The Bulletproof Musician

We know it can be really helpful to do practice performances or mock auditions in advance of a high-pressure performance. However, it can be really difficult to simulate the nerves and pressure of a real performance or audition. Because for some, a mock audition feels pretty high-stress. While for others, the experience doesn't even come close.However, there is some research in this area, and a couple studies provide insights on how to create more pressure in mocks and practice performances, and better prepare you for the live experience. Turns out some methods work better than others.Get all the nerdy details and this week’s practice hack right here:​Two Ways to Simulate Performance Pressure (and Which Works Best)Also, if you've been looking for some new tools for enhancing the effectiveness of your practice or performance preparation, and would like to do more performance practice alongside a supportive cohort of other musicians, you may be interested in the live, 5-week Performance Psych Essentials class that begins next weekend. Get all the details here: Performance Psych Essentials* * *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 you’ve been wanting to experience more joy in the practice room and play more like yourself on stage, but haven’t been quite sure how to make that happen, starting June 10, 2025, I’ll be teaching a live, online, accelerated 2-week class on the most essential mental skills and practice strategies that can make a difference in your practicing and performing. We’ll meet twice a week via Zoom and work on a series of exercises and techniques in four essential skill areas (effective practice, managing anxiety, focus, and confidence), together as a group. And to make sure the concepts become consistent habits, I'll show you how to gently integrate these new skills into your (or your students’) daily practice through bite-sized practice challenges alongside a supportive group of practice buddies from around the world. Registration is open now through 11:59pm on Sunday, June 8th. Over 2000 musicians, educators, and students and learners of all ages have participated in the course to date. You can find out what alumni are saying, and sign up to join Cohort 23 at: bulletproofmusician.com/essentials

If you’ve been a listener of this podcast for any period of time, you’ve probably already been influenced by today’s guest without realizing it - namely, performance science researcher Aaron Williamon.Aaron's research has produced influential insights in many different facets of a musician's life, from effective practice and performance preparation, to managing nerves, optimizing focus, musician health, technology and recording, and even the importance of how we present ourselves visually on stage.Whether you’re interested in practicing more effectively, looking for ways to tweak your preparation for an upcoming audition, or wondering how to help your students have a more positive and empowering experience on stage, I’ll bet my next box of Weetabix that you’ll take away some new details from today’s episode that will change some facet of your practice in the week ahead. The episode will also make you think more generally about the role (and value) of music in society, if you’ve had questions about that in recent years…Get all the nerdy details and this week's practice hacks below (there’s also a transcript with timestamps if you’d like to jump right to a few key points of interest):​Aaron Williamon: On Becoming a Better, Happier, and Healthier Musician* * *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 you’ve been wanting to experience more joy in the practice room and play more like yourself on stage, but haven’t been quite sure how to make that happen, starting June 10, 2025, I’ll be teaching a live, online, accelerated 2-week class on the most essential mental skills and practice strategies that can make a difference in your practicing and performing. We’ll meet twice a week via Zoom and work on a series of exercises and techniques in four essential skill areas (effective practice, managing anxiety, focus, and confidence), together as a group. And to make sure the concepts become consistent habits, I'll show you how to gently integrate these new skills into your (or your students’) daily practice through bite-sized practice challenges alongside a supportive group of practice buddies from around the world. Registration is open now through 11:59pm on Sunday, June 8th. Over 2000 musicians, educators, and students and learners of all ages have participated in the course to date. You can find out what alumni are saying, and sign up to join Cohort 23 at: bulletproofmusician.com/essentials

We spend a lot of time and energy avoiding mistakes in the practice room and on stage. And we work super hard to make sure our students avoid doing things the "wrong way" too. But what if that's actually holding us back?A 2008 study suggests that if you do things the "wrong way" the right way, you might actually be able to accelerate learning pretty dramatically. Wait, what?!Get all the nerdy details here (and be sure to read the full study - or at least the Discussion section - for key details on how to get the most out of this counterintuitive strategy): How Intentional Errors Could Accelerate Learning* * *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 you’ve been wanting to experience more joy in the practice room and play more like yourself on stage, but haven’t been quite sure how to make that happen, starting June 10, 2025, I’ll be teaching a live, online, accelerated 2-week class on the most essential mental skills and practice strategies that can make a difference in your practicing and performing. We’ll meet twice a week via Zoom and work on a series of exercises and techniques in four essential skill areas (effective practice, managing anxiety, focus, and confidence), together as a group. And to make sure the concepts become consistent habits, I'll show you how to gently integrate these new skills into your (or your students’) daily practice through bite-sized practice challenges alongside a supportive group of practice buddies from around the world. Registration is open now through 11:59pm on Sunday, June 8th. Over 2000 musicians, educators, and students and learners of all ages have participated in the course to date. You can find out what alumni are saying, and sign up to join Cohort 23 at: bulletproofmusician.com/essentials

Ever notice how it's easy to be optimistic about an audition or performance a month or two out, but things feel much different when the big day is now just one or two weeks away? Let alone one or two days?Willing ourselves to adopt a more positive, self-affirming, performance-enhancing headspace takes some effort. So it can be easier to just let our thoughts naturally turn to the dark side in the days, hours, or minutes before a performance.But a 2017 study (Westgate et al., 2017) identified a simple strategy that can make it easier to stay in a better headspace when we need it most. And all you need is your phone or a 3x5 notecard.Get all the nerdy details here:How to Stay in a More Positive Headspace Before Performances* * *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 you’ve been wanting to experience more joy in the practice room and play more like yourself on stage, but haven’t been quite sure how to make that happen, starting June 10, 2025, I’ll be teaching a live, online, accelerated 2-week class on the most essential mental skills and practice strategies that can make a difference in your practicing and performing. We’ll meet twice a week via Zoom and work on a series of exercises and techniques in four essential skill areas (effective practice, managing anxiety, focus, and confidence), together as a group. And to make sure the concepts become consistent habits, I'll show you how to gently integrate these new skills into your (or your students’) daily practice through bite-sized practice challenges alongside a supportive group of practice buddies from around the world. Registration is open now through 11:59pm on Sunday, June 8th. Over 2000 musicians, educators, and students and learners of all ages have participated in the course to date. You can find out what alumni are saying, and sign up to join Cohort 23 at: bulletproofmusician.com/essentials

If you ever watched the show Friends, you might remember the episode where Phoebe stayed on hold for two days with her phone company, because every time she was about to hang up, the voice on the other end would tell her "you're the next caller" and she didn't want to give up right before she might finally get to speak to a live representative.Have you ever had a similar sort of day in the practice room? Where you keep working on the same thing over and over again, without much to show for your efforts, but can't bring yourself to move on because of a hope that things might finally start to click if you just keep at it a tiny bit longer?Turns out that taking a particular kind of break might be just what you need to spark new ideas and find more effective solutions to that passage. Learn why, and how to use a "creative pause" to get unstuck and solve that tricky passage that has you stumped.Get Unstuck in the Practice Room With a “Creative Pause”* * *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 you’ve been wanting to experience more joy in the practice room and play more like yourself on stage, but haven’t been quite sure how to make that happen, starting June 10, 2025, I’ll be teaching a live, online, accelerated 2-week class on the most essential mental skills and practice strategies that can make a difference in your practicing and performing. We’ll meet twice a week via Zoom and work on a series of exercises and techniques in four essential skill areas (effective practice, managing anxiety, focus, and confidence), together as a group. And to make sure the concepts become consistent habits, I'll show you how to gently integrate these new skills into your (or your students’) daily practice through bite-sized practice challenges alongside a supportive group of practice buddies from around the world. Registration is open now through 11:59pm on Sunday, June 8th. Over 2000 musicians, educators, and students and learners of all ages have participated in the course to date. You can find out what alumni are saying, and sign up to join Cohort 23 at: bulletproofmusician.com/essentials

A few weeks ago, my dog herniated a disk. He could barely sit, let alone walk and squat to do his business.The vet gave him some drugs (apparently dogs take codeine?!), and told us that he needed to be kept in his crate, pretty much 24/7 for the next few weeks, to allow his spine to heal.For the first week or so, it seemed like nothing was changing, and we began to worry - what do we do if this is how he is for the rest of his life? But one day, suddenly, he had a smidge more pep in his step. The next day, things were better still. And he has continued to improve with each passing day.Umm...and what does this have to do with music?Well, have you ever had one of those days (or weeks), where nothing seems to be improving, and you start to wonder if the real problem is simply a lack of ability or talent?It's easy for our mind to go there, but often, the issue is more a matter of having patience - and taking comfort in the knowledge that you're practicing the right way.And how do you know if you're practicing the right way?Whether it's learning how to play fast, be more in tune, nail those tricky shifts, or become a more expressive player, cellist Hans Jørgen Jensen shares insights on how to approach these issues in your daily practice.Hans Jørgen Jensen: On Practicing With the Mind, Not Just the Fingers* * *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 you’ve been wanting to experience more joy in the practice room and play more like yourself on stage, but haven’t been quite sure how to make that happen, starting June 10, 2025, I’ll be teaching a live, online, accelerated 2-week class on the most essential mental skills and practice strategies that can make a difference in your practicing and performing. We’ll meet twice a week via Zoom and work on a series of exercises and techniques in four essential skill areas (effective practice, managing anxiety, focus, and confidence), together as a group. And to make sure the concepts become consistent habits, I'll show you how to gently integrate these new skills into your (or your students’) daily practice through bite-sized practice challenges alongside a supportive group of practice buddies from around the world. Registration is open now through 11:59pm on Sunday, June 8th. Over 2000 musicians, educators, and students and learners of all ages have participated in the course to date. You can find out what alumni are saying, and sign up to join Cohort 23 at: bulletproofmusician.com/essentials

Praising a student is easy. Giving critical feedback can be much tougher.I mean, how can we call their attention to the things that don't sound great, while still building up their confidence?Are feedback sandwiches (praise-criticism-praise) the answer? Or do we just praise their efforts? Or compliment mediocre work anyway?A 2014 study provides some clues, and highlights one specific ingredient that is important to include in whatever feedback we give students, that could make them feel more empowered and likely to not only accept our feedback but act on it too.Get all the nerdy details: How to Give Students Critical Feedback Without Crushing Their Confidence* * *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 you’ve been wanting to experience more joy in the practice room and play more like yourself on stage, but haven’t been quite sure how to make that happen, starting June 10, 2025, I’ll be teaching a live, online, accelerated 2-week class on the most essential mental skills and practice strategies that can make a difference in your practicing and performing. We’ll meet twice a week via Zoom and work on a series of exercises and techniques in four essential skill areas (effective practice, managing anxiety, focus, and confidence), together as a group. And to make sure the concepts become consistent habits, I'll show you how to gently integrate these new skills into your (or your students’) daily practice through bite-sized practice challenges alongside a supportive group of practice buddies from around the world. Registration is open now through 11:59pm on Sunday, June 8th. Over 2000 musicians, educators, and students and learners of all ages have participated in the course to date. You can find out what alumni are saying, and sign up to join Cohort 23 at: bulletproofmusician.com/essentials

Have you ever had one of those moments in the practice room, where you suddenly notice that physically, you've been going through the motions for the last couple minutes, but mentally, you've been spacing out or thinking about something else entirely?It might mean that you could use a quick nap, practice break, or even a drink of water (yep, there's a study on that!) to clear your head. But it could also be that you've just got a lot of stuff on your to-do list competing for your time and attention.Jotting down these tasks on a to-do list can help - but a 2011 study found that this may not be enough to stop them from randomly popping into your thoughts and being a distraction. Luckily, the researchers also found a simple technique that can help to increase your focus in the moment!Get all the nerdy details and this week’s practice hack right here:​How to Increase Your Focus in the Practice Room* * *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 you’ve been wanting to experience more joy in the practice room and play more like yourself on stage, but haven’t been quite sure how to make that happen, starting June 10, 2025, I’ll be teaching a live, online, accelerated 2-week class on the most essential mental skills and practice strategies that can make a difference in your practicing and performing. We’ll meet twice a week via Zoom and work on a series of exercises and techniques in four essential skill areas (effective practice, managing anxiety, focus, and confidence), together as a group. And to make sure the concepts become consistent habits, I'll show you how to gently integrate these new skills into your (or your students’) daily practice through bite-sized practice challenges alongside a supportive group of practice buddies from around the world. Registration is open now through 11:59pm on Sunday, June 8th. Over 2000 musicians, educators, and students and learners of all ages have participated in the course to date. You can find out what alumni are saying, and sign up to join Cohort 23 at: bulletproofmusician.com/essentials

I actually never got into coffee myself. Not for any health or philosophical reason, but because I'm not a fan of hot liquids in general (is that weird?).I can certainly appreciate the appeal of having something to boost your energy and get you through those mid-afternoon slumps. But what if there was a better way to not only get through the day but also increase the effectiveness of your practice, while improving learning and performance?A 2008 study suggests that napping may be a better way to go for maximal practice gains, as caffeine might actually impair learning. Eek! 😳Get all the nerdy details right here:​Boost Learning and Performance With Naps, Not Coffee!* * *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 you’ve been wanting to experience more joy in the practice room and play more like yourself on stage, but haven’t been quite sure how to make that happen, starting June 10, 2025, I’ll be teaching a live, online, accelerated 2-week class on the most essential mental skills and practice strategies that can make a difference in your practicing and performing. We’ll meet twice a week via Zoom and work on a series of exercises and techniques in four essential skill areas (effective practice, managing anxiety, focus, and confidence), together as a group. And to make sure the concepts become consistent habits, I'll show you how to gently integrate these new skills into your (or your students’) daily practice through bite-sized practice challenges alongside a supportive group of practice buddies from around the world. Registration is open now through 11:59pm on Sunday, June 8th. Over 2000 musicians, educators, and students and learners of all ages have participated in the course to date. You can find out what alumni are saying, and sign up to join Cohort 23 at: bulletproofmusician.com/essentials

It's often said that "perfect practice makes perfect," but what does "perfect practice" actually look like? Does it mean what it sounds like it means? And is the saying even true, anyhow?Researcher Robert Duke has been studying learning for decades, and has conducted a number of studies specifically in the area of music learning and teaching. In today's episode, he shares many of the insights he's gained over the years, and dispels some common misunderstandings about learning, which have direct implications on how we practice and teach.Whether it's the role of mistake-making in learning, whether advanced players make more or fewer mistakes than less-experienced players, what professionals and students do differently in the practice room, and the potential value of limiting the number of repetitions you allow yourself to do, I think you'll find at least one new thing in today's episode that will change how you approach practicing in the upcoming week.Get all the nerdy details here:Robert Duke: On the Value of Errors, and How Learning Really Works* * *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 you’ve been wanting to experience more joy in the practice room and play more like yourself on stage, but haven’t been quite sure how to make that happen, starting June 10, 2025, I’ll be teaching a live, online, accelerated 2-week class on the most essential mental skills and practice strategies that can make a difference in your practicing and performing. We’ll meet twice a week via Zoom and work on a series of exercises and techniques in four essential skill areas (effective practice, managing anxiety, focus, and confidence), together as a group. And to make sure the concepts become consistent habits, I'll show you how to gently integrate these new skills into your (or your students’) daily practice through bite-sized practice challenges alongside a supportive group of practice buddies from around the world. Registration is open now through 11:59pm on Sunday, June 8th. Over 2000 musicians, educators, and students and learners of all ages have participated in the course to date. You can find out what alumni are saying, and sign up to join Cohort 23 at: bulletproofmusician.com/essentials