The Bulletproof Musician

Mistakes may be inevitable, and there sure are lots of inspirational quotes out there on how important it is to learn from failure... But is that really the best way to learn? Is there any value in l…

Sometimes we don't have the luxury of time, and just have to get new repertoire into our fingers quickly, and up to a playable level asap.

When that's the case, can listening to a recording really he…

Navigating ensemble rehearsals can in many ways be trickier than figuring out how to practice effectively on your own. But it can be so much fun and incredibly rewarding too! Given that many musician…

Ever notice how learning new things seems to get harder (and slower) as you age?

It's not your imagination - but there do seem to be some strategies that could help us offset this a bit.

One is a lea…

Whether it's an upcoming performance, audition, or just life stuff, it can be difficult to stop worrying or ruminating about things that stress you out. But not only does this feel pretty crummy, it …

Getting back into the rhythm of "normal" life is something that I think a lot of folks are grappling with at the moment. And so if your motivation isn't where you'd like it to be, it turns out there …

In this month's conversation, Philadelphia Orchestra principal bassoonist Daniel Matsukawa shares insights on three things to focus on to become a better practicer, how to cultivate not just a good b…

Difficulty getting to sleep and staying asleep seems to be increasingly common in these pandemic times.

Which can not only have a negative on our physical and mental health and ability to learn and i…

Gold medal-winning diver Tom Daley was recently in the news for being spotted knitting in the stands at the Olympics. He said that this was his "secret weapon" for staying calm, managing stress, and …

How many repetitions if a tricky passage is enough to get it securely into "muscle memory?"

Is two perfect repetitions in a row good enough? Is 5 better? 7? Is aiming for 10 just a waste of time and …

Ever wonder what EXACTLY more effective and efficient practicers do differently than the rest of us?

A 2010 basketball study reveals two specific differences in the practice habits of good and bad fr…

Have you ever found it a struggle to take risks and learn effectively in lessons because it feels important to avoid mistakes and get things right? Even if you know your teacher is doing their best t…

We know that spacing one's practice leads to better learning. And that sleep is an important factor in memory consolidation too. So what happens if we combine these two factors in a strategic way? Re…

Have you ever heard it said that trying NOT to think of something only triggers more thoughts of that thing? It makes sense, but is this actually true? And if so, and thought suppression really doesn…

I think we all know that taking short breaks between practice sessions is a good thing. But a recent study suggests that to maximize learning, we also ought to be taking short micro-breaks within eac…

In this episode cellist Natasha Brofsky and violist Roger Tapping share insights on how to approach and practice new repertoire - from whether to begin from the score or a recording, to how to learn …

Have you ever found yourself struggling to quiet those increasing doubts and worries and fears in the last week before a big audition or performance? Where even if you tell yourself you're prepared a…

There are a lot of extrinsic motivators that naturally incentivize students to practice - like parental pressure, not wanting to let teachers down, seating auditions, recitals, competitions, and more…

You're probably familiar with white noise, which you may already be using to help you get to sleep at night. But recent research suggests that it might be worth experimenting with pink noise. Which s…

Having to suddenly transition to teaching online in March 2020 was quite a challenge for many (if not all!) of us. It's looking like we may be able to return to live instruction soon, but this seemed…