The Bulletproof Musician

Paul Baxter: Why Old Habits Return Under Pressure (And What to Do About It)

Noa Kageyama, PhD — Sun, 05 Apr 2026 07:00:00 +0000

Learn why old habits die hard, and a habit correction protocol that could help you unlearn these old habits more quickly and permanently.

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Micah Killion: The One Thing Artist-Level Musicians Do Differently in the Practice Room

Noa Kageyama, PhD — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Have you ever spent 10 minutes (or heck, 30 minutes 🥲) repeating the same passage over and over, hoping that eventually it would start to sound better? I think we’ve all been there. And we probably realize on some level that this isn’t really helping. But what are we supposed to do instead? What do […]

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A Surprising (And Potentially Offensive!) Way to Enhance Performance

Noa Kageyama, PhD — Sun, 25 Jan 2026 08:00:00 +0000

A 2026 study suggests that swearing might be able to help us perform better. WTF...?!

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How to Start a Performance with More Accuracy (Without the “Onstage Warm-Up”)

Noa Kageyama, PhD — Sun, 18 Jan 2026 08:00:00 +0000

A 2015 study highlights a strategy that can boost accuracy in performance - and shows how this can work for those at any level, not just elite performers.

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When You Can’t Get Yourself to Start Practicing, Try This

Noa Kageyama, PhD — Sun, 11 Jan 2026 08:00:00 +0000

Recent research looks at a popular productivity strategy from the ADHD community, and how this could help with starting and completing tasks.

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The Central Strategy Expert Musicians Use to Practice Difficult Passages

Noa Kageyama, PhD — Sun, 28 Dec 2025 08:00:00 +0000

A 2025 study takes a rare look at expert musicians' practice and outlines THE central strategy for effective practice.

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A Learning Method That Outperformed Traditional Practice

Noa Kageyama, PhD — Sun, 14 Dec 2025 05:55:58 +0000

What's the constraints-led approach? And does it work for musicians? Spoiler alert: yes!

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How Much Perfectionism Do You Really Need to Succeed?

Noa Kageyama, PhD — Sun, 07 Dec 2025 08:00:00 +0000

A 2025 study looks at some of the costs of perfectionism - and finds an alternative that may work better.

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Pallavi Mahidhara: On Practicing for Flexibility, Not Perfection

Noa Kageyama, PhD — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 08:00:00 +0000

Pianist Pallavi Mahidhara shares insights on playing with trust and greater presence and mindfulness on stage - and how this changes things in the practice room too.

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What Happened When Musicians Slept 90 Minutes More

Noa Kageyama, PhD — Sun, 23 Nov 2025 08:00:00 +0000

A 2025 study reveals several aspects of playing that improved among students and professional musicians, with some extra sleep.

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