The Bulletproof Musician

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Why Reflection Should Be Part of Your Daily Practice Routine Oct 15, 2023

Show notes

3-time Olympic diving coach Jeff Huber once said that he would get really excited when one of his athletes would approach him and say "Hey coach, I've been thinking..."
He explained that this phrase was often a sign that they were about to take a significant leap forward in their development as a diver (you can listen to his podcast episode here if you missed it).
Of course, it's not the words themselves that are so important, but an important learning process implied by this phrase that makes all the difference.
Unfortunately, it's an aspect of practice that we often skip. Heck, you may not even think of it as an important part of practice. But including this in your daily routine could make a big difference in your growth and development.
Get all the nerdy details here:
Why Reflection Should Be Part of Your Daily Practice Routine

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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

How to Practice for More Consistent Performances Oct 08, 2023

Show notes

Have you ever wished audiences (or your teacher) could hear the awesome private version of yourself that you hear in the practice room, instead of the slightly less awesome public version of yourself that appears on stage?

Sure, nerves can play a role in this, but part of the problem is how we practice. There's a tendency to strive for too much consistency in the practice room - which sounds like the right thing to do, but can actually be counterproductive. I know that seems bonkers, but we'll explore a couple studies today that will illustrate why aiming for too many "perfect" repetitions in a row can paradoxically lead to less consistency and accuracy on stage. And you'll learn what we should be doing more of instead.

Get all the nerdy details and this week’s practice hack right here:

How to Practice for More Consistent 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

Christine Carter & Ellen Hendriksen: On the Perils of “Perfect Practice” Oct 01, 2023

Show notes

If you’re reading this, I’m guessing that you have pretty high standards of performance in at least one area of your life. I mean, you probably wouldn’t be interested in a performance psychology podcast if you didn’t, no? 😅

I'm also guessing that you've been accused, or praised, for being a perfectionist at some point or another. Maybe even both - because I think society sends us a lot of mixed messages about perfectionism.

On one hand, I think we know that it doesn’t make us look great to humblebrag about our perfectionism, and claim it as our biggest weakness in job interviews.

But on the other hand, we often get a pat on the back for our perfectionistic tendencies, when people marvel at our “attention to detail,” or how “dedicated” or “diligent” or “committed” we are.

It’s easy to confuse perfectionism with having high standards, and assume that being a perfectionist is a good thing in the practice room. But it turns out that perfectionism could push us to practice in a way that not only makes practicing less fun, but inhibits our learning, and could even make us less effective and compelling musicians.

So why exactly is “perfect practice” a problem? And what’s the more effective alternative?

Get all the nerdy details, and links to studies and practice strategies referenced in the episode right here:

On the Perils of “Perfect Practice”: Christine Carter & Ellen Hendriksen

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

Are Today’s Musicians More “Clone-Like?" Sep 24, 2023

Show notes

A few weeks ago, violinist Nigel Kennedy was quoted as saying that today's young musicians are more "clone-like," noting that while so many have phenomenal technical fluency, this may have come at the expense of musical communication.
This was in the context of a larger (and intriguing) conversation about how funding in music is distributed, and how this might be part of the issue, but regardless, I was curious to see if there might be any studies on this particular issue.
Though I didn't find any data on this in the realm of classical music, I did find a 2012 study that explored this in the context of popular music. Which had some pretty interesting findings that I suspect could be related to classical music as well.
Click below for all the nerdy details, and how this could be related to your daily practice: Are Today’s Musicians More “Clone-Like?"

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 Practicing Too Much Could Actually Increase Errors Sep 17, 2023

Show notes

I often get questions about specific topics or issues that haven't already been covered in a podcast episode. Today's episode is devoted to a question that has come up a fair bit.
Specifically, it's about staying focused in the practice room. And in particular, for those who have been diagnosed with ADHD.
The study compares a group of college students who practice for 80 repetitions with a group that practices for 160. The main question being - how much additional benefit does practicing twice as much have when it comes to speed and accuracy?
And does this apply equally to students who have been diagnosed with ADHD and those who are non-ADHD?
Turns out the findings apply to both ADHD and non-ADHD populations. Click below for all the nerdy details:
Why Practicing Too Much Could Actually Increase Errors

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

How Consistent Do Pre-Performance Routines Need to Be? Sep 10, 2023

Show notes

If you've watched any sports - especially golf, basketball, and tennis - you've probably noticed that many athletes have a pre-shot, pre-free throw, or pre-serve ritual that they go through before performing that skill.
Many musicians have rituals too, even if it's as simple as wiping your hands on your pants or hearing the opening of a piece to get the tempo in mind before you begin playing.
Athletes' routines tend to be very consistent, and don't change from game to game or shot to shot. But how important is it to keep your routine consistent? Does it matter how long the routine takes, or whether the ingredients of your routine remain the same from one performance to the next?
Get all the nerdy details here:
How Consistent Do Pre-Performance Routines Need to Be?

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 Surprising Truth about Learning Styles Sep 03, 2023

Show notes

At some point or another, you've probably come across learning styles theory. Which suggests that some of us are visual learners, others are auditory learners, or kinesthetic learners, etc., and that we learn best if we are taught in a way that aligns with our learning style.
This makes a lot of sense, and feels pretty true as well - but what does the research say?
A 2009 review of the literature gives us some answers. And, spoiler alert, basically there's no evidence to support this theory. In other words, learning styles theory seems to be a myth. 😳 Wait...what?!
For all the nerdy details and links to strategies that do work, check out the full article:
The Surprising Truth about Learning Styles

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

Difficulty Staying Focused While Practicing? Why “Airplane Mode” May Not Be Enough Aug 20, 2023

Show notes

You know those moments when you're practicing, and suddenly wonder what time the 49ers game is tonight? Or if so-and-so returned your email? Or if it's going to rain tomorrow? Or what you should eat for lunch?
Staying focused for extended periods of time can be a real challenge. And our phones dinging and buzzing every other minute certainly doesn't make this any easier. But airplane mode should solve that problem, right?
Well...according to a 2017 study, maybe not! But that's ok - there are some simple things we can do to make sure we can devote as much of our brainpower as possible to practicing, with as little cognitive "leakage" as possible.
Get all the nerdy details here:
Difficulty Staying Focused While Practicing? Why “Airplane Mode” May Not Be Enough

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 Hack to Boost Your Practice Efficiency Aug 13, 2023

Show notes

You know how some practice sessions can feel really good? Where it seems like you're making lots of improvement? But then the next day, things don't sound much better?
And then sometimes, you have what feels like a crappy day in the practice room, where nothing seems to be improving...but then the next day, you sound so much better?
A 2009 study provides some clues on why this is, what's happening, and how you can tweak your practice for more lasting improvement from one day to the next.
Get all the nerdy details here:
A Hack to Boost Your Practice Efficiency

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

On Building an Audience in 2023: Ken Kubota & Morgan Davison Aug 06, 2023

Show notes

About a month ago, we heard from violinist Sumina Studer and violist Drew Forde (click here if you missed it), who shared tips and insights on how they built their social media following (about half a million followers combined).

Today, in Part 2 of this two-part miniseries, we’ll hear from cellist Ken Kubota (160k+) and bassoonist Morgan Davison (35k+), who highlight some of the more meaningful, but less-obvious benefits of becoming a social media content creator. Benefits like improved practice motivation and efficiency, as well as more confidence in performance.

You’ll also hear about some early mistakes that were made (plus solutions), dealing with imposter syndrome, and more.

If you’re wondering if it’s worth dipping your toes into the social media waters, or whether it’s worth continuing your efforts, I think you’ll enjoy this episode.
Get all the nerdy details here:
On Building an Audience in 2023: Ken Kubota & Morgan Davison

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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