The Bulletproof Musician

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For Better Rhythm and Timing, Count With Your Body Too, Not Just Your Mind Jan 17, 2021

Show notes

Maintaining good rhythm and timing is often a real challenge. Especially since our mind can be pretty squirrely and make us think we're totally playing in time when we're not (and get an earful from our pianist, quartet-mates, or conductor).

Research suggests that we may actually be able to heighten the accuracy of our timing perception if we keep time with our bodies too, not just in our heads. Err...and what does that mean exactly?

For Better Rhythm and Timing, Count With Your Body Too, Not Just Your Mind

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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

Stressed and Having Difficulty Getting Out of a Negative Thought Spiral? Here's How (and Why) Mother Nature May Be Able to Help Jan 10, 2021

Show notes

You know those times when life or stress sucks you into one of those negative thought spirals, where you start getting more and more stressed and worried and can't seem to focus on anything else?

Recent research suggests that there's at least one way to shift your brain into a more positive headspace. And the nice thing is that it's pretty simple. And doesn't involve much thinking or require you to wrestle your thoughts into submission.

Stressed and Having Difficulty Getting Out of a Negative Thought Spiral? Here's How (and Why) Mother Nature May Be Able to Help

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

Make Practicing in 2021 a Little More Effective With These Top Tips From 2020 Jan 03, 2021

Show notes

If practicing has felt a little stale lately, and you're looking for a bit of inspiration to jump start your routine, here are some of the most intriguing and potentially transformative things we learned on the podcast in 2020.

Make Practicing in 2021 a Little More Effective With These Top Tips From 2020

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 Better Way to Present Ourselves on Social Media? A Simple Adjustment for Improved Mood and Greater Well-Being. Dec 27, 2020

Show notes

There's a natural tendency for us to want to put our best foot forward online, whether in Facebook, Instagram, or Youtube. But sometimes, we can end up presenting an overly idealized version of ourselves that isn't really true and authentic.

Recent research suggests that this can have an effect on our mood and various aspects of well-being. And that posting more authentically, might actually leave us feeling better.

A Better Way to Present Ourselves on Social Media? A Simple Adjustment for Improved Mood and Greater Well-Being.

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

Regular Bragging vs. Humblebragging: Which Works Better? Dec 20, 2020

Show notes

Presenting ourselves effectively to others is a really important skill. After all, there are a lot of benefits to being well-liked, and well-respected.

But I think we all intuitively know that achieving both likability and respect is kind of a tricky thing. In that bragging might achieve respect, but come at the expense of likability.

So what about the humblebrag? Is that a viable way to soften the brag a bit, so as to establish our competence but remain likable? Or is regular old bragging actually better?

Regular Bragging vs. Humblebragging: Which Works Better?

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

Need a Break? Here’s a Simple Way to Boost Your Mood and Feel More Refreshed After a Long Week of Practice. Dec 13, 2020

Show notes

Feel like you need a break or a vacation? But just can't take one at the moment, for one reason or another?

Research suggests that there is a way for us to gain some of the mental and emotional benefits of a vacation - without actually taking one!

Need a Break? Here’s a Simple Way to Boost Your Mood and Feel More Refreshed After a Long Week of Practice.

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

David Leisner: On Overcoming Focal Dystonia and Learning to Play With Ease Dec 06, 2020

Show notes

Guitarist David Leisner describes his journey with focal dystonia - and what he learned that enabled him to regain full use of his hands and fingers after years of being unable to play.

David Leisner: On Overcoming Focal Dystonia and Learning to Play With Ease

* * *

A quick heads-up that next weekend is the annual Beyond Practicing 2-for-1 event!

If you’ve been wanting to perform more consistently, but haven’t been sure exactly what adjustments to make to your practice to make that happen, or maybe you’ve just felt stuck in a bit of a practice rut lately, next weekend might be the ideal time to start learning the mental skills and practice techniques that can help you get where you’re trying to go.

To learn more about Beyond Practicing and the 2-for-1 offer, go to bulletproofmusician.com/beyondpracticing

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

Toby Appel: On Learning to Trust Yourself Nov 22, 2020

Show notes

In this 2013 interview pulled from the archives, Juilliard viola faculty member Toby Appel shares insights on practicing, teaching, and some of the things he's been grateful for over the course of his career.

NOTE: This was recorded way back before I had the kind of gear that's necessary for capturing interviews, so the audio quality was pretty subpar, you could hear kids playing outside, etc. I've since remastered it to remove background noise, but it's still a little funky. It may help to refer to the transcript, which you can access here:

Toby Appel: On Learning to Trust Yourself

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 Effective Is Mental Practice for Memorizing New Pieces? Nov 15, 2020

Show notes

We've all heard how helpful a tool mental practice can be for honing and refining the level of our playing away from our instruments. But how useful a tool is it for memorizing music?

How Effective Is Mental Practice for Memorizing New Pieces?

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

Stressed, Anxious, and Feeling a Little Burned Out? Here’s How an “Awe Walk” Could Help. Nov 08, 2020

Show notes

Learning how to manage our emotional health and recharge our batteries is an important part of cultivating mental toughness and resilience. "Awe walks" could be a simple, quick, research-based strategy to try that might be a useful strategy to add to your toolbox.

Stressed, Anxious, and Feeling a Little Burned Out? Here’s How an “Awe Walk” Could Help.

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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