The Bulletproof Musician

Navigating ensemble rehearsals can in many ways be trickier than figuring out how to practice effectively on your own. But it can be so much fun and incredibly rewarding too! Given that many musicians are returning to ensemble rehearsals after many months away, I thought I'd ask cellist and Cavani Quartet founding member Merry Peckham to share some of her insights on effective rehearsal techniques, score study, and how to not turn on each other in your next rehearsal! Merry Peckham: On Rehearsing, Performing, and Growing as a Musician (And Person!) in Chamber MusicMore 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 notice how learning new things seems to get harder (and slower) as you age? It's not your imagination - but there do seem to be some strategies that could help us offset this a bit. One is a learning "metastrategy" simply called the "Five-Step Strategy" and has been shown to enhance learning in both young adults and older learners (~65 years) as well! A 5-Step Strategy for Enhanced Motor Skill Learning (Especially if You're an Older Learner!)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

Whether it's an upcoming performance, audition, or just life stuff, it can be difficult to stop worrying or ruminating about things that stress you out. But not only does this feel pretty crummy, it prolongs the stress response as well. A recent meta-analysis looked through 10,000+ studies, and identified seven strategies that seemed to be the most effective in not only stopping worries and rumination, but contributed to better health outcomes as well. Having Difficulty Turning Off the Worries? Here Are the Strategies That Research Suggests May Work Best.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

Getting back into the rhythm of "normal" life is something that I think a lot of folks are grappling with at the moment. And so if your motivation isn't where you'd like it to be, it turns out there might be an interesting motivation "hack" that may help increase your chances of getting things done, and possibly even put you in a slightly more positive headspace too. Feeling a Bit Down and Unmotivated? This Motivation Hack Might Help You Get More Done and Perk Up a Bit.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

In this month's conversation, Philadelphia Orchestra principal bassoonist Daniel Matsukawa shares insights on three things to focus on to become a better practicer, how to cultivate not just a good but a GREAT sound, and much more! Daniel Matsukawa: On Cultivating a Great Sound, and Three Components of Becoming a Better PracticerMore 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

Difficulty getting to sleep and staying asleep seems to be increasingly common in these pandemic times. Which can not only have a negative on our physical and mental health and ability to learn and improve in the practice room, but can also just be plain annoying and frustrating too. If you're tired of tossing and turning and clock-watching, the serial diverse imaging or "cognitive shuffle" strategy might be worth a try! Difficulty Getting to Sleep? Try “Serial Diverse Imaging” - a Crafty Way to Trick Your Brain Into Going to Sleep.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

Gold medal-winning diver Tom Daley was recently in the news for being spotted knitting in the stands at the Olympics. He said that this was his "secret weapon" for staying calm, managing stress, and staying in a better headspace before competing. Does he know something we don't? Could knitting be a viable strategy for managing pre-competition stress? There is actually a tiny bit of research on this, and that's what we'll take a look at in today's episode. Wish You Could Be Less Stressed on Concert Days? Try This Unexpected Activity, Used by an Olympic Gold Medalist (and Grandmothers Everywhere 🙂)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

How many repetitions if a tricky passage is enough to get it securely into "muscle memory?" Is two perfect repetitions in a row good enough? Is 5 better? 7? Is aiming for 10 just a waste of time and energy? Research on "overlearning" provides some clues on how many repetitions might be "enough." Adequate Learning Vs Overlearning: How Many Repetitions Is Enough?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

Ever wonder what EXACTLY more effective and efficient practicers do differently than the rest of us? A 2010 basketball study reveals two specific differences in the practice habits of good and bad free throw shooters. Differences that can totally be applied to music as well. Two Things Experts Do Differently Than Non-Experts When PracticingMore 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 found it a struggle to take risks and learn effectively in lessons because it feels important to avoid mistakes and get things right? Even if you know your teacher is doing their best to foster a safe environment? Director and choreographer Ann Bergeron explains how her experience training her dogs through positive reinforcement methods led to changes in her approach to teaching her dance students - and how perhaps we can all borrow a few things from those who teach our furry friends (wait...what?!). Ann Bergeron: On Facilitating a More Positive Learning Experience, More Effective Skill Acquisition, and More Creative ArtistsMore 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