The Bulletproof Musician Noa Kageyama

Ever notice how mean and distracting (and unhelpful) your inner critic can be on stage?
Previous research has found that writing out our worries right before a test (as counterintuitive as that sounds) can help to improve test performance. But would something like this work with musical performance as well?
How to Clear Your Mind of Worries Before a Big Performance (revisited)

Anecdotally at least, fear of memory slips seems to come up more often for pianists than for some other instruments. Is this because of how many notes they have? Or is there something else about the instrument itself that contributes to an increased risk of memory slips in performance (unless one adjusts their practice habits to account for this)?
Evidence That Performing From Memory May Be More Challenging for Pianists Than Others (What?!)

Memory slips can be a scary thing and a major cause of anxiety on stage. But it's not a skill that we tend to think of much in our daily practice...
We know from previous research that mental practice plus physical practice leads to better learning than physical practice alone.
Could the same thing be true for memory too? Like, could substituting a bit of mental practice for physical practice lead to more reliable memory than physical practice alone?
Do You Struggle With Unreliable Memory on Stage? Perhaps Your Memorization Strategy is Missing This Key ingredient...

As instinctive and natural a process as breathing is in our moment-to-moment existence, breathing efficiently and effectively so as to produce a beautiful sound that projects, clear articulation, smooth, connected phrases, etc. can be a real challenge (or so I hear)!
In Part 2 of my chat with flutist Keith Underwood, we get into the topic of breathing, and Keith explains and demonstrates a whole range of concepts that will help you play more effortlessly, and better understand how to "play on the breath, not with the breath."
Keith Underwood (Part 2): On Breathing and the Problem With Thinking of Air as the Solution to Everything.

Flutist and educator Keith Underwood shares insights on what (and how) we can learn from our favorite musicians so as to level up our playing in some pretty transformative ways. And how doing so can potentially make practicing and recording way more fun as well!
Keith Underwood (Part 1): On the Art of Imitation, and How to Glean Insights From Great Musicians to Level Up Your Playing.

You know how some musicians seem to be almost "psychic" in their ability to play together and be totally in sync with one another? Ever wonder how they do this? Is it just experience, or something else?
A couple imagery studies provide some intriguing clues on what they might be doing, that facilitates next-level ensemble coordination.
How Mental Imagery Can Help You Become a Better (Or More "Psychic") Chamber Music Partner