The Bulletproof Musician

Latest Episodes:

The Superiority of Intentionally Imperfect Practice? May 21, 2023

Show notes

Whether it's manipulating our air, making embouchure adjustments, or learning to use the weight of our arm to produce a beautiful sound, we spend a lot of time working really hard to get things just right.
We ask for feedback and suggestions from our teachers, we watch YouTube videos of our favorite musicians, and get tips from instructional videos on the correct way to perform a skill. All of which are invaluable parts of the learning process.
But there's another approach, that we rarely (if ever) utilize, which may be even more effective than the traditional approach. And what strategy is that?
Intentionally getting things wrong.
Like, producing a thin, weak sound instead of a clear, full, resonant sound. Or a harsh, gritty attack, instead of a smooth, velvety start.
Turns out, practicing the wrong way may lead to better learning and enhanced performance than only practicing the right way.
Get all the nerdy details here: The Superiority of Intentionally Imperfect Practice?

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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.
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Menahem Pressler: On Following Your Heart May 14, 2023

Show notes

Have you ever watched your favorite musician perform, and wondered what goes through their head on stage?
Like, what are they thinking about? Do they ever worry? What do they worry about? Is playing as easy as it looks? Or do they have bad days too? Does it ever get easier? How do they deal with criticism or bad reviews or even the critic in their own head? How similar is their experience in performance to ours?
As you may have heard, renowned pianist Menahem Pressler passed away last weekend at the age of 99. A founding member of the Beaux Arts Trio, his performing career spanned over seven decades, and he taught generations of pianists who have gone on to hold teaching positions around the world and win prizes in all of the major competitions.
I got to know Mr. Pressler a tiny bit during my time at Indiana University, as he was my wife's teacher, and kindly included me in studio parties and events. He was also curious and encouraging of my interests in psychology at a time when I had no idea how things would pan out, which I always appreciated.
So in the summer of 2012, I reached out to see if I might ask him some questions about practicing and performing. He was very open about his mental experience on stage, his own doubts and fears at various points in his life, and what success and failure meant to him, as well as the more practical aspects of how he prepares for performance.
I hope you find it as insightful and inspiring a conversation as I did.
Note: This episode was recorded over the telephone/Skype, and I’ve done my best to clean up the audio, but if you would like a transcript, you can download one at:
https://bulletproofmusician.com/menahem-pressler-on-following-your-heart/

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 to Find the Perfect Strings for You and Your Instrument May 07, 2023

Show notes

If you play a string instrument, you know that the strings you use can make a big difference in how your instrument sounds and feels. But how can you find the combination of strings that makes your instrument sound its best?
Which type of core material produces the type of sound you're going for, as well as the best response? What are the benefits of the different kinds of wraps? What gauge or tension makes your instrument speak best? What mix of string brands will result in the most balanced sound across all the strings?
It can be a time-consuming and expensive process to try each string that's out there. So I thought I'd ask a couple experts what they recommend.
In today's episode you'll hear from a string manufacturer (Markus Lawrenson from D'Addario) and a luthier (Jesse Maschmeyer), who will share time and money-saving tips and insights on how to find the right strings for your level, your playing style, the demands of the kind of playing/performing you do, and of course, your instrument.
If you've been wanting to get a little more out of your instrument, this episode will give you a few new ideas to try!
Get all the nerdy details here: How to Find the Perfect Strings for You and Your Instrument

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 to Learn Better From Failures (And Successes Too) Apr 30, 2023

Show notes

It's often said that failure is the best teacher. Or at least, that failure is a better teacher than success.
But how exactly are we supposed to learn from failure without getting discouraged?
And why does success get such a bad rap as a teacher, anyhow? What if the problem is that we haven't been reflecting on our successes in the right way?
A 2014 study provides some clues on how to engage in a systematic post-performance review process that will help you learn better from both successful and unsuccessful performances or auditions.
Get all the nerdy details here: How Exactly to Learn From Failures (And Successes Too)

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

“Productive Failure”: Why Early Floundering Leads to Better Learning Apr 23, 2023

Show notes

Intuitively, I think we approach teaching with the goal of helping students avoid failure. So it's natural to step in if we see students floundering about and approaching a problem the wrong way.
But what if we are hindering students' learning by stepping in too soon? Like stepping in too soon to help with spotting someone at the gym, or helping them too much on that last repetition.
We certainly don't want anyone to get hurt or discouraged, of course! But a 2011 study suggests that too much guidance and instruction in the learning process can lead to the illusion of better performance at first - but significantly "shallower" learning and worse performance in the long run.
Get all the nerdy details here: “Productive Failure”: Why Early Floundering Leads to 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

Why Improvisation Should Be Part of Every Young Musician's Training Apr 16, 2023

Show notes

Improvisation has not traditionally been part of most young classical musicians' training. But should it be?
Research suggests that the answer may be yes, and that there are a number of benefits that improvisation could provide. Not just to our playing, but to our mental state on stage as well.
Read the full article for all the nerdy details:
Why Improvisation Should Be Part of Every Young Musician's Training
But...if you're new to improvising, where does one begin?
Well, whether you're a complete newbie, or an experienced improviser who's been frustrated by inconsistencies or feeling inhibited under pressure, have your instrument handy and block off 45-60 minutes on Wednesday, April 26th, from 2pm-3pm Eastern (calculate that in your timezone here).

Violinist (and childhood Suzuki buddy) Christian Howes will be teaching a live, free, play-along class where he'll share three approaches to improvisation that can work for you, and explain why other methods may not have worked before. You'll also learn (and experience) the difference between learning harmony and doing improvisation. And you'll get to do lots of playing the whole time (muted, of course)!
Sign up for the free improv session here: Free, live, play-along improvisation workshop with Christian Howes

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

Two Ways to Simulate Performance Pressure (and Which Works Best) Apr 09, 2023

Show notes

We know it can be really helpful to do practice performances or mock auditions in advance of a high-pressure performance. However, it can be really difficult to simulate the nerves and pressure of a real performance or audition. Because for some, a mock audition feels pretty high-stress. While for others, the experience doesn't even come close.

However, there is some research in this area, and a couple studies provide insights on how to create more pressure in mocks and practice performances, and better prepare you for the live experience. Turns out some methods work better than others.

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

Two Ways to Simulate Performance Pressure (and Which Works Best)
Also, if you've been looking for some new tools for enhancing the effectiveness of your practice or performance preparation, and would like to do more performance practice alongside a supportive cohort of other musicians, you may be interested in the live, 5-week Performance Psych Essentials class that begins next weekend. Get all the details here: Performance Psych Essentials

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

Aaron Williamon: On Becoming a Better, Happier, and Healthier Musician Apr 02, 2023

Show notes

If you’ve been a listener of this podcast for any period of time, you’ve probably already been influenced by today’s guest without realizing it - namely, performance science researcher Aaron Williamon.
Aaron's research has produced influential insights in many different facets of a musician's life, from effective practice and performance preparation, to managing nerves, optimizing focus, musician health, technology and recording, and even the importance of how we present ourselves visually on stage.
Whether you’re interested in practicing more effectively, looking for ways to tweak your preparation for an upcoming audition, or wondering how to help your students have a more positive and empowering experience on stage, I’ll bet my next box of Weetabix that you’ll take away some new details from today’s episode that will change some facet of your practice in the week ahead. The episode will also make you think more generally about the role (and value) of music in society, if you’ve had questions about that in recent years…
Get all the nerdy details and this week's practice hacks below (there’s also a transcript with timestamps if you’d like to jump right to a few key points of interest):

Aaron Williamon: On Becoming a Better, Happier, and Healthier Musician

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 Intentional Errors Could Accelerate Learning Mar 26, 2023

Show notes

We spend a lot of time and energy avoiding mistakes in the practice room and on stage. And we work super hard to make sure our students avoid doing things the "wrong way" too.
But what if that's actually holding us back?
A 2008 study suggests that if you do things the "wrong way" the right way, you might actually be able to accelerate learning pretty dramatically. Wait, what?!
Get all the nerdy details here (and be sure to read the full study - or at least the Discussion section - for key details on how to get the most out of this counterintuitive strategy): How Intentional Errors Could Accelerate 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

How to Stay in a More Positive Headspace Before Performances Mar 19, 2023

Show notes

Ever notice how it's easy to be optimistic about an audition or performance a month or two out, but things feel much different when the big day is now just one or two weeks away? Let alone one or two days?
Willing ourselves to adopt a more positive, self-affirming, performance-enhancing headspace takes some effort. So it can be easier to just let our thoughts naturally turn to the dark side in the days, hours, or minutes before a performance.
But a 2017 study (Westgate et al., 2017) identified a simple strategy that can make it easier to stay in a better headspace when we need it most. And all you need is your phone or a 3x5 notecard.
Get all the nerdy details here:
How to Stay in a More Positive Headspace Before 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

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