The Bulletproof Musician

Ever have one of those days in the practice room, where as soon as you fix one issue, another problem pops up? And just when you think you have that problem solved, the original thing "breaks" again? And when you try to think about both of those things, a third issue emerges?This practice room whack-a-mole problem can be kind of frustrating. But it speaks to how difficult it can be to keep multiple things in mind simultaneously when the various parts of a new skill aren't yet in muscle memory.Is there any way around this? Well, a 2010 study provides some helpful clues!Get all the nerdy details here:A Better Way to Learn, Teach, and Perform New Skills?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

Do you tend to play with your eyes open? Or do you sometimes close them? Ever wonder if there might be any performance benefit to performing with eyes closed?Turns out there might be - in certain circumstances.Get all the nerdy details here:Is It Better to Perform With Eyes Open or Closed?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

I remember my teacher saying to me quite early on in my studies, that her job was not to tell me what to do, but to teach me how to teach myself.I think we all have that goal in our teaching, but like many things, this is often easier said than done. I mean, how exactly do we teach someone how to teach themself?In a 2011 study, researchers recruited six music teachers and 45 students, and evaluated a teaching method that does exactly this. They were curious to see if it would lead to better learning and performance results than the "regular" teaching approach.Spoiler alert: it did. Click below for all the nerdy details: A Teaching Method That Creates Smarter PracticersReferencesBathgate, M., Sims‐Knight, J., & Schunn, C. (2011). Thoughts on Thinking: Engaging novice music students in metacognition. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 26(3), 403–409. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.1842More 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

You know how people say that little kids don’t have a filter? How they just blurt out whatever thoughts pop into their minds?Well, the voice in our head can kind of be like that unfiltered 1st grader. Because we often say some rather unkind and borderline abusive things to ourselves quite automatically.We might not truly believe the mean and discouraging thoughts we think to ourselves - at least at first. But if you’ve ever found yourself struggling with confidence, and started questioning yourself, and wondering if maybe your inner critic was right, you’re not alone.A 1977 study (it’s an oldie, but goodie) explains why this happens - and gives us some clues on how we might interrupt the automatic habit that often undermines our confidence.Get all the nerdy details here:The Subtle Habit That Might Be Undermining Your ConfidenceMore 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

For most of my life, even through college and grad school, regular ol' repetition was probably my most-utilized learning strategy whether I was studying for a test or practicing for my next lesson or performance.If you've gone through stages like this, you probably remember that this approach is not particularly enjoyable, and is also quite time-consuming. And pretty demotivating too, when you don't get the grade you want or perform as well as you'd like.You're probably utilizing more effective learning strategies nowadays, but there's an interesting mindset shift that can make a big difference in your learning and retention, that you may not yet have in your toolbox. And no, it's not the growth mindset, if that's what you were thinking! It's something else entirely. 😁Get all the nerdy details and links to related articles right here: Learn More Effectively with This Lesser-Known Mindset ShiftMore 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 procrastinate on things from time to time. And sometimes we pay the price for doing things at the last minute. But then there are times when it actually seems to work out pretty well!So is procrastination all bad? Or could there be a productive and unproductive sort of procrastination?Well, the research seems to suggest that the answer could be...yes?Get all the nerdy details and find out how to know if you're the "good" or "bad" kind of procrastinator: Are You the “Good” or “Bad” Kind of Procrastinator?Also, I mention spaced, interleaved, and variable practice at the end of the episode. If you're wondering what those things are, you can learn more about them here:The Learning-Performance Distinction and Why Your Practice Gains Don't StickMore 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

This episode is sponsored by Musician's Maintenance - safe, simple, maintenance exercises that specifically address the muscle groups that matter most for musicians.* * *When I was first starting out on the violin, I remember there were more fun games and practice challenges involved in my daily practice. Like free improvisation. Or playing with various weights and stuffed animals clipped to my bow.And then at some point, practice became much more "serious." Where the goal was to play things correctly. And to practice the same thing over and over, not just until I could get it right, but as the saying goes, until I couldn't get it wrong.But is this really the most efficient and effective approach to get to the consistency that we ultimately want on stage? Or is there a better way? (spoiler alert: there is 😁)Get all the nerdy details here: Why Practicing for Consistency May Be Less Effective Than You’d ThinkMore 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 the age-old debate about nature vs. nurture, I know the correct answer for most things is that it's a blend of both.But sight-reading, at least for me, always felt like one of those things which leaned more on the nature side than nurture. Some folks just seem to have a knack for it, while I always struggled.But what does the research say? Could I have gotten better at sight reading if I applied myself more diligently? And what would that have even looked like anyways? Are there specific things that I could have worked on, that would have made me a better sight reader?A 2014 meta-analysis provides some clues and pinpoints a few specific skills that could help you improve your sight-reading ability as well.Get all the nerdy details right here:Are Great Sight-Readers Born or Made?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

Michael Bridge, a virtuoso accordionist recognized as one of CBC's 30 Under 30 classical musicians, shares his journey from childhood accordion adventures to a successful career. He dives into the art of expressive versus impressive virtuosity, emphasizing how to connect technical skill with emotional depth. Listeners will discover techniques for creating compelling phrases, the significance of warm-ups, and the impact of audience interaction on live performances. Bridge’s insights illuminate the path to becoming a more expressive musician.

Everyone seems to be pretty good about staying hydrated nowadays with the popularity of reusable water bottles and a growing number of public water refilling stations in schools, airports, etc.But how much of a difference does hydration make when it comes to practicing and performing more effectively? How exactly might we benefit from being better hydrated? How dehydrated would we need to be to start seeing negative effects? And what would those negative effects even be?There are a number of studies that provide some clues on the physical and mental effects of varying levels of dehydration.Get all the nerdy details here: How Much of an Effect Does Hydration Have on Practice & 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