued by the finding of a 2014 study which compared two approaches to learning, and found one that significantly enhanced students' recall.

Get all the nerdy details here: 

H...

It's human nature to want to be liked and accepted by others. But while some seem to have a knack for it, for many of us, fear of rejection or fear of negative evaluation can get in the way.

Whether it's walking into a room for a job interview or college/grad school audition, playing in a new ensemble for the first time, or meeting your partner's family for the first time, how can we increase our chances of being liked and accepted?

A 2009 study suggests that our mindset could play a role in this.<...

Have you ever had one of those "aha" moments when a solution to a problem spontaneously popped into your head?

Wouldn't it be nice if we could have those moments more often? 

Well, a 2012 study suggests that you may be able to cultivate these kinds of moments and increase your creative problem-solving abilities by taking a short break from the task. But not any old break will do - it has to be a specific type of break!

Get all the nerdy details here:

Stumped by a Problem in the Practice R...

Ever notice how some folks seem to learn faster than others? What’s their secret? Is it just natural ability? Sure, maybe there’s some of that.

But could it also be that they’re doing something different in the practice room? Like is there some sort of newfangled cutting-edge practice strategy they’re using that you’re not?

Well, these faster learners may be doing something quite different than what you’d expect. As a 2014 Harvard study found when they tested a strategy utilized by…birds. 🤔

Get all the nerdy details here:

Perfect Shme...

Ever notice how mean the voice in your head can become on stage? Where it generates YouTube comment section-like levels of criticism and abuse?

Or maybe you haven’t even gotten on stage yet. But as you’re waiting your turn, you overhear the person playing right before you, who sounds amazing? And then the voice suddenly makes you question and doubt everything?

Yeah, the voice that lives in our head is not always such a good friend. But what can we do about it? How can we turn that off when it’s not helpin...

I came across a study years ago which found that fear of negative evaluation was one of the key drivers of performance anxiety in musicians. Which of course makes perfect sense, as we're being evaluated all the time. Often, with meaningful consequences attached.

But that doesn't mean it's helpful - or very pleasant to experience either! So is there anything we can do to be less sensitive to what others around us might be thinking about us? At least in rehearsals, auditions, performances, or even dates for that matter, when it's way more useful for us to...

Have you ever had one of those days on stage where you suddenly can't seem to do a thing that normally is never an issue?

Or maybe it's one of those days where everything just spontaneously falls apart? And for seemingly no reason at all, even though you were as prepared as you've ever been?

Athletes call this "choking." Or the "yips" (which I think is funner to say). There's actually been quite a bit of interesting research on why this happens. And the answer is way more interesting than "nerves" or "pressure."

...

Taking breaks in the middle of practice or study sessions can be a pain. Often, it's a lot easier and more convenient to just power through and get it over with.

But what price do we pay by not spacing out our learning, over multiple days, or with practice or study breaks? Does this really make that much of a difference?

Two studies from the literature suggest that spaced learning can make quite a significant difference, actually. And one study explains why, highlighting the very different things that happen in the brain when we take...

Ever had one of those “I’m a total failure, and I’m never going to be invited to play with these folks again” moments?

In this month’s chat, pianist Orli Shaham shares a deeply personal story about a performance at the Spoleto Festival in Italy, where rehearsals went so badly, that the piece she prepared was pulled from the program. It felt like a “complete failure” at the time, but the experience prompted her to evaluate her preparation process. Which eventually led to one of her career highlights - a performance of John Adams’s first piano conc...

Maybe you've set some goals for the coming year, but you're not quite sure where to start, and feeling a little overwhelmed? Or maybe you have a history of setting goals but not following through?

A 2017 study looked at a "backwards" strategy for goal-setting and found that this increased motivation, follow-through, and actual performance as well!

Get all the nerdy details here:
A Backward Strategy for Enhanced Goal-Setting Success

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Have you been feeling a little stuck or stagnant in the practice room? Or has performance anxiety and the gap between practice...

Are you a little overwhelmed by all of the different year-in-review and goal-setting methods you're getting in your inbox?

If you're confused by the variety and range of approaches out there and just want a bare-bones minimalist option to ensure that you actually do it, a 2006 study of four different goal-setting strategies provides some simple, clear guidelines.

Get all the nerdy details here:
4 Approaches to Goal Setting (And Which Works Best)

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Have you been feeling a little stuck or stagnant in the practice room? Or has performance anxiety and the gap...

Have you ever wondered if there's an advantage to being an extrovert or introvert when it comes to performing?

Well, I'm afraid you're going to have to keep wondering, because I couldn't find a definitive answer one way or the other from the existing research.

But I did find an interesting study of figure skaters, which looked at the impact of *shyness* on performance. It's important to note that being introverted and being shy are NOT the same thing. But could being shy have some effect on how well we're able to perform?

...

“See one, do one, teach one” is a model for learning that’s been utilized in medicine for many generations.

It’s quite a helpful model, but if you’ve ever tried your hand at teaching, you know how incredibly challenging that can be. Often, teaching a skill can be even more difficult that doing the skill itself!

Like, how can we teach a student to be more expressive? How can we ensure each student has a positive emotional connection with the music at each lesson - even if just for a moment? How can we turn st...

Have you ever wondered how much the visual aspect of a performance matters to the listener?

Like, if you were going to enter two competitions, where one required submitting an audio recording and the other required a video recording, which one would you have a better chance of being accepted to? Or would it make any difference at all?

A 2013 study of international competition finalists went viral, when it seemed like the results suggested that how a musician looks on stage matters more than how they sound. But is that really what the study found?<...

Thanksgiving is just a few days away, so whether your holiday will be of the turkey, turducken, or Tofurky variety, the one thing we all have in common is that someone will suggest that we go around the table and share one thing that we're grateful for, just as we're about to eat. 🥹

There are an awful lot of quotes out there about how we ought to count our blessings. And it does sound like a good thing to do. But does this actually do anything?

Get all the nerdy details right here:
Does Cou...

You've heard that mental practice and mental imagery can help enhance your learning - but what if your images are fuzzy and this is difficult for you? Is this something that you can get better at with practice?

Spoiler alert: yes - and a 2014 study provides some insights into a way to improve your mental imagery abilities that might be easier than practicing imagery the regular old-fashioned way. Through a technique called "action observation."

But is action observation as effective as the traditional way of practicing imagery?

Get all the nerdy details, references...

The use of mental practice or mental imagery to enhance learning and performance is extremely common amongst  athletes in sports. And it’s something that musicians like Horowitz, Rubinstein, Glenn Gould, and learners at all levels have been known to use in music as well.

But I’ve had students and professional musicians alike tell me that they sometimes have difficulty making the imagery feel real. Or that they have difficulty staying engaged with it. As in, one minute they’re visualizing some music, and the next, their mind has drifted off to food. Or they fall asleep...

Do optimists have an advantage when it comes to performing better under pressure?

Not necessarily! The research suggests that there are multiple types of pessimism. And that the right kind of pessimism can work too!

Get all the nerdy details at: https://bulletproofmusician.com/not-an-optimist-how-to-make-pessimism-work-for-you/

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Have you been feeling a little stuck or stagnant in the practice room? Or has performance anxiety and the gap between practice and performance been a nagging issue that hasn’t changed, no matter how well you've prepared for performances, auditions - and even lessons?

If...

Can the right sort of breathing really reduce anxiety? The short answer is yes - but why?

A 2017 study illustrates how breathing could help reduce stress/anxiety, another 2017 study explains why, and a 2023 study highlights an unusual breathing technique that's worth trying!

Get all the nerdy details at: https://bulletproofmusician.com/does-just-breathe-really-help-us-lower-anxiety-or-is-it-just-a-total-cliche/

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Have you been feeling a little stuck or stagnant in the practice room? Or has performance anxiety and the gap between practice and performance been a nagging issue that hasn’t changed, no matter how well you've prepared for performances, aud...

Have you ever struggled to maintain a new habit? Like exercising, or recording yourself more often, or transcribing lesson recordings?

A 2013 study found that a strategy called "temptation bundling" could boost your likelihood of sticking with your new behavior.

Click below for all the nerdy details:
Go From Procrastination to Productivity With “Temptation Bundling”

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Have you been feeling a little stuck or stagnant in the practice room? Or has performance anxiety and the gap between practice and performance been a nagging issue that hasn’t changed, no matter how we...

A 2008 study highlights the two ways we often respond to disappointments and setbacks. They both work ok in the short term, but one is more effective in the long term.

So what determines which one we choose? And how can we ensure we choose the approach that is more effective in the long term?

Get all the nerdy details, references, and other links right here:
A Better Way to Bounce Back From Disappointing Setbacks

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Have you been feeling a little stuck or stagnant in the practice room? Or has performance anxiety...

🎓 In this episode, we'll take a look at at 2017 ballet study which suggests that the simple element of choice could dramatically enhance learning outcomes.

🧠 Discover:
- Why giving students control over their learning process leads to improved performance
- How autonomy boosts confidence and happiness in learners

🚀 Whether you're an educator, parent, or lifelong learner, this episode will give you some ideas on how to tweak your approach to teaching and learning.

Get the full article and all the nerdy details:
Why Giving Students Choices Could Dramatically Enhance Learning

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Ever wish you could be psychic for a moment and find out what audition committees are thinking about your performance?

Where they focused more on the technical aspects of your playing? The musical aspects of your playing? Or something else entirely?

A 2022 study (Kegelaers et al.) took a look at feedback provided by members of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra to participants in their academy program in a series of mock auditions, and categorized these comments into 14 categories and 3 main themes.

The results were probably not what the academy fellows were expecting!

...

Research suggests that a short bout of exercise could enhance the effectiveness of your practice, by boosting encoding and memory consolidation.

But...if you were going to try this, when should you exercise? Before practicing? After practicing? For how long? At what level of intensity?

A 2023 study provides some answers!

Click through for all the nerdy details and references:
The Best Time to Exercise for Maximizing Practice Gains

(Oh - and if you’ve settled into a rather sedentary lifestyle in recent years and haven’t exercised in a while, do r...

Let's say you had only 60 minutes to practice in the next week. Would it be better to do 60 minutes all in one day? Or 10 minutes per day for six days?

Would it make any difference at all?

Teachers often tell us to space our practice out, instead of cramming, but how much of a difference does it really make? Two Brazilian studies provide some answers!

Get all the nerdy details (and 500+ other practice tips) right here:
How Important Is It Really to Practice Every Day?

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Have you been feeling...