The Bulletproof Musician

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 RoomMore 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

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!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

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 WorksMore 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 wonder what it is that makes great teachers great? Like, are there any commonalities in the pedagogical approaches of renowned teachers?A 2006 analysis of 30 hours of lesson footage of violinist Donald McInnes, oboist Richard Killmer, and pianist Nelita True found 19 common elements in their teaching approach across a range of students, from high school to doctoral level.Click through for all the nerdy details:19 Things That Great Teachers DoMore 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

Have you ever had someone suggest that you "think of your performance as a gift that you are sharing with the audience" as a way to help you calm your nerves before a performance?Did that resonate with you at all? And either way, is there any evidence that reframing performances in such a way would help at all?A 2015 study provides some clues. Learn more in today's episode, or click through for all the nerdy details:How the ‘Gift’ Reframe Could Enhance PerformanceMore 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 find yourself struggling to get a tricky shift or big leap in tune consistently?There are lots of helpful ways to practice and problem-solve such challenges, but there's a method that comes from sports - involving a metronome, believe it or not - that might be helpful to add to your toolbox.How to Nail Shifts and Big Leaps More ConsistentlyMore 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

As a kid, I had a habit of scanning the audience to see if I could catch a glimpse of my mom's reactions to my performance.Generally, she'd be making a frowny sort of face, which didn't feel great then, but I now understand was probably more a look of concern, rather than disapproval.I don't know why I did that, because it didn't help. And how freaky must that have been for the people in the audience? Especially in the vicinity of my mom? Like, what the heck is this kid looking at? Wait...is he looking at me?Anyhow, I mention this because I found a study that reminded me of this old habit. Essentially, a team of researchers found that high and low-anxious folks tend to focus on very different things during a stressful task, and that this difference in attention was associated with either a milder or more severe stress response.With college auditions coming up in the next couple months, this seemed like a particularly relevant tip that could come in pretty handy, whether during the playing bits or interview bits.Get all the nerdy details and this week’s practice hack right here:​How to Keep Anxiety From Spiraling, on Stage and OffMore 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

If you've ever wondered why New Year's resolutions have a way of falling by the wayside so quickly, today's episode might provide some insights (and suggestions on how to avoid the motivation slump).A 2017 study compared the effectiveness of big goals and tiny goals, and found that there was a third option that worked significantly better than either of the two.Learn how to set better goals in the new year with this goal-setting hack:The Best Type of Goals for More Success in the Year AheadMore 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 it comes to practicing (or exercising or studying, etc.), there are a lot of times when we want to do the right thing...but we don't feel like it. And because feelings often win out, it can be easy to end up procrastinating, delaying, and putting things off.But what if there were a way to make practicing (or working out/studying) more enjoyable?Turns out there's a very crafty way to make practicing more enjoyable - while making sure we don't cheat ourselves by making practice easier. Learn how in this week's practice hack, taken from a 2016 study in behavioral economics:A Clever Practice Hack to Make Practicing More EnjoyableMore 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

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 progress being made.How can we avoid this, and approach practicing so that we are able to boost our creative problem-solving abilities and come up with more effective solutions in less time?A 2017 study provides some surprising answers!The Problem With Intense Laser-Like Focus in the Practice RoomMore 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