The Bulletproof Musician

Taking breaks in the middle of practice or study sessions can be a pain. Often, it's a lot easier and more convenient to just power through and get it over with.But what price do we pay by not spacing out our learning, over multiple days, or with practice or study breaks? Does this really make that much of a difference?Two studies from the literature suggest that spaced learning can make quite a significant difference, actually. And one study explains why, highlighting the very different things that happen in the brain when we take breaks vs when we don't.Get all the nerdy details and references here: The Truth About Cramming: Why Your Brain Needs Breaks* * *Have you been feeling stuck in the practice room, like your progress has plateaued? Or maybe performance anxiety continues to sneak up on you, even when you know you’ve prepared as much as you possibly could - for performances, auditions, or even lessons?If you’ve been wanting to experience more satisfaction and progress in the practice room, and play more like yourself on stage, I’ll be teaching a live online, 4-week class addressing these frustrating - but solvable - challenges starting February 2, 2025.In this class, we’ll explore four key skill areas—effective practice, managing anxiety, enhancing focus, and building confidence. Through weekly Zoom sessions, we’ll work on practical, research-based exercises as a group. And to help these skills become lasting habits, you’ll get bite-sized practice challenges to gently weave into your daily routine, supported by a global community of practice buddies.Registration is open now through Sunday, January 26thOver 2000 musicians, educators, and learners of all ages have already gone through the course. You can read their stories and sign up to join Cohort 21 at: bulletproofmusician.com/essentials

Ever had one of those “I’m a total failure, and I’m never going to be invited to play with these folks again” moments?In this month’s chat, pianist Orli Shaham shares a deeply personal story about a performance at the Spoleto Festival in Italy, where rehearsals went so badly, that the piece she prepared was pulled from the program. It felt like a “complete failure” at the time, but the experience prompted her to evaluate her preparation process. Which eventually led to one of her career highlights - a performance of John Adams’s first piano concerto, in Carnegie Hall, where Adams came onstage during the applause and gave her the greatest compliment she could have asked for, as he said “You got it. You really got it.”If you’ve ever struggled with feeling out of your depth, this episode is for you.Get all the nerdy details right here:Orli Shaham: On Overcoming Setbacks and Learning to Trust the Process* * *Have you been feeling stuck in the practice room, like your progress has plateaued? Or maybe performance anxiety continues to sneak up on you, even when you know you’ve prepared as much as you possibly could - for performances, auditions, or even lessons?If you’ve been wanting to experience more satisfaction and progress in the practice room, and play more like yourself on stage, I’ll be teaching a live online, 4-week class addressing these frustrating - but solvable - challenges starting February 2, 2025.In this class, we’ll explore four key skill areas—effective practice, managing anxiety, enhancing focus, and building confidence. Through weekly Zoom sessions, we’ll work on practical, research-based exercises as a group. And to help these skills become lasting habits, you’ll get bite-sized practice challenges to gently weave into your daily routine, supported by a global community of practice buddies.Registration is open now through Sunday, January 26thOver 2000 musicians, educators, and learners of all ages have already gone through the course. You can read their stories and sign up to join Cohort 21 at: bulletproofmusician.com/essentials

Maybe you've set some goals for the coming year, but you're not quite sure where to start, and feeling a little overwhelmed? Or maybe you have a history of setting goals but not following through?A 2017 study looked at a "backwards" strategy for goal-setting and found that this increased motivation, follow-through, and actual performance as well!Get all the nerdy details here:A Backward Strategy for Enhanced Goal-Setting Success* * *Have you been feeling stuck in the practice room, like your progress has plateaued? Or maybe performance anxiety continues to sneak up on you, even when you know you’ve prepared as much as you possibly could - for performances, auditions, or even lessons?If you’ve been wanting to experience more satisfaction and progress in the practice room, and play more like yourself on stage, I’ll be teaching a live online, 4-week class addressing these frustrating - but solvable - challenges starting February 2, 2025.In this class, we’ll explore four key skill areas—effective practice, managing anxiety, enhancing focus, and building confidence. Through weekly Zoom sessions, we’ll work on practical, research-based exercises as a group. And to help these skills become lasting habits, you’ll get bite-sized practice challenges to gently weave into your daily routine, supported by a global community of practice buddies.Registration is open now through Sunday, January 26thOver 2000 musicians, educators, and learners of all ages have already gone through the course. You can read their stories and sign up to join Cohort 21 at: bulletproofmusician.com/essentials

Are you a little overwhelmed by all of the different year-in-review and goal-setting methods you're getting in your inbox? If you're confused by the variety and range of approaches out there and just want a bare-bones minimalist option to ensure that you actually do it, a 2006 study of four different goal-setting strategies provides some simple, clear guidelines.Get all the nerdy details here:4 Approaches to Goal Setting (And Which Works Best)* * *Have you been feeling stuck in the practice room, like your progress has plateaued? Or maybe performance anxiety continues to sneak up on you, even when you know you’ve prepared as much as you possibly could - for performances, auditions, or even lessons?If you’ve been wanting to experience more satisfaction and progress in the practice room, and play more like yourself on stage, I’ll be teaching a live online, 4-week class addressing these frustrating - but solvable - challenges starting February 2, 2025.In this class, we’ll explore four key skill areas—effective practice, managing anxiety, enhancing focus, and building confidence. Through weekly Zoom sessions, we’ll work on practical, research-based exercises as a group. And to help these skills become lasting habits, you’ll get bite-sized practice challenges to gently weave into your daily routine, supported by a global community of practice buddies.Registration is open now through Sunday, January 26thOver 2000 musicians, educators, and learners of all ages have already gone through the course. You can read their stories and sign up to join Cohort 21 at: bulletproofmusician.com/essentials