The Bulletproof Musician

I think we all assume that negative self-talk is bad, but the research is actually somewhat mixed. As in, there are some studies in which negative self-talk is associated with the same or better performance. How could that be? Well, a recent study suggests that the answer may lie in how we respond to this inner critic. And there might be a simple tweak we can make to our inner dialogue that could help us become more resilient in the face of the bully that lives in our head. How to Keep the Critic in Your Head From Wrecking Your Practice SessionMore 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 tried to experiment with random (aka interleaved) practice, but quit, because you weren't sure if you were doing it right? Or worried that you were letting bad habits stay in your hands, because you were moving on to other things too quickly? Clarinetist Christine Carter is back to answer many of the most common questions people encounter in trying to incorporate more interleaved practice into their daily practice routine. Oh, and if the voice in your head is like "what the heck is interleaved practice?", this is going to change your practice week for sure! Why the Progress You Make in the Practice Room Seems to Disappear Overnight - PART 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

Ever send an email to someone, and get a little bummed out (or annoyed) when you never hear back? Research suggests that the way we close our emails can have more of an impact than we realize - and in some pretty surprising and unexpected ways that go beyond whether we get a response or not. An Email Hack That Could Increase the Likelihood of Getting a Reply (and Possibly Make the World a Slightly Better Place for Everyone Too)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

Like many other musicians, perhaps you've recorded your weekly lessons in the past. Or had a parent who recorded them. But given how much time it takes to listen back, how useful is this really? Met timpanist Jason Haaheim explains why he believes recording and transcribing your lessons is essential, and why this can significantly increase the effectiveness of your daily practice. Jason Haaheim: On “Deliberate Lessons” and How to Become a Better Teacher to YourselfMore 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 why some people seem to always be coming up with effective and creative ways to overcome challenges, and some folks get stuck kind of going in circles even though they're putting in a ton of effort and energy? Research suggests that there may be a particular "strategic mindset" (and a few questions) that lends itself to thinking about problems in a more effective, strategic way. And that we could all use this to become more effective problem-solvers both in and out of the practice room. 3 Questions to Ask Yourself That Could Boost the Effectiveness of Your Next Practice SessionMore 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 with motivation and difficulty following through? Whether it's practicing or exercising, research suggests that asking a friend or acquaintance for advice could lead to more success than simply trying to think up strategies to try on our own, without it coming from a friend. Having Difficulty Motivating Yourself to Practice? Research Suggests That Copycatting a Friend Could Help.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

If you've been trying to convince yourself (or your students) to do more self-recording, here's a study that illustrates why this is such a useful practice tool. And also suggests that we might not be quite as good at simultaneously performing and critiquing as we'd like to think. Evidence That You're Probably Not Great at Performing and Critiquing Your Performance at the Same TimeMore 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

Violinist and educator Christian Howes drops by to chat about learning how to improvise, how to overcome overwhelm, connect and collaborate more effectively with a diverse range of other musicians, and hopefully become a better friend to ourselves through it all. Christian Howes: On Overcoming Improvisation Anxiety, Making Technical Practice More Creatively Satisfying, and Becoming a Better Friend to YourselfMore 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

Why is that in some performances, we're totally focused, and the critic in our head leaves us alone, and on other days, it's a total nightmare? Research suggests that it might have a little something to do with what we think about in the moments leading up to the performance, and that we might be able to manage our nerves a little better if we engage in the right sort of mental script backstage. How the Things You Think about Backstage Could Carry over into Your 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

We all naturally react to failure a little differently, but ever wonder what's different about those folks who seem to bounce back more effortlessly from repeated failure? This study provides some pretty fascinating insights, as the researchers explore the differences between what more and less persistent kids say to themselves when they experience failure. How to Talk to Yourself When You’re Having a Bad Practice Day (or Week)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