The Mind Over Finger Podcast 225 Beyond the Notes – Nikki Chooi on Musicality, Adaptability, and Artistic Growth
May 16, 2025
Nikki Chooi, an acclaimed violinist and concertmaster of both the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, delves into his artistic journey and growth. He emphasizes the importance of balancing precision and expression in performance. Chooi shares techniques for effective practice, including blending slow and fast methods and embracing adaptability. He discusses overcoming perfectionism and building trust in one's process as essential for long-term artistic development. This insightful conversation offers guidance for those in transition or seeking to reconnect with their artistry.
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Finding Natural Fingerings and Bowings
- Nikki Chooi experiments with fingerings and bowings over several practice sessions to find what feels natural and musically effective.
- He emphasizes practicing both slowly for details and at fast tempos to engage different physical and reflexive skills.
Adversity Training for Auditions
- Practice excerpts or difficult passages in uncomfortable or unusual contexts to simulate audition pressure.
- Train to be comfortable with discomfort so you can perform well even under unpredictable conditions.
Develop Self-Trust and Adapt Methods
- Build self-trust by testing and adapting your practice methods instead of relying only on external advice.
- Change approaches if something doesn’t work after a few tries but also allow time to decide if it’s truly unsuitable.