The Bulletproof Musician

A pianist's teacher once advised them to forget everything learned, encouraging a trust in instincts over overthinking. The discussion contrasts internal focus during practice with external focus when performing, highlighting how pre-performance body awareness might lead to choking. A fascinating study reveals that switching from internal to external focus can boost performance, offering musicians practical cues for better execution. This mental shift aims to enhance confidence and freedom on stage.

Explore the fascinating intersection of performance anxiety and psychology. A recent study reveals tailored mental strategies significantly aid anxious performers. Highlights include effective techniques like pre-performance routines and acclimatization training. Discover how bi-weekly coaching led to lower heart rates, reduced anxiety, and increased confidence among participants. The discussion offers hope and actionable insights for those struggling with performance nerves. Tune in for practical tips that could change the way you approach performing!

Staying in a good mental and emotional state before performances is critical to playing up to our abilities when it counts. And we're probably going to be less likely to shy away from performance opportunities too, if we have more control over how we feel in the leadup to auditions and concerts.But how does one do this? What can we do in the hours and minutes before a performance to get into a good headspace?Get all the nerdy details here:How to Get Your Mind in the Right Place Before Going On StageReferencesWatanabe, A., Kondoh, S., Samma, T., & Fujii, S. (2025). Enhanced subjective performance achievement in wind instrument playing through positive memory recall: effects of sympathetic activation and emotional valence. Frontiers in Psychology, 16. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1544069Registration begins soon! (9.21.2025 - 9.28.2025)Performance Psych Essentials: Work on practicing more effectively and performing more optimally alongside a global cohort of musicians, educators, and learners of all ages. Live 4-week class begins soon! (October 5 - November 2)More from The Bulletproof Musician Get the free weekly newsletter, for more nerdy details and bonus subscriber-only content. Pressure Proof: A free 7-day performance practice crash course that will help you shrink the gap between the practice room and the stage. Learning Lab: A continuing education community where musicians and learners are putting research into practice. Live and self-paced courses

When you think of practicing your instrument, what are some of the first words that come to mind? Are the words “fun” or “playful” anywhere on your list? 🤣For most of my life, practicing felt an awful lot like memorizing my multiplication tables. A lot of mind-numbing repetition, and not much fun.We know that mindless drudgery doesn’t make for very effective learning, of course - but what is the alternative? What might more playful practice actually look like?Enter today’s guest, Graham Fitch. He’s a pianist, but the ideas and concepts that he shares with us in today’s chat can be applied or translated to any instrument.So if you haven’t been learning music or improving overall as quickly as you would like, or your practice has felt stale or stagnant, I think today’s episode will help to revitalize your practice and scooch it a few notches in the direction of fun. 😜Get all the nerdy details on memorization, slow practice, fast practice, metronome practice, hands together vs. separate and more, in this month's episode:​Graham Fitch: On Playful Practice and Muscle Memory You Can TrustAdditional ResourcesGraham mentioned chaining and interleaved practice. Here's more on both of those concepts.How to do chaining: Jason Sulliman: On Why Fast, At-Tempo Practice Can Be More Efficient and Effective Than Slow PracticeHow to do interleaved practice: Why the Progress You Make in the Practice Room Seems to Disappear OvernightMore from The Bulletproof Musician Get the free weekly newsletter, for more nerdy details and bonus subscriber-only content. Pressure Proof: A free 7-day performance practice crash course that will help you shrink the gap between the practice room and the stage. Learning Lab: A continuing education community where musicians and learners are putting research into practice. Live and self-paced courses

Ever worry that excellent performance might not be “good enough?” And maybe you've assumed that aiming for perfection is a safer bet? You’re not alone, for what it's worth! But it's always interesting to get some actual data on this sort of thing, so a team of researchers conducted a series of studies to see if striving for perfection had benefits beyond aiming for excellence. The results might surprise you.Get all the nerdy details:Does Aiming for Perfection Actually Hurt Performance?Additional resourcesRobert Duke: On the Value of Errors and How Learning Really WorksHow to Use Positive “Trigger Words” for More Expressive PerformancesIs There a “Best” Way to Teach Students to Play Expressively?ReferencesGaudreau, P., Schellenberg, B. J. I., Gareau, A., Kljajic, K., & Manoni-Millar, S. (2022). Because excellencism is more than good enough: On the need to distinguish the pursuit of excellence from the pursuit of perfection. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 122(6), 1117–1145. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000411Gaudreau, P. (2019). On the distinction between personal standards perfec- tionism and excellencism: A theory elaboration and research agenda. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 14(2), 197–215. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691618797940More from The Bulletproof Musician Get the free weekly newsletter, for more nerdy details and bonus subscriber-only content. Pressure Proof: A free 7-day performance practice crash course that will help you shrink the gap between the practice room and the stage. Learning Lab: A continuing education community where musicians and learners are putting research into practice. Live and self-paced courses

There are a lot of reasons why someone might decide to quit music at some point along the way. But could performance anxiety be one of them?Indeed, performance anxiety can feel pretty uncomfortable! And it’s one thing if we still sound pretty good on stage regardless, and have a positive experience of performing overall. But when we get nervous and sound like just a shell of ourselves in performance, it could make us wonder why we keep putting ourselves up there...So I was intrigued by a 2025 study which looked to see if deliberate practice might play a role in this equation between performance anxiety and performance success and thoughts about quitting. Check out the episode to see what they discovered!Additional linksDeliberate practiceSelf-regulated learningPractice That Sticks (self-paced course)ReferencesHash, P. M. (2021). Student Retention in School Bands and Orchestras: A Literature Review. Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, 40(3), 11-19. https://doi.org/10.1177/87551233211042585Hatfield, J. L., & Williamon, A. (2025). Competitiveness and performance anxiety as predictors of performance success and intent to quit playing: deliberate practice as mediator and moderator. Music Education Research, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/14613808.2025.2543376Hernández, S. O., Zarza-Alzugaray, F. J., & Casanova, O. (2018). Music performance anxiety. Substance use and career abandonment in Spanish music students. International Journal of Music Education, 36(3), 460–472. https://doi.org/10.1177/0255761418763903Zimmerman, B. J. (2002). Becoming a Self-Regulated Learner: An Overview. Theory Into Practice, 41(2), 64–70. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15430421tip4102_2More from The Bulletproof Musician Get the free weekly newsletter, for more nerdy details and bonus subscriber-only content. Pressure Proof: A free 7-day performance practice crash course that will help you shrink the gap between the practice room and the stage. Learning Lab: A continuing education community where musicians and learners are putting research into practice. Live and self-paced courses

Worrying is never much fun, but it’s especially not fun in the leadup to a performance or audition. And even more so when we get stuck in a “worry loop” and can’t seem to get ourselves out of it.It’s a little like the time my family visited Paris when I was a kid, and my dad got stuck in the roundabout around the Arc de Triomphe. I don’t know how long we drove around and around, but I do know that I fell asleep at some point, and when I woke up, we were still looping around. 🤣🥲So what causes these worry loops? And is there a way to stay in a better headspace in the leadup to performances?Additional LinksDavid Juncos & Elvire de Paiva e Pona: On ACT and a New Approach to Overcoming Performance AnxietyA Simple Strategy for Reducing Worries and Practicing With More FocusReferencesDavey, G. C., Eldridge, F., Drost, J., & MacDonald, B. A. (2006). What ends a worry bout? An analysis of changes in mood and stop rule use across the catastrophising interview task. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 45(6), 1231–1243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2006.08.024Davey, G. C., & Meeten, F. (2016). The perseverative worry bout: A review of cognitive, affective and motivational factors that contribute to worry perseveration. Biological Psychology, 121, 233–243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2016.04.003More from The Bulletproof Musician Get the free weekly newsletter, for more nerdy details and bonus subscriber-only content. Pressure Proof: A free 7-day performance practice crash course that will help you shrink the gap between the practice room and the stage. Learning Lab: A continuing education community where musicians and learners are putting research into practice. Live and self-paced courses

Are you a regular napper? Or maybe not such a fan?Either way, given that today is National Lazy Day, I thought it would be the perfect time to look at a couple studies which suggest that naps could play a significant role in accelerating the learning of physical skills.Check out the episode for all the nerdy details about how long of a nap might be best and who perhaps should not try this.ReferencesMilner, C. E., Fogel, S. M., & Cote, K. A. (2006). Habitual napping moderates motor performance improvements following a short daytime nap. Biological Psychology, 73(2), 141–156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2006.01.015Morita, Y., Ogawa, K., & Uchida, S. (2016). Napping after complex motor learning enhances juggling performance. Sleep Science, 9(2), 112–116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.slsci.2016.04.002More from The Bulletproof Musician Get the free weekly newsletter, for more nerdy details and bonus subscriber-only content. Pressure Proof: A free 7-day performance practice crash course that will help you shrink the gap between the practice room and the stage. Learning Lab: A continuing education community where musicians and learners are putting research into practice. Live and self-paced courses

Ignasi Cambra, a renowned concert pianist and educator from Spain, opens up about the unique challenges blind musicians face in learning and performing music. He discusses the intriguing nuances of Braille music notation and how tactile methods influence interpretation. Cambra also shares insights on mastering memorization through mental clarity, emphasizing personal expression over perfection. With a refreshing perspective, he encourages musicians to embrace freedom in their performances, transforming mistakes into opportunities for genuine artistry.

Delve into a fascinating debate on whether musicians should prioritize technical skills or expressiveness in their practice. Discover insights from a study examining how introducing expressiveness early can boost emotional impact in performances. Explore the unique challenges artists face transitioning from practice to the stage and learn about resources to manage performance anxiety effectively. Also, find out how to assess your mental skills to improve your performance consistency.