The Bulletproof Musician

Stress is never any fun - but does stress also contribute to injury? Research suggests that it can...giving us another reason to make sure we are taking breaks and recharging our batteries during stressful times.

Creativity sounds like a good thing - but does creativity on stage actually lead to more success in auditions and competitions? Or is it just about execution, plain and simple?

Listen in as Indiana University music education researcher and professor Peter Miksza and I chat about some of the research on improvisation, and talk about the overlooked role it may play in musical training and development.

Listen in as 3-time US Olympic diving coach Jeff Huber shares some tips on how to make the most of your practice time, and prepare more effectively for competition.

The wait backstage can be torturous, as you feel the anxiety build, and wish you could just go out and play already. What are we supposed to do with all that time anyway? Listen to music? Visualize? Turns out there's an old childhood pastime that could help us stay calm and keep us busy (in a good way).

When faced with a tough decision, people often advise us to "sleep on it" or "go with your gut." But what does the research say? Is there any evidence that we can actually trust our intuition in moments like this?

Most people think nerves are bad. But some people say nerves and pressure can be good. So...which is it?

Many of the brain-training apps and games out there don't seem to be as effective as one might hope. But there's one type of mental training that does seem to improve performance under pressure...

Have you ever performed poorly at something because you put too much pressure on yourself to prove that you are totally awesome at that thing? A phenomenon known as "stereotype threat" is one reason why that may have happened.

It's easy to start losing confidence and start doubting yourself in the week leading up to a big performance or audition. But research suggests that the "best possible self" exercise could help us stay a bit more optimistic as the day approaches.

"Just think positive" never seems to work - but only focusing on doom and gloom sure doesn't help either. Research suggests that the key may lie in not making up positive things, but training ourselves to actually see the positive signs around us, which can help us be less nervous under pressure.

Nowadays, we all seem to be going through each day, rushing from one thing to the next. And sometimes, this just becomes a habit, where we feel the pressure of time no matter what we are doing. But research suggests that simply feeling time pressure sabotages performance. So how can we slow down our inner clock?

Can a little backstage yoga or power posing help us manage our anxiety and walk out on stage a little more calm and composed? What does the research say?

The motivational climate that leads to more anxious, stressed-out learners. And the motivational climate that leads to more resilient learners.

Do you have a hard time accepting and internalizing compliments from others? Here's a 3-step technique for taking it in - without turning into an overconfident, self-congratulating #$&@.