The Bulletproof Musician

When you have too much time to wait backstage, it can be easy for your thoughts and emotions to spiral out to the bad place. Learn the specific strategies that athletes use to regulate their emotions and keep their cool.

Ever find yourself stuck in a performance "slump"? Where you struggle through a string of subpar auditions/performances, and can't figure out how to get back on track? Here are 8 strategies that can help right the ship.

Have you ever felt that the music was "stuck"? Or wondered why your metronome practice wasn't working? Learn how to get unstuck and cultivate a stronger sense of rhythm in this chat with violinist Catherine Cho.

Feeling a little demoralized after a sub-par performance? Here's a research-based post-performance reflection process developed at Florida State University to help you bounce back better, faster, and stronger.

It's common to vary one's speed/tempo when you're doing physical practice. But is there any benefit in doing this when engaged in mental practice?

Research suggests that a new mental adjustment and shift in how we view the stakes in stressful performance situations could help us avoid choking under pressure.

Philadelphia Orchestra concertmaster David Kim shares insights on his most effective practice techniques, biggest failures (and successes), and more.

Are people who have pictures of family and friends in their case on to something? A study suggets that simply imagining our partner can help us reduce stress as much as having them physically present.

Is getting into "the zone" something that just happens randomly? Or do we have more control over this than we realize? New research suggests that we actually do indeed.

Pre-performance routines often consist of a number of different elements. But might simply squeezing a ball in your left hand a few times be just as effective?

What is Alexander Technique, really? Will it help our playing? If so, in what way? How do we know if we need it? Learn more in this chat with Juilliard's Alexander Technique teacher Lori Schiff.

How much wiggle room do we have when it comes to intonation? Do pitch issues affect audience (and other musicians') opinions of the quality of a performance as much as we think they do?

It's often said that we should focus on "the music" when performing instead of the notes and technique per se. But does this come at a cost to technical accuracy?

Ever have a teacher tell you to imagine performing to the very last row in a hall? Research suggests that this might be better advice than we realize.

Ever have difficulty shutting off your brain and getting to sleep? A recent study found that this 5-min writing exercise could help.