Menahem Pressler: On Following Your Heart The Bulletproof Musician

Have you ever watched your favorite musician perform, and wondered what goes through their head on stage?

Like, what are they thinking about? Do they ever worry? What do they worry about? Is playing as easy as it looks? Or do they have bad days too? Does it ever get easier? How do they deal with criticism or bad reviews or even the critic in their own head? How similar is their experience in performance to ours?

As you may have heard, renowned pianist Menahem Pressler passed away last weekend at the age of 99. A founding member of the Beaux Arts Trio, his performing career spanned over seven decades, and he taught generations of pianists who have gone on to hold teaching positions around the world and win prizes in all of the major competitions.

I got to know Mr. Pressler a tiny bit during my time at Indiana University, as he was my wife's teacher, and kindly included me in studio parties and events. He was also curious and encouraging of my interests in psychology at a time when I had no idea how things would pan out, which I always appreciated.

So in the summer of 2012, I reached out to see if I might ask him some questions about practicing and performing. He was very open about his mental experience on stage, his own doubts and fears at various points in his life, and what success and failure meant to him, as well as the more practical aspects of how he prepares for performance.

I hope you find it as insightful and inspiring a conversation as I did.

Note: This episode was recorded over the telephone/Skype, and I’ve done my best to clean up the audio, but if you would like a transcript, you can download one at:
https://bulletproofmusician.com/menahem-pressler-on-following-your-heart/

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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?

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.

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.

Registration is open now and runs through Monday, October 9th.

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: bulletproofmusician.com/essentials