The Bulletproof Musician

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 pro…

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 st…

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 performe…

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 …

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 ke…

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…

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 learnin…

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 memorizatio…

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 men…

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 …

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.

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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…

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…

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 …

Eliminating nerves, or staying positive and turning your inner critic into an optimist can be difficult, frustrating, and exhausting.

But what if we didn't have to? What if there were another way, ano…

There are quite a few studies that have looked at the practice habits of top performers, but there are few that have looked at the practice habits of the top performers who also improve at the greate…

Ever wonder why ear training is such an emphasis in the standard music curriculum? How important is it that we be good at it? What does it actually help us with?

A 2004 study of pianists provides some…

Turns out what we think about right before we start playing can have a significant effect on how well we perform! So if your brain tends to suddenly imagine worst-case scenarios, or blank out, or get…

Could clutter be affecting your ability to focus in the practice room? Research suggests that it could - and potentially affecting your learning as well!

 If You Have Difficulty Staying Focused While …

Ever find yourself reacting negatively to certain pieces or orchestral excerpts, not because you can't play it, but because there's still some mental or emotional "baggage" lingering in the backgroun…