Why Lowering Standards Can Sometimes Promote Better Learning

In many areas of our life (surgery, aviation, and dealing with bedbugs are a few things that come to mind), I think it’s fair to say that having really high standards is a very good thing.</p>Intuitively, you’d think that the same would be true when it comes to learning and performing an instrument as well.</p>But as you’ll see in today’s study, that’s not always the case. As in, there are times when relaxing or <em>lowering</em> our standards can actually lead to better learning, and better performance too.</p>How can that be?! Yeah, I know. This all sounds wrong, right?</p>Get all the nerdy details here: <a href="https://bulletproofmusician.com/which-promotes-greater-learning-higher-standards-or-lower-standards/">Why Lowering Standards Can Sometimes Promote Better Learning</a></p><br />====<br />Why do things sound better at home than they do on stage? <br /><br /> If you’ve been confused (and frustrated) by the inconsistency of your performances, I put together a FREE 4-minute quiz called the Mental Skills Audit, which will help you pinpoint your mental strengths and weaknesses, and figure out what exactly to adjust and tweak in your preparation for more consistently optimal performances. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />You'll also get the Pressure Proof Practice Challenge, a free 1-week email course where you'll learn specific practice strategies to help you perform your best when it matters most - even under pressure.<br /><br /> Take the quiz here: <a href="https://bulletproofmusician.com/msa">bulletproofmusician.com/msa</a></p>

00:06:31

“Brain Fatigue” and the Best Thing to Do on Practice Breaks

Other than putting our instruments down, what should we be doing during our practice breaks to mentally recharge our batteries and prepare ourselves best for the next chunk of practice?<br /><br />Watch cute animal videos? Take a quick nap? Grab some coffee? <br /><br />Is there such a thing as a "best" practice break activity? Maybe not, but there's some research in the creativity and stress-reduction domains which all point at one particular activity that could be worth experimenting with during your next practice break.<br /><br />Get all the nerdy details here:<br /><a href="https://bulletproofmusician.com/brain-fatigue-and-the-best-thing-to-do-on-a-practice-break/">“Brain Fatigue” and the Best Thing to Do on Practice Breaks</a></p><br />====<br />Why do things sound better at home than they do on stage? <br /><br /> If you’ve been confused (and frustrated) by the inconsistency of your performances, I put together a FREE 4-minute quiz called the Mental Skills Audit, which will help you pinpoint your mental strengths and weaknesses, and figure out what exactly to adjust and tweak in your preparation for more consistently optimal performances. <br /><br />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 the Pressure Proof Practice Challenge, a free 1-week email course where you'll learn specific practice strategies that will help you perform your best when it matters most, even under pressure. <br /><br /> Take the quiz here: <a href="https://bulletproofmusician.com/msa">bulletproofmusician.com/msa</a></p>

00:07:50

Why Reflection Should Be Part of Your Daily Practice Routine

3-time Olympic diving coach Jeff Huber once said that he would get really excited when one of his athletes would approach him and say "Hey coach, I've been thinking..." <br /><br />He explained that this phrase was often a sign that they were about to take a significant leap forward in their development as a diver (you can listen to his podcast episode <a href="https://bulletproofmusician.com/interview-olympic-diving-coach-jeff-huber-on-preparing-mentally-for-competition/">here</a> if you missed it).<br /><br />Of course, it's not the words themselves that are so important, but an important learning process implied by this phrase that makes all the difference. <br /><br />Unfortunately, it's an aspect of practice that we often skip. Heck, you may not even think of it as an important part of practice. But including this in your daily routine could make a big difference in your growth and development.<br /><br />Get all the nerdy details here:<br /><a href="https://bulletproofmusician.com/why-a-little-reflection-should-be-a-regular-part-of-your-practice-routine/">Why Reflection Should Be Part of Your Daily Practice Routine</a></p><br />====<br />Why do things sound better at home than they do on stage? <br /><br /> If you’ve been confused (and frustrated) by the inconsistency of your performances, I put together a FREE 4-minute quiz called the Mental Skills Audit, which will help you pinpoint your mental strengths and weaknesses, and figure out what exactly to adjust and tweak in your preparation for more consistently optimal performances. <br /><br />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 the Pressure Proof Practice Challenge, a free 1-week email course where you'll learn specific practice strategies that will help you perform your best, even under pressure. <br /><br /> Take the quiz here: <a href="https://bulletproofmusician.com/msa">bulletproofmusician.com/msa</a></p>

00:06:34

How to Practice for More Consistent Performances

Have you ever wished audiences (or your teacher) could hear the awesome private version of yourself that you hear in the practice room, instead of the slightly less awesome public version of yourself that appears on stage?</p>Sure, nerves can play a role in this, but part of the problem is how we practice. There's a tendency to strive for too much consistency in the practice room - which sounds like the right thing to do, but can actually be counterproductive. I know that seems bonkers, but we'll explore a couple studies today that will illustrate why aiming for too many "perfect" repetitions in a row can paradoxically lead to less consistency and accuracy on stage. And you'll learn what we should be doing more of instead.</p>Get all the nerdy details and this week’s practice hack right here:</p><a href="https://bulletproofmusician.com/a-practice-strategy-that-will-help-you-play-more-accurately-when-it-counts/">​<b>How to Practice for More Consistent Performances</b></a></p><br />====<br />Have you been feeling a little stuck or stagnant in the practice room? Or has performance anxiety been a nagging issue that hasn’t gotten any better, no matter how prepared you feel before performances, auditions, or even lessons for that matter? <br /><br />If you’ve been wanting to experience more joy in the practice room and play more like yourself on stage, but haven’t been quite sure how to make that happen, starting October 15th, 2023, I’ll be teaching a live, online, 4-week class on the most essential mental skills and practice strategies that can make a difference in your practicing and performing. <br /><br />We’ll meet once a week via Zoom and explore the relevant research in four essential areas, experiment with a curated set of exercises and techniques together as a group, and to make sure the ideas become consistent habits, I'll show you how to gently integrate these new skills into your (or your students’) daily practice through bite-sized practice challenges alongside a supportive group of practice buddies from around the world. <br /><br />Registration is open now and runs through Monday, October 9th. <br /><br />Over 1300 musicians, educators, and students and learners of all ages have participated in the course to date. You can find out what they're saying and learn how to join Cohort 15 at: <a href="https://members.bulletproofmusician.com/edu/performance-psychology-essentials/">bulletproofmusician.com/essentials</a></p>

00:10:30

On the Perils of “Perfect Practice”: Christine Carter & Ellen Hendriksen

If you’re reading this, I’m guessing that you have pretty high standards of performance in at least one area of your life. I mean, you probably wouldn’t be interested in a performance psychology podcast if you didn’t, no? 😅</p>I'm also guessing that you've been accused, or praised, for being a perfectionist at some point or another. Maybe even both - because I think society sends us a lot of mixed messages about perfectionism.</p>On one hand, I think we know that it doesn’t make us look great to humblebrag about our perfectionism, and claim it as our biggest weakness in job interviews.</p>But on the other hand, we often get a pat on the back for our perfectionistic tendencies, when people marvel at our “attention to detail,” or how “dedicated” or “diligent” or “committed” we are.</p>It’s easy to confuse perfectionism with having high standards, and assume that being a perfectionist is a good thing in the practice room. But it turns out that perfectionism could push us to practice in a way that not only makes practicing less fun, but inhibits our learning, and could even make us less effective and compelling musicians.</p>So why exactly is “perfect practice” a problem? And what’s the more effective alternative?</p>Get all the nerdy details, and links to studies and practice strategies referenced in the episode right here:</p>​<a href="https://bulletproofmusician.com/on-the-perils-of-perfect-practice-christine-carter-ellen-hendriksen/"><b>On the Perils of “Perfect Practice”: Christine Carter & Ellen Hendriksen</b></a></p><br />====<br />Have you been feeling a little stuck or stagnant in the practice room? Or has performance anxiety been a nagging issue that hasn’t gotten any better, no matter how prepared you feel before performances, auditions, or even lessons for that matter? <br /><br />If you’ve been wanting to experience more joy in the practice room and play more like yourself on stage, but haven’t been quite sure how to make that happen, starting October 15th, 2023, I’ll be teaching a live, online, 4-week class on the most essential mental skills and practice strategies that can make a difference in your practicing and performing. <br /><br />We’ll meet once a week via Zoom and explore the relevant research in four essential areas, experiment with a curated set of exercises and techniques together as a group, and to make sure the ideas become consistent habits, I'll show you how to gently integrate these new skills into your (or your students’) daily practice through bite-sized practice challenges alongside a supportive group of practice buddies from around the world. <br /><br />Registration is open now and runs through Monday, October 9th. <br /><br />Over 1300 musicians, educators, and students and learners of all ages have participated in the course to date. You can find out what they're saying and learn how to join Cohort 15 at: <a href="https://members.bulletproofmusician.com/edu/performance-psychology-essentials/">bulletproofmusician.com/essentials</a></p>

00:48:46

Are Today’s Musicians More “Clone-Like?"

A few weeks ago, violinist Nigel Kennedy was quoted as saying that today's young musicians are more "clone-like," noting that while so many have phenomenal technical fluency, this may have come at the expense of musical communication.<br /><br />This was in the context of a larger (and intriguing) conversation about how funding in music is distributed, and how this might be part of the issue, but regardless, I was curious to see if there might be any studies on this particular issue.<br /><br />Though I didn't find any data on this in the realm of classical music, I did find a 2012 study that explored this in the context of popular music. Which had some pretty interesting findings that I suspect could be related to classical music as well.<br /><br />Click below for all the nerdy details, and how this could be related to your daily practice: <a href="https://bulletproofmusician.com/are-todays-artists-more-uniform-and-less-musically-adventurous-than-those-of-yesteryear/">Are Today’s Musicians More “Clone-Like?"</a></p><br />====<br />Have you been feeling a little stuck or stagnant in the practice room? Or has performance anxiety been a nagging issue that hasn’t gotten any better, no matter how prepared you feel before performances, auditions, or even lessons for that matter? <br /><br />If you’ve been wanting to experience more joy in the practice room and play more like yourself on stage, but haven’t been quite sure how to make that happen, starting October 15th, 2023, I’ll be teaching a live, online, 4-week class on the most essential mental skills and practice strategies that can make a difference in your practicing and performing. <br /><br />We’ll meet once a week via Zoom and explore the relevant research in four essential areas, experiment with a curated set of exercises and techniques together as a group, and to make sure the ideas become consistent habits, I'll show you how to gently integrate these new skills into your (or your students’) daily practice through bite-sized practice challenges alongside a supportive group of practice buddies from around the world. <br /><br />Registration begins next week - Sunday, October 1st, and runs through Monday, October 9th. <br /><br />Over 1000 musicians, educators, and students and learners of all ages have participated in the course to date. You can get all the details and learn how to join Cohort 15 at: <a href="https://bulletproofmusician.com/essentials">bulletproofmusician.com/essentials</a><br /><br /></p>

00:08:00

Why Practicing Too Much Could Actually Increase Errors

I often get questions about specific topics or issues that haven't already been covered in  a podcast episode. Today's episode is devoted to a question that has come up a fair bit.<br /><br />Specifically, it's about staying focused in the practice room. And in particular, for those who have been diagnosed with ADHD.<br /><br />The study compares a group of college students who practice for 80 repetitions with a group that practices for 160. The main question being - how much additional benefit does practicing twice as much have when it comes to speed and accuracy? <br /><br />And does this apply equally to students who have been diagnosed with ADHD and those who are non-ADHD?<br /><br />Turns out the findings apply to both ADHD and non-ADHD populations. Click below for all the nerdy details:<br /><a href="https://bulletproofmusician.com/why-practicing-more-can-lead-to-worse-performance/">Why Practicing Too Much Could Actually Increase Errors</a></p><br />====<br />Why do things sound better at home than they do on stage?<br /><br /> If you’ve been confused (and frustrated) by the inconsistency of your performances, I put together a FREE 4-minute quiz called the Mental Skills Audit, which will help you pinpoint your mental strengths and weaknesses, and figure out what exactly to adjust and tweak in your preparation for more consistently optimal performances. <br /><br />You can take the Mental Skills Audit online at <a href="https://bulletproofmusician.com/msa">bulletproofmusician.com/msa</a>. 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, plus curated articles that will help you adjust and tweak your preparation for more consistently optimal performances. <br /><br />Take the quiz here: <a href="https://bulletproofmusician.com/msa">bulletproofmusician.com/msa</a></p>

00:08:35

How Consistent Do Pre-Performance Routines Need to Be?

If you've watched any sports - especially golf, basketball, and tennis - you've probably noticed that many athletes have a pre-shot, pre-free throw, or pre-serve ritual that they go through before performing that skill.<br /><br />Many musicians have rituals too, even if it's as simple as wiping your hands on your pants or hearing the opening of a piece to get the tempo in mind before you begin playing.<br /><br />Athletes' routines tend to be very consistent, and don't change from game to game or shot to shot. But how important is it to keep your routine consistent? Does it matter how long the routine takes, or whether the ingredients of your routine remain the same from one performance to the next?<br /><br />Get all the nerdy details here:<br /><a href="https://bulletproofmusician.com/pre-performance-routines-consistent-need/">How Consistent Do Pre-Performance Routines Need to Be?</a></p><br />====<br />Why do things sound better at home than they do on stage?<br /><br /> If you’ve been confused (and frustrated) by the inconsistency of your performances, I put together a FREE 4-minute quiz called the Mental Skills Audit, which will help you pinpoint your mental strengths and weaknesses, and figure out what exactly to adjust and tweak in your preparation for more consistently optimal performances. <br /><br />You can take the Mental Skills Audit online at <a href="https://bulletproofmusician.com/msa">bulletproofmusician.com/msa</a>. 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, plus curated articles that will help you adjust and tweak your preparation for more consistently optimal performances. <br /><br />Take the quiz here: <a href="https://bulletproofmusician.com/msa">bulletproofmusician.com/msa</a></p>

00:09:11

The Surprising Truth about Learning Styles

At some point or another, you've probably come across learning styles theory. Which suggests that some of us are visual learners, others are auditory learners, or kinesthetic learners, etc., and that we learn best if we are taught in a way that aligns with our learning style.<br /><br />This makes a lot of sense, and feels pretty true as well - but what does the research say?<br /><br />A 2009 review of the literature gives us some answers. And, spoiler alert, basically there's no evidence to support this theory. In other words, learning styles theory seems to be a myth. 😳 Wait...what?!<br /><br />For all the nerdy details and links to strategies that do work, check out the full article:<br /><a href="https://bulletproofmusician.com/the-surprising-truth-about-learning-styles/">The Surprising Truth about Learning Styles</a><br /><br /><br /></p><br />====<br />Why do things sound better at home than they do on stage?<br /><br /> If you’ve been confused (and frustrated) by the inconsistency of your performances, I put together a FREE 4-minute quiz called the Mental Skills Audit, which will help you pinpoint your mental strengths and weaknesses, and figure out what exactly to adjust and tweak in your preparation for more consistently optimal performances. <br /><br />You can take the Mental Skills Audit online at <a href="https://bulletproofmusician.com/msa">bulletproofmusician.com/msa</a>. 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, plus curated articles that will help you adjust and tweak your preparation for more consistently optimal performances. <br /><br />Take the quiz here: <a href="https://bulletproofmusician.com/msa">bulletproofmusician.com/msa</a></p>

00:09:19

Difficulty Staying Focused While Practicing? Why “Airplane Mode” May Not Be Enough

You know those moments when you're practicing, and suddenly wonder what time the 49ers game is tonight? Or if so-and-so returned your email? Or if it's going to rain tomorrow? Or what you should eat for lunch? <br /><br />Staying focused for extended periods of time can be a real challenge. And our phones dinging and buzzing every other minute certainly doesn't make this any easier. But airplane mode should solve that problem, right?<br /><br />Well...according to a 2017 study, maybe not! But that's ok - there are some simple things we can do to make sure we can devote as much of our brainpower as possible to practicing, with as little cognitive "leakage" as possible.<br /><br />Get all the nerdy details here:<br /><a href="https://bulletproofmusician.com/difficulty-staying-focused-practice-room-airplane-mode-may-not-be-enough/">Difficulty Staying Focused While Practicing? Why “Airplane Mode” May Not Be Enough</a></p><br />====<br />Why do things sound better at home than they do on stage?<br /><br /> If you’ve been confused (and frustrated) by the inconsistency of your performances, I put together a FREE 4-minute quiz called the Mental Skills Audit, which will help you pinpoint your mental strengths and weaknesses, and figure out what exactly to adjust and tweak in your preparation for more consistently optimal performances. <br /><br />You can take the Mental Skills Audit online at <a href="https://bulletproofmusician.com/msa">bulletproofmusician.com/msa</a>. 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, plus curated articles that will help you adjust and tweak your preparation for more consistently optimal performances. <br /><br />Take the quiz here: <a href="https://bulletproofmusician.com/msa">bulletproofmusician.com/msa</a></p>

00:08:48