The Bulletproof Musician

Thanksgiving is just a few days away, so whether your holiday will be of the turkey, turducken, or Tofurky variety, the one thing we all have in common is that someone will suggest that we go around the table and share one thing that we're grateful for, just as we're about to eat. 🥹There are an awful lot of quotes out there about how we ought to count our blessings. And it does sound like a good thing to do. But does this actually do anything?Get all the nerdy details right here:Does Counting Our Blessings Really Change Anything?* * *Have you ever been frustrated by the gap between how you sound in the practice room and how you sound on stage (or in lessons)?For years, I wondered if it was because I wasn't practicing enough. But performing remained inconsistent, even when I practiced more. Then I learned there was a whole field of science around performing optimally under pressure and more rapid skill development. This changed how I felt and sounded on stage. I even began to enjoy practicing more, because the work I was doing actually stuck! If you’ve had a nagging feeling that something in your practice needs to change, but weren’t sure exactly what, I’d love to share with you the research-based strategies and techniques that I hope all musicians, educators, and learners will someday have in their toolbox. It’s all in a home-study course based on the semester-long classes I teach at Juilliard. And if you sign up during the Black Friday 2-for-1 event (ends Sunday, Dec. at 11:59pm), you’ll receive a second bonus account that you can gift to a practice buddy of your choice. You and your buddy will also be able to join jazz violinist Christian Howes’s live 2-week Improvisation Accelerator classes - for free. (Typically $197 per person) Get the 2-for-1 offer here: bulletproofmusician.com/bogo...

You've heard that mental practice and mental imagery can help enhance your learning - but what if your images are fuzzy and this is difficult for you? Is this something that you can get better at with practice?Spoiler alert: yes - and a 2014 study provides some insights into a way to improve your mental imagery abilities that might be easier than practicing imagery the regular old-fashioned way. Through a technique called "action observation."But is action observation as effective as the traditional way of practicing imagery?Get all the nerdy details, references, and more right here: An Easier Way to Get Better at Mental Imagery?* * *Have you ever been frustrated by the gap between how you sound in the practice room and how you sound on stage (or in lessons)?For years, I wondered if it was because I wasn't practicing enough. But performing remained inconsistent, even when I practiced more. Then I learned there was a whole field of science around performing optimally under pressure and more rapid skill development. This changed how I felt and sounded on stage. I even began to enjoy practicing more, because the work I was doing actually stuck! If you’ve had a nagging feeling that something in your practice needs to change, but weren’t sure exactly what, I’d love to share with you the research-based strategies and techniques that I hope all musicians, educators, and learners will someday have in their toolbox. It’s all in a home-study course based on the semester-long classes I teach at Juilliard. And if you sign up during the Black Friday 2-for-1 event (ends Sunday, Dec. at 11:59pm), you’ll receive a second bonus account that you can gift to a practice buddy of your choice. You and your buddy will also be able to join jazz violinist Christian Howes’s live 2-week Improvisation Accelerator classes - for free. (Typically $197 per person) Get the 2-for-1 offer here: bulletproofmusician.com/bogo...

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?* * *Have you ever been frustrated by the gap between how you sound in the practice room and how you sound on stage (or in lessons)?For years, I wondered if it was because I wasn't practicing enough. But performing remained inconsistent, even when I practiced more. Then I learned there was a whole field of science around performing optimally under pressure and more rapid skill development. This changed how I felt and sounded on stage. I even began to enjoy practicing more, because the work I was doing actually stuck! If you’ve had a nagging feeling that something in your practice needs to change, but weren’t sure exactly what, I’d love to share with you the research-based strategies and techniques that I hope all musicians, educators, and learners will someday have in their toolbox. It’s all in a home-study course based on the semester-long classes I teach at Juilliard. And if you sign up during the Black Friday 2-for-1 event (ends Sunday, Dec. at 11:59pm), you’ll receive a second bonus account that you can gift to a practice buddy of your choice. You and your buddy will also be able to join jazz violinist Christian Howes’s live 2-week Improvisation Accelerator classes - for free. (Typically $197 per person) Get the 2-for-1 offer here: bulletproofmusician.com/bogo...

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/* * *Have you ever been frustrated by the gap between how you sound in the practice room and how you sound on stage (or in lessons)?For years, I wondered if it was because I wasn't practicing enough. But performing remained inconsistent, even when I practiced more. Then I learned there was a whole field of science around performing optimally under pressure and more rapid skill development. This changed how I felt and sounded on stage. I even began to enjoy practicing more, because the work I was doing actually stuck! If you’ve had a nagging feeling that something in your practice needs to change, but weren’t sure exactly what, I’d love to share with you the research-based strategies and techniques that I hope all musicians, educators, and learners will someday have in their toolbox. It’s all in a home-study course based on the semester-long classes I teach at Juilliard. And if you sign up during the Black Friday 2-for-1 event (ends Sunday, Dec. at 11:59pm), you’ll receive a second bonus account that you can gift to a practice buddy of your choice. You and your buddy will also be able to join jazz violinist Christian Howes’s live 2-week Improvisation Accelerator classes - for free. (Typically $197 per person) Get the 2-for-1 offer here: bulletproofmusician.com/bogo...