The Bulletproof Musician

Ever find yourself stumped by a tricky passage, where your fingers seem to be a little awkward and uncoordinated and they just don't do what they're supposed to do?Maybe you tried slowing things down, or practicing with note groupings or rhythms, or doing your darnedest to identify any hints of hidden tension that might be getting in the way. All of which are excellent things to try, of course - but did you ever try practicing that passage with your other hand?If you have, you know that this is often surprisingly helpful. And if you haven't, I think you'll enjoy adding this new tool to your toolkit. Either way, I think you'll be intrigued to learn more of the how's and why's about this phenomenon, known as bilateral transfer.Get all the nerdy details right here:Improve Coordination With Opposite-Side PracticeMore 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

Nathan Cole, the Boston Symphony Orchestra's concertmaster, shares his two-decade journey through concertmaster auditions. He discusses how to cultivate confidence despite setbacks and the balance between planned and instinctive musical expression. Nathan emphasizes the importance of emotional feedback management and intentional performance techniques, using Brahms’s 4th Symphony as a case study. He also highlights the need for a solid preparation foundation and the challenges in maintaining a personal connection to the music while auditioning.

Whether it's picking a tempo that's too fast, or rushing a shift, it's easy for things to feel sped up on concert days when the adrenaline kicks in, and the butterflies are fluttering about.Is there any way to be a little more centered on stage, and feel more at ease? Rather than hurried and rushed?Today's studies provide a few clues about what we can do in advance, to slow things down and be less antsy on performance days, starting from the time we wake up, through our last moments backstage before it's time to play.Get all the nerdy details here:An Ironic Strategy to Stay Calmer and Avoid Rushing on Performance DaysMore 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 last week's episode, we looked at a study which illustrated how our own beliefs and expectations about ourselves can affect our performance.It turns out that our beliefs and expectations - and subsequently, performance - can also be shaped by our teachers/coaches.So...as teachers, how can we ensure that our natural snap judgments, beliefs, and expectations don't impede our students' learning?A 2008 study of NCAA basketball coaching legend Pat Summitt provides some clues.Get all the nerdy details:How Teachers' Expectations Can Shape Students' Learning & 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

Even from a very early age, I remember being told to imagine things going well. The idea, was that if I could imagine a positive outcome, I'd be more likely to expect good things, which would help me perform better.Is this just something that people say? Or do our expectations really have a meaningful effect on how we perform?A classic 1972 study illustrates the effect that positive or negative expectations can have on performance.Get all the nerdy details here: How Much Do Positive or Negative Expectations Affect Performance?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 probably fairly common for our minds to go on autopilot when we're brushing our teeth, mowing the lawn, or folding laundry. And that's probably not all that big of a problem.But have you ever found your mind going on autopilot in a performance, when you're playing something you've played for years, and it's begun to feel a little too familiar...or even a bit stale?Or maybe this happens in the practice room, when you're working on music that you've already been playing for years or decades?If you've struggled with keeping old music fresh, a 2009 study looks at a strategy that might not only help you stay engaged with this music, but keep the audience more engaged too.Get all the nerdy details here:How to Keep Music Feeling Fresh Through Repeated PerformancesMore 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

Exploring the importance of emotional expression, the discussion highlights how facial reactions can significantly influence audience perceptions during performances. A fascinating study reveals that a musician's first impressions are often shaped by their expressions in the face of mistakes. The conversation raises intriguing questions about the balance between playing well and how visible emotions affect overall impressions. It touches on overcoming performance anxiety and finding joy in practice to truly connect on stage.

How frequently do you take breaks during practice?Ever wonder how long your breaks should be? Or for that matter, how long your practice sessions should be?If you've ever wondered if there's such a thing as an optimal practice-to-rest ratio that maximizes productivity and effective practice, there's some data out there which provides some clues. But the question is...will the data align with your own experience? 😁Get all the nerdy details and this week's practice hack here:What’s the Optimal Practice-To-Rest Ratio?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 writing a paper, studying for finals, or preparing for a recital or audition, have you ever find yourself cramming at the last minute, wishing you had a time machine and could go back and give yourself more time to prepare? Well, a 2002 study provides some clues on how to set better deadlines - and also, how to make self-imposed deadlines work better, if you haven't had much luck with that in the past.Get all the nerdy details here: Is There a Way to Make Self-Imposed Deadlines Work?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

We're often told to listen to recordings of music that we're working on. And we often tell our students to do so as well, but is there any research which suggests that this benefits the learning process in any way? A 2012 study takes a look at this question, and compares both active and passive listening to see what sorts of benefits there might (or might not) be:Get all the nerdy details here:Does Listening to Music Benefit the Music Learning Process?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