The Bulletproof Musician

We have all been told that bringing our "A" game in the practice room and on stage requires a certain amount of physical rest and recovery. But I don't know that we as acutely aware of the importance of psychological rest and recovery as well. Recent research suggests that learning to "switch off" might be an important key to maintaining a consistently high level of practice and performance as well.

https://bulletproofmusician.com/howard-nelson-pamela-frank-on-recovering-from-injury-the-importance-of-being-non-judgmental-and-practicing-with-1000-expression

A few months ago, percussionist Rob Knopper and I had a chance to sit down and chat with three musicians from the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, to see what sorts of similarities and differences there might be in different musicians' approaches to audition preparation. In Episode 3 of this mini-series, oboist Sarah Lewis shares insights on how she stays in a good headspace backstage, what her ideal day-of-audition routine looks like, and what she prioritized in the final week leading up to audition day.

A few months ago, percussionist Rob Knopper and I had a chance to sit down and chat with three musicians from the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, to see what sorts of similarities and differences there might be in different musicians' approaches to audition preparation. In Episode 2 of this mini-series, flutist Amanda Blaikie shares insights on how she stays in a good headspace backstage, what her ideal day-of-audition routine looks like, and what she prioritized in the final week leading up to audition day.

A few months ago, percussionist Rob Knopper and I had a chance to sit down and chat with three musicians from the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, to see what similarities and differences there might be in different musicians' approaches to audition preparation. In Episode 1 of this mini-series, violist Caroline Coade shares her insights on how she stays in a good headspace backstage, what her ideal day-of-audition routine looks like, and what she prioritized in the final week leading up to audition day.

Athletes, coaches, and sport psychologists often recommend visualizing yourself having a successful performance in the future. But sometimes it can be difficult to get your brain to imagine or buy into future success in that way... So if future-oriented visualization isn't happening for you, is there any performance benefit to visualizing successful performances in your past?

Have you ever had a memory slip in performance or worried about having one on stage? University of Arizona viola professor and brain enthusiast (she majored in neuroscience in college) Molly Gebrian shares some insights on the science of memory, and describes simple, straightforward, musician-friendly strategies that you can use to make sure that future performances are a more positive (and less anxiety-inducing) experience!

Flutist-turned-yoga educator Nicole Newman shares insights on how yoga practice can not only have physical benefits that transfer to more effective performance, but also mental benefits in terms of enhancing concentration and focus. For the 45-min video demonstration on specific stretches and exercises recommended for musicians, go to: bulletproofmusician.com/nicole

Having to go from live in-person lessons, to teaching through a laptop screen overnight can be a stressful experience. In this episode, piano teacher, educator, and podcaster Tim Topham will share some simple, and immediately actionable strategies and techniques that will help you feel more comfortable and increase your confidence in your ability to be effective when teaching online.

It's well known that sleep is a key ingredient in optimal learning. But a recent study takes things a step further and suggests that we can selectively optimize the learning of certain information while we sleep - with "odor cues." Wait...what?!

Harpist Lynne Aspnes shares insights on the role of singing in music-making, how to make breathing a more organic part of your playing, and the value of having diverse musical influences.

It's often said that we are capable of more than we realize - but is there any research evidence suggesting that we consistently underestimate our abilities?

You've probably heard that saying "don't miss" to yourself makes you more likely to mess up. But is this actually true? Or is it just a myth?

Are we actually as good at detecting errors and imperfections in our playing as we think? We definitely are on stage - but research suggests we might be missing things in the practice room. Here are a few ways to make sure that doesn't happen.

Recovering from a poor start to your performance, or bouncing back from a botched excerpt in an audition can be a real challenge - though very much doable. But what separates those who can get back on track, from those that struggle and get sucked into the downward spiral of doom? Research suggests that it might have something to do with the type of perfectionist you are.