The Bulletproof Musician

Ever feel like you've reached a wall, and can't get your body to do what it needs to do to produce what you hear in your head? Violinist Jennifer Johnson explains how a better understanding of one's body through Body Mapping can help musicians not only avoid pain and injury, but play with more freedom and ease as well.

Athletes have been using videotape analysis to enhance learning and performance for years. But is it really worth the investment of time necessary? Does it lead to meaningful benefits above and beyond practice without video?

Athletes have been using videotape analysis to enhance learning and performance for years. But is it really worth the investment of time necessary? What does the research say?

Research has found that doing mental practice while watching video could be more effective than imagery alone. But if this sort of thing hasn't worked for you, a recent study has identified a reason for why that could be...

Met Opera oboist Nathan Hughes shares insights on how he prepares, so that he can play more confidently on stage, under pressure. Not just in terms of practicing the music, but managing the mental game and the uncertainty of reeds as well.

Research suggests that "structured practice" could lead to much more improvement in the same amount of practice time as "free practice" - but how exactly are the two different?

Whether it's an intimidating conductor or the fear of falling short of expectations in a lesson, there are many moments in our music studies where we might experience anxiety, fear, shame, or other negative emotions. Does that just come with the territory and make us stronger, or do such emotions impair our ability to learn?

Doing impressions of famous musicians is a fun game to play with friends when you're in the mood to procrastinate - but could this actually be a useful practice exercise? And have some potentially meaningful musical benefits as well?

Horn player Erik Ralske (Met Opera) provides insights on how to get into "the zone," and the paradoxical way in which giving yourself permission to miss notes could lead to more accurate playing.

It's often said that it takes 21 days to form a new habit. But is this actually true?

Nowadays, camera phones are everywhere. And we seem to photograph everything. But what effect does this have on our enjoyment of these experiences?

One of my teachers once said that if you sound good in the practice room, you're probably not practicing. Indeed, research suggests that there is actually a lot of truth to this. So why do we naturally tend to gravitate towards less-effective practice strategies?

Ever feel creatively stuck, unsatisfied, or inhibited somehow - but can't quite figure out how to get out of your rut? Cellist Mike Block describes some of the experiences that helped him to discover his unique musical identity, and what he continues to do today - both in and out of the practice room - that helps him continue to make his way down this path.

The idea of "performance practice," and preparing for the unique demands of performances makes a lot of intuitive sense - but are there times when this is actually not the most useful way to practice?

Both giving and receiving feedback can be tricky (and icky). And if you've found feedback you've received to be kind of vague or otherwise unhelpful, research suggests that a tiny change to the language you use when requesting feedback can elicit much more helpful and useful comments.