The Bulletproof Musician

The other day, I had to parallel park in a crowded neighborhood with narrow streets. I’m usually pretty good about getting it right the first time, but this time, I was feeling a bit of pressure from the antsy drivers lined up behind me, who couldn’t pass until I finished parking.You can probably imagine what happened next, but the gist is that I bonked the curb and had to reset and do it all over as everyone behind me watched and (presumably) rolled their eyes at this doofus who can’t park.I just experienced “choking.” And I’m assuming you’ve had some experience with this phenomenon too, whether it’s parking or performing.It’s tempting to assume that we can prevent choking by simply practicing more. But it turns out it’s a little more interesting than that, and there are several key skills that go into performing your best under pressure. There’s retrieval-oriented practice. Anxiety regulation skills. And learning how to get into a performance-enhancing headspace, and stay focused on the right things on stage too.(BTW, if you’d like to develop these skills in 2024, that will be the focus of the upcoming live, online, 4-week Performance Psych Essentials class. Registration begins Sunday, Jan. 14 and runs through Sunday, Jan. 21. Get the class dates and details here: Register for Performance Psych Essentials)Then again, there’s a 2013 study, which suggests that a simple 30-second performance hack could prevent you from choking too. Hmm...could it really be that easy?Get all the nerdy details and this week’s practice hack right here:A Simple Technique to Prevent Choking (Which Sounds Like it Couldn't Possibly Work)* * *Have you ever wondered why it is exactly that things often sound better at home than they do on stage? If you’ve been confused (and frustrated) by the inconsistency of your performances, I put together a FREE 4-minute quiz called the Mental Skills Audit, which will help you pinpoint your mental strengths and weaknesses, and figure out what exactly to adjust and tweak in your preparation for more consistently optimal performances. It’s 100% free, takes only 4 minutes, and you’ll get a downloadable PDF with a personalized breakdown of where you stand in six key mental skill areas. You'll also get the Pressure Proof Practice Challenge, a free 7-day email course where you'll learn specific practice strategies that will help you perform your best, even under pressure. Take the quiz here: bulletproofmusician.com/msa

In the previous episode we looked at at study which suggested that having goals is good - but we’re more likely to achieve our goals if we write them down and create action plans as well (you can check that out here if you missed it).Still, whether we write them down or not, New Year’s resolutions and our most well-intentioned plans can start to go off the rails pretty quickly.So if you’ve found yourself slipping already, know that it’s not just you!And there’s no need to beat yourself up about this either. Because in all likelihood it’s not you, your commitment, or your willpower that’s the issue. It might just be that there’s a small (but often-overlooked) step missing from your goal-setting process that could make all the difference.Get all the nerdy details right here:WOOP: A Better Way to Set Goals?* * *Have you ever wondered why it is exactly that things often sound better at home than they do on stage? If you’ve been confused (and frustrated) by the inconsistency of your performances, I put together a FREE 4-minute quiz called the Mental Skills Audit, which will help you pinpoint your mental strengths and weaknesses, and figure out what exactly to adjust and tweak in your preparation for more consistently optimal performances. It’s 100% free, takes only 4 minutes, and you’ll get a downloadable PDF with a personalized breakdown of where you stand in six key mental skill areas. You'll also get the Pressure Proof Practice Challenge, a free 7-day email course where you'll learn specific practice strategies that will help you perform your best, even under pressure. Take the quiz here: bulletproofmusician.com/msa

Explore the impact of writing down goals and the role of accountability in achieving them. Discover the positive impact of having an accountability buddy in improving your practice routine.

It's not great to make mistakes on stage, but how big a deal are mistakes when you're learning something new?Is it best to avoid them right from Day 1? Or is it ok to set the bar a little lower in the early days of learning a new skill?A 2011 study tests out two different approaches to learning - setting the bar high vs. setting the bar low - and provides some clues on which approach might be better for us (as well as our students).Get all the nerdy details here: How Important Is “Perfect Practice” When Learning Something New?* * *Have you ever wondered why it is exactly that things often sound better at home than they do on stage? If you’ve been confused (and frustrated) by the inconsistency of your performances, I put together a FREE 4-minute quiz called the Mental Skills Audit, which will help you pinpoint your mental strengths and weaknesses, and figure out what exactly to adjust and tweak in your preparation for more consistently optimal performances. It’s 100% free, takes only 4 minutes, and you’ll get a downloadable PDF with a personalized breakdown of where you stand in six key mental skill areas. You'll also get the Pressure Proof Practice Challenge, a free 7-day email course where you'll learn specific practice strategies that will help you perform your best, even under pressure. Take the quiz here: bulletproofmusician.com/msa

Discover the benefits of identifying and using your 'signature strengths' in this podcast. Explore the Realize 2 model and learn how utilizing your strengths can enhance goal achievement and well-being. Find out how to identify your unique strengths through self-reflection, with examples from the world of cricket. Balance weaknesses while showcasing and utilizing your strengths for optimal performance.

Is it possible to truly rid yourself of performance anxiety? Is practicing less as you get closer to a performance really better? How do you get past doubts and other mental roadblocks when returning from a significant playing injury? Is it a better use of time to focus on our strengths or our weaknesses? Why is it so important for us to take lessons with or play for musicians who play instrument other than our own?If you’ve ever tried Googling questions like this for an answer, today’s episode is for you. 😅Colorado Symphony principal clarinetist Jason Shafer has enjoyed an active performing and teaching career, but two years ago began pursuing a master’s degree in performance psychology seeking to integrate these concepts more deeply into his teaching and performing. He joins me today to share some insights on how we can all be healthier practicers and more confident and courageous performers.* * *Have you ever wondered why it is exactly that things often sound better at home than they do on stage? If you’ve been confused (and frustrated) by the inconsistency of your performances, I put together a FREE 4-minute quiz called the Mental Skills Audit, which will help you pinpoint your mental strengths and weaknesses, and figure out what exactly to adjust and tweak in your preparation for more consistently optimal performances. It’s 100% free, takes only 4 minutes, and you’ll get a downloadable PDF with a personalized breakdown of where you stand in six key mental skill areas. You'll also get the Pressure Proof Practice Challenge, a free 7-day email course where you'll learn specific practice strategies that will help you perform your best, even under pressure. Take the quiz here: bulletproofmusician.com/msa

When you put a lot of time and energy into preparing for something that’s important to you, and things don’t go the way you hoped, it’s pretty natural to feel deflated or discouraged afterwards. And you might even have difficulty getting back into the flow of things, or finding the confidence to try again.Heck, we can experience some version of this even a spectator. Believe it or not, researchers have found that we eat more unhealthily (e.g. 10% more calories and 16% more saturated fat than normal) the day after our favorite team has a tough loss, and we eat more healthily on days after a big win (5% fewer calories and 9% less saturated fat than normal).But while some athletes respond to a subpar performances with more subpar performances, others bounce back and perform even better.How do they do this?A 2003 study provides some important clues. Get all the nerdy details here:A Mindset Shift That Can Help You Respond to Setbacks With Even Better Performances* * *Have you ever wondered why it is exactly that things often sound better at home than they do on stage? If you’ve been confused (and frustrated) by the inconsistency of your performances, I put together a FREE 4-minute quiz called the Mental Skills Audit, which will help you pinpoint your mental strengths and weaknesses, and figure out what exactly to adjust and tweak in your preparation for more consistently optimal performances. It’s 100% free, takes only 4 minutes, and you’ll get a downloadable PDF with a personalized breakdown of where you stand in six key mental skill areas. You'll also get the Pressure Proof Practice Challenge, a free 7-day email course where you'll learn specific practice strategies that will help you perform your best, even under pressure. Take the quiz here: bulletproofmusician.com/msa

The winter holidays are just around the corner, which means family, festivities, food, and lots of good things. But it also means end-of-semester projects and grading, holiday recitals and gigs and performances, shopping, travel, cooking, hosting, and many other things that can leave us feeling drained and emotionally exhausted.And if you're already feeling kind of drained post-Thanksgiving, it can be exhausting just thinking about getting through the next month.The good news is that there's a simple, quick, 3-step exercise, that in a week or two, could reduce that feeling of emotional exhaustion and even increase your happiness. And better yet, these positive changes could last for up to a year - even after you've stopped doing the exercise!It's been tested successfully in stressful healthcare settings with physicians, nurses, and other healthcare workers, so there's a good chance it'll be helpful in whatever stressful circumstances you find yourself in as well.Get all the nerdy details here: Reduce Burnout With a Simple Three-Step Exercise* * *Have you ever wondered why it is exactly that things often sound better at home than they do on stage? If you’ve been confused (and frustrated) by the inconsistency of your performances, I put together a FREE 4-minute quiz called the Mental Skills Audit, which will help you pinpoint your mental strengths and weaknesses, and figure out what exactly to adjust and tweak in your preparation for more consistently optimal performances. It’s 100% free, takes only 4 minutes, and you’ll get a downloadable PDF with a personalized breakdown of where you stand in six key mental skill areas. You'll also get the Pressure Proof Practice Challenge, a free 7-day email course where you'll learn specific practice strategies that will help you perform your best, even under pressure. Take the quiz here: bulletproofmusician.com/msa

In last week's episode, we looked at a study which tested a particular sound for its ability to decrease our anxiety. (Which you can revisit here if you missed it.)I figured we might as well stay on that theme, so this week I have a study which compared several different types of breathing, to see if there was a particular way of breathing that might reduce our stress more than others.Turns out not all breathing techniques have the same effect! So whether you’re looking for a way to regulate your stress before a performance or keep your cool amidst family drama during the Thanksgiving holidays, I think you’ll find this week’s breathing technique to be a very handy addition to your emotional regulation toolkit. 😅Get all the nerdy details here: The Best Way to Breathe for Reducing Stress?* * *Have you ever wondered why it is exactly that things often sound better at home than they do on stage? If you’ve been confused (and frustrated) by the inconsistency of your performances, I put together a FREE 4-minute quiz called the Mental Skills Audit, which will help you pinpoint your mental strengths and weaknesses, and figure out what exactly to adjust and tweak in your preparation for more consistently optimal performances. It’s 100% free, takes only 4 minutes, and you’ll get a downloadable PDF with a personalized breakdown of where you stand in six key mental skill areas. You'll also get the Pressure Proof Practice Challenge, a free 7-day email course where you'll learn specific practice strategies that will help you perform your best, even under pressure. Take the quiz here: bulletproofmusician.com/msa

Managing pre-performance nerves on the day of a performance or audition can be a real challenge. And it can get even more difficult backstage as the moment draws nearer.Should we study the score some more? Listen to music? Read a book? Try to meditate or  do some deep breathing? Color or doodle? Do some expressive writing? Visualize?The best answer is that it's probably a combination of things that's most effective, but a recent pair of studies suggest that listening to one thing might really help to calm you down and put you in a better headspace.Get all the nerdy details here:The Best Thing to Listen to Backstage for Reducing Anxiety?* * *Have you ever wondered why it is exactly that things often sound better at home than they do on stage? If you’ve been confused (and frustrated) by the inconsistency of your performances, I put together a FREE 4-minute quiz called the Mental Skills Audit, which will help you pinpoint your mental strengths and weaknesses, and figure out what exactly to adjust and tweak in your preparation for more consistently optimal performances. It’s 100% free, takes only 4 minutes, and you’ll get a downloadable PDF with a personalized breakdown of where you stand in six key mental skill areas. You'll also get the Pressure Proof Practice Challenge, a free 7-day email course where you'll learn specific practice strategies that will help you perform your best, even under pressure. Take the quiz here: bulletproofmusician.com/msa