The use of mental practice or mental imagery to enhance learning and performance is extremely common amongst  athletes in sports. And it’s something that musicians like Horowitz, Rubinstein, Glenn Gould, and learners at all levels have been known to use in music as well.

But I’ve had students and professional musicians alike tell me that they sometimes have difficulty making the imagery feel real. Or that they have difficulty staying engaged with it. As in, one minute they’re visualizing some music, and the next, their mind has drifted off to food. Or they fall asleep. 🤣

Could there be a better way to do visualization?

Get all the nerdy details and study links here:
A Better Way to Do Mental Practice?

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Have you ever wondered why it is exactly that things often sound better at home than they do on stage?

If you’ve been confused (and frustrated) by the inconsistency of your performances, I put together a free 18-question quiz called the Mental Skills Audit, which will help you pinpoint your mental strengths and weaknesses and figure out what to tweak in your preparation.

It’s 100% free, takes only 4 minutes, and you’ll get a downloadable PDF with a personalized breakdown of where you stand in six key mental skill areas. You'll also get Pressure Proof, a 7-day email course where you'll learn specific practice strategies designed to help shrink the gap between practice and performance and play your best when it matters most.

Take the quiz here: bulletproofmusician.com/msa

Do optimists have an advantage when it comes to performing better under pressure?

Not necessarily! The research suggests that there are multiple types of pessimism. And that the right kind of pessimism can work too!

Get all the nerdy details at: https://bulletproofmusician.com/not-an-optimist-how-to-make-pessimism-work-for-you/

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Have you ever wondered why it is exactly that things often sound better at home than they do on stage?

If you’ve been confused (and frustrated) by the inconsistency of your performances, I put together a free 18-question quiz called the Mental Skills Audit, which will help you pinpoint your mental strengths and weaknesses and figure out what to tweak in your preparation.

It’s 100% free, takes only 4 minutes, and you’ll get a downloadable PDF with a personalized breakdown of where you stand in six key mental skill areas. You'll also get Pressure Proof, a 7-day email course where you'll learn specific practice strategies designed to help shrink the gap between practice and performance and play your best when it matters most.

Take the quiz here: bulletproofmusician.com/msa

Can the right sort of breathing really reduce anxiety? The short answer is yes - but why?

A 2017 study illustrates how breathing could help reduce stress/anxiety, another 2017 study explains why, and a 2023 study highlights an unusual breathing technique that's worth trying!

Get all the nerdy details at: https://bulletproofmusician.com/does-just-breathe-really-help-us-lower-anxiety-or-is-it-just-a-total-cliche/

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Have you ever wondered why it is exactly that things often sound better at home than they do on stage?

If you’ve been confused (and frustrated) by the inconsistency of your performances, I put together a free 18-question quiz called the Mental Skills Audit, which will help you pinpoint your mental strengths and weaknesses and figure out what to tweak in your preparation.

It’s 100% free, takes only 4 minutes, and you’ll get a downloadable PDF with a personalized breakdown of where you stand in six key mental skill areas. You'll also get Pressure Proof, a 7-day email course where you'll learn specific practice strategies designed to help shrink the gap between practice and performance and play your best when it matters most.

Take the quiz here: bulletproofmusician.com/msa

Have you ever struggled to maintain a new habit? Like exercising, or recording yourself more often, or transcribing lesson recordings?

A 2013 study found that a strategy called "temptation bundling" could boost your likelihood of sticking with your new behavior.

Click below for all the nerdy details:
Go From Procrastination to Productivity With “Temptation Bundling”

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Have you ever wondered why it is exactly that things often sound better at home than they do on stage?

If you’ve been confused (and frustrated) by the inconsistency of your performances, I put together a free 18-question quiz called the Mental Skills Audit, which will help you pinpoint your mental strengths and weaknesses and figure out what to tweak in your preparation.

It’s 100% free, takes only 4 minutes, and you’ll get a downloadable PDF with a personalized breakdown of where you stand in six key mental skill areas. You'll also get Pressure Proof, a 7-day email course where you'll learn specific practice strategies designed to help shrink the gap between practice and performance and play your best when it matters most.

Take the quiz here: bulletproofmusician.com/msa

A 2008 study highlights the two ways we often respond to disappointments and setbacks. They both work ok in the short term, but one is more effective in the long term.

So what determines which one we choose? And how can we ensure we choose the approach that is more effective in the long term?

Get all the nerdy details, references, and other links right here:
A Better Way to Bounce Back From Disappointing Setbacks

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Have you ever wondered why it is exactly that things often sound better at home than they do on stage?

If you’ve been confused (and frustrated) by the inconsistency of your performances, I put together a free 18-question quiz called the Mental Skills Audit, which will help you pinpoint your mental strengths and weaknesses and figure out what to tweak in your preparation.

It’s 100% free, takes only 4 minutes, and you’ll get a downloadable PDF with a personalized breakdown of where you stand in six key mental skill areas. You'll also get Pressure Proof, a 7-day email course where you'll learn specific practice strategies designed to help shrink the gap between practice and performance and play your best when it matters most.

Take the quiz here: bulletproofmusician.com/msa

🎓 In this episode, we'll take a look at at 2017 ballet study which suggests that the simple element of choice could dramatically enhance learning outcomes.

🧠 Discover:
- Why giving students control over their learning process leads to improved performance
- How autonomy boosts confidence and happiness in learners

🚀 Whether you're an educator, parent, or lifelong learner, this episode will give you some ideas on how to tweak your approach to teaching and learning.

Get the full article and all the nerdy details:
Why Giving Students Choices Could Dramatically Enhance Learning

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Have you ever wondered why it is exactly that things often sound better at home than they do on stage?

If you’ve been confused (and frustrated) by the inconsistency of your performances, I put together a free 18-question quiz called the Mental Skills Audit, which will help you pinpoint your mental strengths and weaknesses and figure out what to tweak in your preparation.

It’s 100% free, takes only 4 minutes, and you’ll get a downloadable PDF with a personalized breakdown of where you stand in six key mental skill areas. You'll also get Pressure Proof, a 7-day email course where you'll learn specific practice strategies designed to help shrink the gap between practice and performance and play your best when it matters most.

Take the quiz here: bulletproofmusician.com/msa

Ever wish you could be psychic for a moment and find out what audition committees are thinking about your performance?

Where they focused more on the technical aspects of your playing? The musical aspects of your playing? Or something else entirely?

A 2022 study (Kegelaers et al.) took a look at feedback provided by members of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra to participants in their academy program in a series of mock auditions, and categorized these comments into 14 categories and 3 main themes.

The results were probably not what the academy fellows were expecting!

Get all the nerdy details here:
What Are Audition Committees Really Listening For?

* * *
Have you ever wondered why it is exactly that things often sound better at home than they do on stage?

If you’ve been confused (and frustrated) by the inconsistency of your performances, I put together a free 18-question quiz called the Mental Skills Audit, which will help you pinpoint your mental strengths and weaknesses and figure out what to tweak in your preparation.

It’s 100% free, takes only 4 minutes, and you’ll get a downloadable PDF with a personalized breakdown of where you stand in six key mental skill areas. You'll also get Pressure Proof, a 7-day email course where you'll learn specific practice strategies designed to help shrink the gap between practice and performance and play your best when it matters most.

Take the quiz here: bulletproofmusician.com/msa

Research suggests that a short bout of exercise could enhance the effectiveness of your practice, by boosting encoding and memory consolidation.

But...if you were going to try this, when should you exercise? Before practicing? After practicing? For how long? At what level of intensity?

A 2023 study provides some answers!

Click through for all the nerdy details and references:
The Best Time to Exercise for Maximizing Practice Gains

(Oh - and if you’ve settled into a rather sedentary lifestyle in recent years and haven’t exercised in a while, do remember to consult with your physician before jumping into any sort of vigorous high-intensity exercise all of a sudden!)

* * *
Have you ever wondered why it is exactly that things often sound better at home than they do on stage?

If you’ve been confused (and frustrated) by the inconsistency of your performances, I put together a free 18-question quiz called the Mental Skills Audit, which will help you pinpoint your mental strengths and weaknesses and figure out what to tweak in your preparation.

It’s 100% free, takes only 4 minutes, and you’ll get a downloadable PDF with a personalized breakdown of where you stand in six key mental skill areas. You'll also get Pressure Proof, a 7-day email course where you'll learn specific practice strategies designed to help shrink the gap between practice and performance and play your best when it matters most.

Take the quiz here: bulletproofmusician.com/msa

Let's say you had only 60 minutes to practice in the next week. Would it be better to do 60 minutes all in one day? Or 10 minutes per day for six days?

Would it make any difference at all?

Teachers often tell us to space our practice out, instead of cramming, but how much of a difference does it really make? Two Brazilian studies provide some answers!

Get all the nerdy details (and 500+ other practice tips) right here:
How Important Is It Really to Practice Every Day?

* * *
Have you ever wondered why it is exactly that things often sound better at home than they do on stage?

If you’ve been confused (and frustrated) by the inconsistency of your performances, I put together a free 18-question quiz called the Mental Skills Audit, which will help you pinpoint your mental strengths and weaknesses and figure out what to tweak in your preparation.

It’s 100% free, takes only 4 minutes, and you’ll get a downloadable PDF with a personalized breakdown of where you stand in six key mental skill areas. You'll also get Pressure Proof, a 7-day email course where you'll learn specific practice strategies designed to help shrink the gap between practice and performance and play your best when it matters most.

Take the quiz here: bulletproofmusician.com/msa

Ever find yourself stumped by a tricky passage, where your fingers seem to be a little awkward and uncoordinated and they just don't do what they're supposed to do?

Maybe you tried slowing things down, or practicing with note groupings or rhythms, or doing your darnedest to identify any hints of hidden tension that might be getting in the way. All of which are excellent things to try, of course - but did you ever try practicing that passage with your other hand?

If you have, you know that this is often surprisingly helpful. And if you haven't, I think you'll enjoy adding this new tool to your toolkit.

Either way, I think you'll be intrigued to learn more of the how's and why's about this phenomenon, known as bilateral transfer.

Get all the nerdy details right here:
Improve Coordination With Opposite-Side Practice

* * *
Have you ever wondered why it is exactly that things often sound better at home than they do on stage?

If you’ve been confused (and frustrated) by the inconsistency of your performances, I put together a free 18-question quiz called the Mental Skills Audit, which will help you pinpoint your mental strengths and weaknesses and figure out what to tweak in your preparation.

It’s 100% free, takes only 4 minutes, and you’ll get a downloadable PDF with a personalized breakdown of where you stand in six key mental skill areas. You'll also get Pressure Proof, a 7-day email course where you'll learn specific practice strategies designed to help shrink the gap between practice and performance and play your best when it matters most.

Take the quiz here: bulletproofmusician.com/msa

Have you ever wondered...how to develop true confidence in yourself and your abilities amidst setbacks? What the right mindset is for auditions? How much of your expressive playing should be planned out, and how much is instinct? How to recover from very direct, critical audition feedback? And how do you stay in the present moment, instead of stressing out about nerves and all the bad things that could happen when you’re on stage?

If you’ve ever struggled with questions like this, I think you’ll find helpful answers in today’s episode with violinist Nathan Cole - who was recently appointed concertmaster of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Nathan shares insights, details, and lessons learned from his 20-year concertmaster audition journey, and also demonstrates an exercise (using an excerpt from Brahms’s 4th Symphony) that will help you form clearer musical intentions and play more expressively no matter what music you’re working on - especially in passages where you’re not quite sure what to do.

Get a transcript, show notes, and all the other nerdy details at:
Nathan Cole: Lessons From 20 Years of Concertmaster Auditions

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You can connect with Nathan and get tons more insights, tips, and technical advice at:

• Web: natesviolin.com

Nathan will also be teaching a live, 4-day, guided (and free) practice workshop on the Scheherazade solos from September 19-22, 2024 (at 4pm Eastern). Whether you’re aspiring to take concertmaster auditions yourself, or simply want to learn some of Nathan practice techniques and strategies for better intonation, sound, and expressive clarity that you can apply to other music that you’re working on, this will be a great way to jumpstart your fall practice with some new tools.

• Sign up for Violin Hero: Scheherazade: https://natesviolin.ac-page.com/violin-hero-nc

You can also study with Nathan through his online group learning program - Daily Virtuoso - where each quarter, he leads an in-depth study of a new set of masterworks from the repertoire. You’ll learn how to approach both the technical and musical challenges in each piece through live calls, practice assignments, and video lessons, alongside a supportive community of fellow learners.

• Join Daily Virtuoso: https://natesviolin.com/daily-virtuoso/

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Have you ever wondered why it is exactly that things often sound better at home than they do on stage?

If you’ve been confused (and frustrated) by the inconsistency of your performances, I put together a free 18-question quiz called the Mental Skills Audit, which will help you pinpoint your mental strengths and weaknesses and figure out what to tweak in your preparation.

It’s 100% free, takes only 4 minutes, and you’ll get a downloadable PDF with a personalized breakdown of where you stand in six key mental skill areas. You'll also get Pressure Proof, a 7-day email course where you'll learn specific practice strategies designed to help shrink the gap between practice and performance and play your best when it matters most.

Take the quiz here: bulletproofmusician.com/msa