Registration ends at 11:59pm on Sunday, March 13th
Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds
What if practicing could...
Be more efficient and effective?
Transfer better to the stage?
And even be kind of fun?
(It totally can be - read on to learn how)
Was it dedication...or frustration?
A couple years ago, I crossed paths with a musician whom I had gone to school with, but didn’t get to know at the time.
She said that she remembers practicing in the room next door to me one day, and how she left to go eat dinner, returned an hour or so later, and was impressed to hear that I was still hard at work on the same passage I had been practicing when she left.
At the time, she thought I must be incredibly dedicated and detail-oriented to be working so diligently on a single phrase.
The reality, of course, is that I wasn’t dedicated at all. I was incredibly frustrated. Spinning my wheels. And expending a ton of time and energy for very little gain.
It’s the reason why I had such a negative relationship with practicing for most of my life.
Why is it so hard to make progress?
I didn’t understand why things often didn’t improve all that much even if I repeated it 50 times. Or used a metronome. Or practiced slow. Or used different rhythms.
I also didn’t understand why sometimes things would get much better – but then the next day, when I returned to the practice room, all my progress seemed to have disappeared overnight in my sleep.
And why sometimes, no matter how much I practiced, it felt like things were getting worse, not better.
And why it was that performances were so hit or miss, even if everything sounded great in the practice room, and I felt totally prepared.
Finally!
Looking back, I can see that the problem wasn’t a time or effort issue. I was just spending waaay too much of my time engaged in practice activities that don’t lead to effective learning.
Fortunately, things did eventually change. When I went to Juilliard for my masters, I took a sport psychology class with Don Greene, where I learned that there was a whole research literature devoted to studies on effective practice, and clear, actionable guidance on what the most effective practicers and learners do differently.
As I began incorporating more of these concepts and strategies into my daily practice, I started to feel differently about practicing. I didn’t mind it so much anymore. It was actually kind of satisfying (?!).
Because for once in my life, I felt like I was actually accomplishing things in the practice room. And I became increasingly confident that these improvements were not the fleeting and temporary improvements I was accustomed to, but lasting, reliable, permanent changes that I could count on. And not just in the practice room, or in my next lesson or studio class, but ultimately, on stage too.
So if you’ve been frustrated with practicing yourself, or feel like practicing is just one long series of slumps and plateaus, and wish you had a better relationship with practicing and performing, I’d love to share some of the essential research-based strategies, concepts, and principles that can make a world of difference.
Performance Psychology Essentials is a live, online, 4-session workshop series. An interactive crash course where you’ll learn how to develop the key mental skills that enable musicians to feel effective in the practice room, and rise to the occasion and play their best when it counts.
It won’t be just a bunch of abstract theory. We’ll cover a specific set of concrete and practical mental skills and practice strategies. Things that will not only help you develop your skills to the highest level, but demonstrate those skills as well. Especially when the pressure kicks in.
We’ll meet once a week via Zoom, go through the relevant research on four essential psychological skills, try a range of exercises and techniques together as a group, and then I’ll show you how to integrate these new skills into your daily practice.
Here's what we'll work on together
Week 1: Practicing for Pressure
- You’ll learn the #1 thing top practicers do differently, and experiment with strategies that will make it easier to integrate this sort of deep, thoughtful, “deliberate” practice into your daily routine.
- You’ll also experiment with “flipping” the practice day, and other strategies for maximizing the efficiency of your practice. No more getting to the end of the week feeling like you barely touched all of the things you needed to work on, wondering where all the time went.
- You’ll learn two unconventional and counterintuitive practice strategies that will not only enhance skill development, but maximize consistency under pressure and help you get things right the first time, not on the second or third try.
Week 2: Beating Nerves
- You’ll learn why sometimes being nervous helps you play better, why sometimes it makes you play worse, and how exactly nerves and performance quality are related.
- You’ll also learn the four key elements of an effective pre-performance routine. And how they can help you manage performance anxiety more effectively, and get off to a good start at the beginning of a performance or audition when nerves are often the worst.
Week 3: Getting Into "The Zone"
- We’ll explore the two reasons why we “choke” under pressure, and make those random, inexplicable mistakes on things that usually sound perfectly solid in the practice room.
- And you’ll practice three strategies that will enable you to get into “the zone” more consistently, facilitating not only a more optimal performance, but a more positive experience on stage as well.
Week 4: Playing with Confidence
- You’ll experiment with practice strategies designed to increase trust in your technique, and make you more comfortable taking risks on stage.
- You’ll also learn how to get into a more confident headspace in the critical moments before you play – backstage, on stage, and even during those random freak-out moments in the days leading up to a big performance when your mind starts going to the bad place.
Course schedule
Here's the plan...
We’ll meet via Zoom every week, for a live, 90-minute session where you’ll learn about and try out the essential skills and strategies described above. I’ll share the theory and research behind the skills, and then we’ll experiment with the skills live, so you’ll feel comfortable integrating the new skills into your daily practice during the week.
There will also be weekly practice and performance challenges (i.e. short homework assignments), so you’ll have some structure, and know exactly what to do every day. These assignments won’t be too time-consuming – I’m aiming for just 5-10 minutes per day – and will help you learn these skills more quickly.
And what if you miss a session, or can’t make it live?
Dates and times
Session #1: Saturday, March 19
1-2:30pm Eastern (5-6:30pm UTC)
1-2:30pm Eastern (5-6:30pm UTC)
Session #2: Saturday, March 26
1-2:30pm Eastern (5-6:30pm UTC)
1-2:30pm Eastern (5-6:30pm UTC)
Session #3: Saturday, April 2
1-2:30pm Eastern (5-6:30pm UTC)
1-2:30pm Eastern (5-6:30pm UTC)
Session #4: Saturday, April 9
1-2:30pm Eastern (5-6:30pm UTC)
1-2:30pm Eastern (5-6:30pm UTC)
Class recordings, step-by-step homework, and a private forum
I know it’d be awesome if everyone could be there for each live session, but with time zones, and schedules being what they are, I know that’s just not possible. So all sessions will be recorded and uploaded to your account, and you can catch up later that day (or whenever you get a chance).
Plus, you’ll have access to a private forum area, where you’ll be able to interact with other participants and ask me any questions that might come up. And not just during the course, but for the next 12 months afterwards too!
It’ll look something like this:
Class recordings & homework
And a private forum
What participants are saying...
"...the best online course I have ever attended."
"Just wanted to say that this was the best online course I have ever attended. The platforms you used and the resulting levels of interactions were so impressive and made it as close to the classroom as can be.
In terms of content, I am now in a different place to where I was when I started. So incredibly useful. It has transformed the way I practise.
Just hope I can keep the momentum going! Thanks again!"
IB
Clarinet
"...I'm really glad that I took the risk."
"Thanks for a great course! At the beginning of the course I had wondered what it would be like allowing myself to be in so vulnerable a place, and since it has been many years since I've had to play in front of the class I was a bit nervous. I also wondered whether I'd be the old man in a class filled with much younger players, but of course that turned out to not be the case at all.
But I feel that I have already reaped some real benefits from the class, so I'm really glad that I took the risk. I honestly can't say that I'd change anything in the course.
Hope to do more of your classes in the future!"
RP
Guitar
"...reminded me how much I like learning about music..."
"I want to thank you for a great class! When I inquired about the class beforehand, I wasn't sure how much I would get out of it since I have few opportunities to perform. But you made it really interesting, which in turn reminded me how much I like learning about music, which in turn prompted me to resume lessons with my piano teacher!
My first lesson was Monday, and it's exciting to be back in lesson mode. So, thanks for a great class AND for indirectly getting me back into music lessons."
BW
Piano
"...this one was the most fun and gave me the most confidence."
"Before signing up, I was worried about whether I had enough time to do this, and whether I could do the necessary technology, and most of all if I was going to have to perform in front of others in a breakout room.
But I learned I could do the technology, which was very empowering. And right off the bat I learned that there were 140 people who experience the same anxiety about performing that I do which was a comforting thought. I learned that by putting myself in an uncomfortable situation I could have fun, feel supported and grow. From other participants I learned that even after just 3 days of practicing a short piece and trying a centering, focusing or confidence building technique that they could notice an improvement in my tone! Woohoo!
I really enjoyed the weekly assignments, having a specific daily plan, trying something new and then getting feedback from others and giving it to others. I also loved your humor and the videos you shared; and your attitude of acceptance, kindness and genuine desire to be helpful. I took several workshops during the pandemic, this one was the most fun and gave me the most confidence. Thank you for offering this class and the weekly tips!"
JB
Harp
Is this course right for me?
So…who is this course for? Is it for conservatory students who are aspiring to a career in music? Or for adult learners seeking to show more of what they are capable of in lessons, or enjoy performing for friends and family more?
Well, I know that the smart, business-savvy thing to do is to create a program that appears to target a very narrow and exclusive audience. And yes, it’s true that different people have different learning goals and needs, and there is no one-size-fits-all formula for peak performance.
We’re more alike than it sometimes feels
However, in working with a wide range of musicians over the last decade or so, from advanced middle schoolers to conservatory students to adult beginners to experienced amateur to professionals who have been playing for decades, it’s been nice to see how much we have in common, regardless of our age, experience, or level of playing. And also, how broadly applicable and useful many of these relatively little-discussed and unintuitive practice and performance strategies can be, whether we’re hoping to be more effective in the practice room, manage nerves, get into the zone, or play more freely on stage.
So whether you’re in conservatory, picking up an instrument as an adult, or coming back to the instrument after some time away, I hope you’ll feel welcomed in joining a cohort of curious and inquisitive learners for this live, online, 4-session crash course on the essential practice strategies and mental skills that I think could make a world of difference in your day-to-day musical life.
If you’re an educator…
If, on the other hand, you are a professional musician/educator, you’ll probably find the Performance Psych Essentials for Educators course to be a better fit, as the focus is not just on learning to use these skills yourself, but on how to teach these skills as well.
(More details on that version of the course are available here.)
If you have any lingering questions about whether this might be the right fit or not, feel free to send me an email and I’ll be happy to chat further about this!
And you can even add a practice buddy!
Wait...what's this?
I grew up in a house in the middle of the woods, outside of a small, rural community. It was a quiet and peaceful place to grow up, but there weren’t a lot of other musicians around.
And for most of my life, I felt like I was practicing all alone, and missing out on all of the fun my friends were having, as they rode their bikes, played soccer, or came up with crazy new things to do like playing soccer on their bikes.
So summer festivals (and college), felt pretty incredible.
Because for once, when I was practicing, I knew my friends were practicing too. Whether they were next door, or down the hall, it was nice to know that I wasn’t missing out on anything. And with everyone just a few steps away, this meant that practice breaks were way more fun too.
All this to say, you can totally go through this course on your own, and get a ton out of it. But if you’ve been feeling a little isolated in your daily practice this last year, and have a friend or practice buddy that you’d like to go through the course with, I think that could add a whole other dimension to this experience as well.
I’d like to make it as easy as possible to add in this social element, so there’s an option below to get a second account for your practice buddy at a much-reduced cost.
How to Sign Up
Performance Psychology Essentials
(Solo Edition)
$199
- 4 live sessions
- Access to live session recordings for 1 full year
- Access to private group and ask-me-anything forum for 1 full year
- Get a second account for a practice buddy
Performance Psychology Essentials
(Practice Buddy Edition)
$199+$50
(that's $249 total, for you plus a friend)
- 4 live sessions
- Access to live session recordings for 1 full year
- Access to private group and ask-me-anything forum for 1 full year
- Get a second account for a practice buddy (i.e. two "solo editions" for $249)
Frequently Asked Questions
The Educator version of this course covers 80-90% of the same skills and strategies, but the focus is not just on learning and applying these skills in the practice room and on stage, but teaching them as well.
This Learner version of the course is really intended to be a place for students and adult learners to learn these skills and connect with each other. If you are an educator and would like to integrate more performance psychology techniques and principles not just into your own playing, but into your lessons as well, I’d recommend waiting until the next educator session begins. Click here to join the waitlist and get an email when the course re-opens.
The sessions will be recorded and uploaded as soon as Zoom does its thing and I can upload them to my host (usually by the end of the day). So you’ll be able to “play along” with the exercises we do, and submit your homework into the group along with everyone else without too much of a delay.
And part of the reason for my creating the private social network for this training, is to ensure that we can all communicate with each other asynchronously, regardless of whatever time zone we may be based in.
It’s tricky to set a minimum age, as I’ve had students as young as 12 in my pre-college classes, and most have been super engaged, curious, enthusiastic, and independent learners.
So while I’m inclined to recommend that participants be age 18 or above, if you have a younger student that would like to participate, just email me, and we can chat about whether this would be a good fit for them at this time.
The short answer is that there is quite a bit of overlap between this course and Beyond Practicing. The “Essentials” course is intended more for folks who would like a live, guided introduction to mental skills training. With Beyond Practicing being a more comprehensive resource to explore afterwards.
That said, a number of Beyond Practicers have signed up for the Essentials course (BP alumni are eligible for a 50% discount, btw) and really enjoyed the live experience. So if you are already enrolled in Beyond Practicing and remain interested in a live learning experience of some of these skills, email me and we can see if this might be a good fit for you.
After completing checkout, you’ll receive an email confirming your enrollment. Just reply to that email with the name and email address of your practice buddy, and I’ll be able to use that info to manually create their account, and send them a welcome email with their login credentials.
No problem. Just email me, and I’ll do my best to answer them!
Ready to get started?
"So much fabulous, valuable information in every session."
"The course was so enjoyable and very, very informative. I learned heaps and heaps! So thoroughly researched, and attractively presented. I especially appreciate all the wonderful visual stills and video examples you provided. Making the info multi-sensory like this helps provides instant cues that anchor the info and makes retrieval of the info so easy.
So much fabulous, valuable information in every session. I'm looking forward to tidying up my notes and creating a little booklet I can refer to, and keep practicing the strategies. Being able to access the session recording was terrific, not only because of the time zone difficulty, but because being able to pause and make notes, or go back over a section where you casually dropped a particularly wonderful gem of info, was brilliant. The pdfs of the slides were so helpful. Thanks again!"
SD
Cello