The Mind Over Finger Podcast

Dr. Renée-Paule Gauthier
  • 5.0 (4)
  • MUSIC
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Discussions on mindful music-making, efficient practice, and building a purposeful career with the performers, pedagogues, and innovators who are shaping the classical music world today! The Mind Over Finger Podcast is a resource for knowledge, insight, tips, tricks, and inspiration for musicians interested in learning more about practicing mindfully, performing optimally, and getting more intentional in creating a fulfilling musical career. We provide you with the tools to mindfully shift your musical practice from unconscious to deliberate, from paint-by-numbers to art by flow, from going through the motions to delightful play!

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    262 From Battling Doubt To Dancing With It -How Robert Sanders Learned To Trust Himself Under Pressure

    What if confidence is not the absence of doubt? In this deeply honest conversation, violinist Robert Sanders shares what changed internally as he navigated auditions, pressure, comparison, and eventually won a full time position with the Bruckner Orchestra Linz. This episode is not about becoming fearless. It's about learning how to stop fighting yourself so aggressively underneath the pressure. In this episode: • Why self doubt does not disappear even at a high level • How Robert shifted from battling doubt to "dancing" with it • The surprising mindset shift that changed his audition experience • Why learning to work with yourself changes everything under pressure If you're ready to step on stage with confidence, perform at your best, and finally feel secure in your playing, let's talk! Book a free discovery call and let's create a plan to get you there. Are you ready to take your playing and career to the next level and create a life that feels purposeful and joyful? Let's connect and explore how personalized coaching can support your journey. Click here to schedule your free consultation, and let's start turning your goals into reality.   Book your FREE Music Mastery Experience Discovery call with Renée HERE Book your free consultation with Renée HERE Download the transcript from this episode HERE   Robert Sanders Website: www.robertsandersviolin.com       Mind Over Finger Click www.mindoverfinger.com/coaching to book your free consultation with me. Visit MindOverFinger.com for my online courses as well as free resources on peak performance. Grab my free workshops and PDF downloads by going to www.mindoverfinger.com/resources. Connect: https://www.youtube.com/@MindOverFinger https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfinger https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/     THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme:  Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson.

    1 hr

  2. 2 DAYS AGO

    You Can Play Better Than This - Why You Don't Sound Like Yourself Under Pressure

    You know that feeling when you walk off stage thinking, "I can play so much better than this"? In this episode, I unpack three powerful patterns I saw during the Musicians Edge Challenge with more than 300 musicians and why so many performers lose access to themselves under pressure even when they've prepared brilliantly. In this episode: • Why your best playing can feel impossible to recreate on demand • What really happens when a different version of you shows up on stage • Why many musicians keep trying to solve the wrong problem If you're ready to close the gap between how you play in the practice room and who you become under pressure, the Music Mastery Experience is open for enrollment now. Inside MME, we work on performance preparation, self trust, mindset, nervous system regulation, and the hidden patterns that shape your performances. Enrollment closes May 20 and we begin June 1. Learn more at mindoverfinger.com/mme   Book your FREE Music Mastery Experience Discovery call with Renée HERE Book your free consultation with Renée HERE Download the transcript from this episode HERE   Mind Over Finger Click www.mindoverfinger.com/coaching to book your free consultation with me. Visit MindOverFinger.com for my online courses as well as free resources on peak performance. Grab my free workshops and PDF downloads by going to www.mindoverfinger.com/resources. Connect: https://www.youtube.com/@MindOverFinger https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfinger https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/     THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme:  Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson.

    21 min

  3. 1 MAY

    The Journey to Winning — How Marie-Michel Beauparlant Reclaimed Her Confidence and Her Career

    If you've ever stood in the wings before a performance and wondered how you got there — not in a good way — this episode is for you. Marie-Michel Beauparlant is an accomplished cellist, a mom of twins, and one of the most honest guests we've had on the show. She talks about the years she spent hiding behind section playing because solo performing felt impossible, the guilt of chasing an audition with six-month-old twins at home, and what it actually took to go from dreading the spotlight to being, as she puts it herself, a little addicted to it. This is a real conversation about the inner life of a working musician — and it will stay with you. In this episode you will discover: Why perfectionism and stage fright so often go hand in hand and what Marie-Michel did to start untangling them How she went from barely advancing in auditions to winning two orchestra positions and making finals consistently The mindset shift that led her to remove the word failure from her vocabulary entirely How finding a community of musicians facing similar challenges made her feel less alone and normalized the struggles she had been carrying quietly for years The simple question she asks herself before every practice session that keeps her grounded and motivated What winning really looks like when you stop making it only about the outcome   Want to experience this kind of transformation in your own musical life? The doors to the Music Mastery Experience open June 1st. Visit mindoverfinger.com/mme to learn more and book your free call today. Spots are limited.   Book your FREE Music Mastery Experience Clarity Call with Renée HERE Download the transcript from this episode HERE       Mind Over Finger Click www.mindoverfinger.com/coaching to book your free consultation with me. Visit MindOverFinger.com for my online courses as well as free resources on peak performance. Grab my free workshops and PDF downloads by going to www.mindoverfinger.com/resources. Connect: https://www.youtube.com/@MindOverFinger https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfinger https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/     THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme:  Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson.

    57 min

  4. 23 APR

    Why Trying Harder Makes It Worse - The Hidden Cognitive Habit That's Sabotaging Your Best Work

    You know that feeling when you nail a passage in rehearsal, and then the harder you try to repeat it, the faster it falls apart? In this solo episode, Dr. Renée-Paule reveals why the desire to play well is often the very thing getting in your way. This one hits close to home for any musician who has ever spiraled mid-performance wondering why their preparation suddenly feels like it vanished. ·         The reason a passage that felt effortless on the first attempt can completely unravel by the third, and why it has nothing to do with your technique. ·         How monitoring your own performance in real time activates the wrong part of your brain and turns you into a spectator of your own playing. ·         Why high expectations belong in the practice room and become an obstacle the moment you walk on stage. ·         A simple 60-second ritual to do right before you perform that shifts your entire relationship with the moment.   Are you ready to take your playing and career to the next level and create a life that feels purposeful and joyful? If you're ready to step on stage with confidence, perform at your best, and finally feel secure in your playing, join the Musician's Edge Challenge.   Join the Musician's Edge Challenge HERE If you're ready to step on stage with confidence, perform at your best, and finally feel secure in your playing, let's talk! Book a free discovery call and let's create a plan to get you there. Are you ready to take your playing and career to the next level and create a life that feels purposeful and joyful? Let's connect and explore how personalized coaching can support your journey. Click here to schedule your free consultation, and let's start turning your goals into reality.   Book your FREE Music Mastery Experience Discovery call with Renée HERE Book your free consultation with Renée HERE Download the transcript from this episode HERE   Mind Over Finger Click www.mindoverfinger.com/coaching to book your free consultation with me. Visit MindOverFinger.com for my online courses as well as free resources on peak performance. Grab my free workshops and PDF downloads by going to www.mindoverfinger.com/resources. Connect: https://www.youtube.com/@MindOverFinger https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfinger https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/     THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme:  Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson.

    17 min

  5. 17 APR

    The Audition You've Been Capable of All Along - The Missing Piece Most Audition Prep Completely Skips

    You've prepared the excerpts. You've done the mock auditions. You've done everything right — and something still slips when it matters most. In this episode, Dr. Renée-Paule Gauthier gets to the heart of what's actually separating the players who walk off feeling like themselves from the ones who walk off wondering what just happened. The answer isn't what you think — and it's more within your reach than you realize. In this episode: ·         Why the problem is almost never the excerpts ·         The difference between preparing your excerpts and preparing yourself ·         What attentional narrowing does to your musicality under pressure ·         The one question that begins to change everything   Are you ready to take your playing and career to the next level and create a life that feels purposeful and joyful? If you're ready to step on stage with confidence, perform at your best, and finally feel secure in your playing, join the Musician's Edge Challenge.   Join the Musician's Edge Challenge HERE If you're ready to step on stage with confidence, perform at your best, and finally feel secure in your playing, let's talk! Book a free discovery call and let's create a plan to get you there. Are you ready to take your playing and career to the next level and create a life that feels purposeful and joyful? Let's connect and explore how personalized coaching can support your journey. Click here to schedule your free consultation, and let's start turning your goals into reality.   Book your FREE Music Mastery Experience Discovery call with Renée HERE Book your free consultation with Renée HERE Download the transcript from this episode HERE   Mind Over Finger Click www.mindoverfinger.com/coaching to book your free consultation with me. Visit MindOverFinger.com for my online courses as well as free resources on peak performance. Grab my free workshops and PDF downloads by going to www.mindoverfinger.com/resources. Connect: https://www.youtube.com/@MindOverFinger https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfinger https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/     THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme:  Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson.

    23 min

  6. 10 APR

    The Practice Room Lie: Why Pressure Hijacks Your Performance, and What to Do About It

    You practiced it a thousand times. You knew it cold. And then you walked on stage and something vanished. If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you. Renee breaks down one of the most frustrating and misunderstood experiences in a musician's life: the gap between how you play in the practice room and how you play under pressure. More importantly, she explains exactly why it happens and why practicing more is often not the answer. In this episode: ·         Why the practice room and the stage are literally different brain states, and what that means for how you prepare ·         The Yerkes-Dodson law and what it reveals about pressure, performance, and the sweet spot most musicians blow right past ·         Why cortisol is not your enemy but why it makes you blank on passages you know perfectly well ·         The concept of context-dependent memory and why your hard-earned skills can feel strangely out of reach the moment the context changes ·         The question most musicians never ask after a disappointing performance, and why asking the wrong one keeps the gap firmly in place ·         A simple but powerful reflection to try before your next practice session that begins to close the gap for good Are you ready to take your playing and career to the next level and create a life that feels purposeful and joyful? If you're ready to step on stage with confidence, perform at your best, and finally feel secure in your playing, join the Musician's Edge Challenge.   Join the Musician's Edge Challenge HERE If you're ready to step on stage with confidence, perform at your best, and finally feel secure in your playing, let's talk! Book a free discovery call and let's create a plan to get you there. Are you ready to take your playing and career to the next level and create a life that feels purposeful and joyful? Let's connect and explore how personalized coaching can support your journey. Click here to schedule your free consultation, and let's start turning your goals into reality.   Book your FREE Music Mastery Experience Discovery call with Renée HERE Book your free consultation with Renée HERE Download the transcript from this episode HERE   Mind Over Finger Click www.mindoverfinger.com/coaching to book your free consultation with me. Visit MindOverFinger.com for my online courses as well as free resources on peak performance. Grab my free workshops and PDF downloads by going to www.mindoverfinger.com/resources. Connect: https://www.youtube.com/@MindOverFinger https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfinger https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/     THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme:  Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson.

    22 min

  7. 4 APR

    Strong Body, Fearless Stage - Shannon Kiewitt on How Movement Builds the Confidence to Perform at Your Best

    What if the thing holding back your performance had nothing to do with how many hours you practice? Gunnery Sergeant Shannon Kiewitt, clarinetist with "The President's Own" United States Marine Band and fitness coach for musicians, has spent years performing at the highest level without a single performance-related injury. In this conversation, she shares exactly how fitness transforms not just your body, but your sound, your confidence, and your career. In this episode: ·         Why posture and physical imbalances affect the way you sound ·         The truth about weightlifting and musicians ·         How fitness builds endurance, focus, and mental resilience on stage ·         What a realistic fitness routine looks like for a musician's unpredictable schedule ·         How competing in a bodybuilding show helped Shannon conquer performance anxiety ·         One simple thing you can start doing today   Are you ready to take your playing and career to the next level and create a life that feels purposeful and joyful? If you're ready to step on stage with confidence, perform at your best, and finally feel secure in your playing, join the Musician's Edge Challenge.   Join the Musician's Edge Challenge HERE Book your free consultation with Renée HERE Download the transcript from this episode HERE   SHANNON KIEWITT Bio: https://www.marineband.marines.mil/About/Members/Article/2605066/gunnery-sgt-shannon-kiewitt/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefitclarinetist/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@shannonfitwit Work with Shannon: https://www.trainerize.me/profile/getfitwithshannonkiewitt/Shannon.Kiewitt?fbclid=IwAR0nBm45UVE4SSUWHRaaAJVgCYpp4rmNFNkxqqTrGmUe9sd37fOreyP1P5A&utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio     Mind Over Finger Click www.mindoverfinger.com/coaching to book your free consultation with me. Visit MindOverFinger.com for my online courses as well as free resources on peak performance. Grab my free workshops and PDF downloads by going to www.mindoverfinger.com/resources. Connect: https://www.youtube.com/@MindOverFinger https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfinger https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/     THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme:  Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson.

    59 min

  8. 27 MAR

    Working Hard and Going Nowhere? How to break the cycle that's keeping you stuck.

    You're putting in the hours. You're showing up. So why does it still feel like nothing is moving? This episode gets right to the heart of that frustration and offers a way out.   In this episode: ·         Why repetition without intention reinforces the problem, not the solution ·         The real difference between practicing notes and practicing performance ·         How the inner critic silently derails your practice session ·         The one thing to write down before you pick up your instrument Are you ready to take your playing and career to the next level and create a life that feels purposeful and joyful? If you're ready to step on stage with confidence, perform at your best, and finally feel secure in your playing, join the Musician's Edge Challenge.   Join the Musician's Edge Challenge HERE Book your free consultation with Renée HERE Download the transcript from this episode HERE   Mind Over Finger Click www.mindoverfinger.com/coaching to book your free consultation with me. Visit MindOverFinger.com for my online courses as well as free resources on peak performance. Grab my free workshops and PDF downloads by going to www.mindoverfinger.com/resources. Connect: https://www.youtube.com/@MindOverFinger https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfinger https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/     THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme:  Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson.

    17 min
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5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Discussions on mindful music-making, efficient practice, and building a purposeful career with the performers, pedagogues, and innovators who are shaping the classical music world today! The Mind Over Finger Podcast is a resource for knowledge, insight, tips, tricks, and inspiration for musicians interested in learning more about practicing mindfully, performing optimally, and getting more intentional in creating a fulfilling musical career. We provide you with the tools to mindfully shift your musical practice from unconscious to deliberate, from paint-by-numbers to art by flow, from going through the motions to delightful play!

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. Renée-Paule Gauthier
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    263
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Renée-Paule Gauthier 2025
  • Show Website
    The Mind Over Finger Podcast

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