The Bulletproof Musician

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How Important Is “Perfect Practice” When Learning Something New? Dec 24, 2023

Show notes

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?

More from The Bulletproof Musician

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Pressure Proof: A free 7-day performance practice crash course that will help you shrink the gap between the practice room and the stage.
Learning Lab: A continuing education community where musicians and learners are putting research into practice.
Live and self-paced courses

Why It's Important to Identify (and Use) Your "Signature Strengths" Dec 17, 2023

Show notes

In last week's episode with clarinetist Jason Shafer, we chatted about the value of focusing on our strengths when performing - and not just our weaknesses (you can check that out here if you missed it).
And it turns out there is some research on the benefits of identifying and using our "signature strengths." If you're wondering what exactly the benefits might be, what focusing on your strengths might look like, and how exactly you can identify your signature strengths, I have a couple studies (and tips) for you this week that dig into this a bit!
You can get all the nerdy details, and take a short assessment that will help you identify your signature strengths, right here:
Why It's Important to Identify (and Use) Your "Signature Strengths"

More from The Bulletproof Musician

Get the free weekly newsletter, for more nerdy details and bonus subscriber-only content.
Pressure Proof: A free 7-day performance practice crash course that will help you shrink the gap between the practice room and the stage.
Learning Lab: A continuing education community where musicians and learners are putting research into practice.
Live and self-paced courses

Jason Shafer: On Healthier Practicing & Strengths-Based Performing Dec 10, 2023

Show notes

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.

More from The Bulletproof Musician

Get the free weekly newsletter, for more nerdy details and bonus subscriber-only content.
Pressure Proof: A free 7-day performance practice crash course that will help you shrink the gap between the practice room and the stage.
Learning Lab: A continuing education community where musicians and learners are putting research into practice.
Live and self-paced courses

A Mindset Shift That Can Help You Respond to Setbacks With Even Better Performances Dec 03, 2023

Show notes

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

More from The Bulletproof Musician

Get the free weekly newsletter, for more nerdy details and bonus subscriber-only content.
Pressure Proof: A free 7-day performance practice crash course that will help you shrink the gap between the practice room and the stage.
Learning Lab: A continuing education community where musicians and learners are putting research into practice.
Live and self-paced courses

Reduce Burnout With a Simple Three-Step Exercise Nov 26, 2023

Show notes

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

More from The Bulletproof Musician

Get the free weekly newsletter, for more nerdy details and bonus subscriber-only content.
Pressure Proof: A free 7-day performance practice crash course that will help you shrink the gap between the practice room and the stage.
Learning Lab: A continuing education community where musicians and learners are putting research into practice.
Live and self-paced courses

The Best Way to Breathe for Reducing Stress? Nov 19, 2023

Show notes

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?

More from The Bulletproof Musician

Get the free weekly newsletter, for more nerdy details and bonus subscriber-only content.
Pressure Proof: A free 7-day performance practice crash course that will help you shrink the gap between the practice room and the stage.
Learning Lab: A continuing education community where musicians and learners are putting research into practice.
Live and self-paced courses

The Best Thing to Listen to Backstage for Reducing Anxiety? Nov 12, 2023

Show notes

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?

More from The Bulletproof Musician

Get the free weekly newsletter, for more nerdy details and bonus subscriber-only content.
Pressure Proof: A free 7-day performance practice crash course that will help you shrink the gap between the practice room and the stage.
Learning Lab: A continuing education community where musicians and learners are putting research into practice.
Live and self-paced courses

Benjamin Kamins: On Self-Judgment, Slow Practice, and Reed-Making Nov 05, 2023

Show notes

In an ideal world, we’d be building confidence in the practice room from one day to the next, but sometimes that can be easier said than done. It’s easy for the voice in our head to get very judge-y and negative and make us feel like we’re playing a never-ending game of whack-a-mole. Where every time we think we’ve solved a problem, a new one pops up to take its place.

Whether it’s getting through challenging passages that have become “a thing,” troubleshooting intonation in an ensemble without judgment, or making sure you’re not accidentally reinforcing bad habits when practicing slowly, bassoonist Benjamin Kamins has seen it or worked through it in his years as an orchestral musician, chamber musician, soloist, educator, and Alexander Technique teacher.

In this month’s interview, you’ll hear lots of anecdotes and tips for overcoming some of the common challenges we often encounter in the practice room and on stage.
Get all the nerdy details (and transcript) here:
Benjamin Kamins: On Self-Judgment, Slow Practice, and Reed-Making

More from The Bulletproof Musician

Get the free weekly newsletter, for more nerdy details and bonus subscriber-only content.
Pressure Proof: A free 7-day performance practice crash course that will help you shrink the gap between the practice room and the stage.
Learning Lab: A continuing education community where musicians and learners are putting research into practice.
Live and self-paced courses

Why Lowering Standards Can Sometimes Promote Better Learning Oct 29, 2023

Show notes

In many areas of our life (surgery, aviation, and dealing with bedbugs are a few things that come to mind), I think it’s fair to say that having really high standards is a very good thing.

Intuitively, you’d think that the same would be true when it comes to learning and performing an instrument as well.

But as you’ll see in today’s study, that’s not always the case. As in, there are times when relaxing or lowering our standards can actually lead to better learning, and better performance too.

How can that be?! Yeah, I know. This all sounds wrong, right?

Get all the nerdy details here: Why Lowering Standards Can Sometimes Promote Better Learning

More from The Bulletproof Musician

Get the free weekly newsletter, for more nerdy details and bonus subscriber-only content.
Pressure Proof: A free 7-day performance practice crash course that will help you shrink the gap between the practice room and the stage.
Learning Lab: A continuing education community where musicians and learners are putting research into practice.
Live and self-paced courses

“Brain Fatigue” and the Best Thing to Do on Practice Breaks Oct 22, 2023

Show notes

Other than putting our instruments down, what should we be doing during our practice breaks to mentally recharge our batteries and prepare ourselves best for the next chunk of practice?
Watch cute animal videos? Take a quick nap? Grab some coffee?
Is there such a thing as a "best" practice break activity? Maybe not, but there's some research in the creativity and stress-reduction domains which all point at one particular activity that could be worth experimenting with during your next practice break.
Get all the nerdy details here:
“Brain Fatigue” and the Best Thing to Do on Practice Breaks

More from The Bulletproof Musician

Get the free weekly newsletter, for more nerdy details and bonus subscriber-only content.
Pressure Proof: A free 7-day performance practice crash course that will help you shrink the gap between the practice room and the stage.
Learning Lab: A continuing education community where musicians and learners are putting research into practice.
Live and self-paced courses

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