The Bulletproof Musician

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Ever wonder why you can practice for hours, sound great in the practice room, and still be frustratingly hit or miss on stage? Join performance psychologist and Juilliard alumnus/faculty Noa Kageyama, and explore research-based “practice hacks” for beating anxiety, practicing more effectively, and playing up to your full abilities when it matters most.

Your Brain Isn’t Built for Consistency - Here’s How to Make That Work for You
May 11, 2025 – 09:08
Mitch Abrams: On Trauma and High-Level Performance
May 4, 2025 – 01:09:19
Reward vs. Punishment: Which Leads to Faster Learning?
Apr 27, 2025 – 08:36
One Way Parents Can Help Their Kids Be Less Anxious
Apr 20, 2025 – 06:20
A Self-Talk Tweak to Boost the Odds of Achieving Your Goals
Apr 13, 2025 – 06:50
Linda Chesis: On Cultivating a More Beautiful Sound and Becoming a Better Practicer
Apr 6, 2025 – 53:30
Finding Your Optimal Anxiety Level: Why Calm Isn’t Always Better
Apr 4, 2025 – 10:01
The 70% Rule: Why Practicing Shouldn’t Be Too Easy
Mar 23, 2025 – 07:21
Sight Reading: The Ideal Error Rate for Optimal Learning
Mar 16, 2025 – 06:04
Why Practicing While Distracted Is Actually Very Important
Mar 9, 2025 – 06:42
How to Help Students Remember More From Each Lesson
Mar 2, 2025 – 06:04
How to Increase the Likelihood of Being Accepted by Others
Feb 23, 2025 – 08:10
Stumped by a Problem in the Practice Room? Try an “Incubation” Break
Feb 16, 2025 – 08:39
Perfect Shmerfect. Could More “Mistakes” Accelerate Learning?
Feb 9, 2025 – 07:50
Carolyn Christie: On Overcoming Nerves With Healthier Internal Dialogue - and Phrasing!
Feb 2, 2025 – 44:14
Can We Train Ourselves to Worry Less About Others’ Opinions?
Jan 26, 2025 – 09:23
What Causes "Choking" Under Pressure? And What Can We Do About It?
Jan 19, 2025 – 10:18
The Truth About Cramming: Why Your Brain Needs Breaks
Jan 12, 2025 – 08:36
Orli Shaham: On Overcoming Setbacks and Learning to Trust the Process
Jan 5, 2025 – 53:28
A Backward Strategy for Enhanced Goal-Setting Success
Dec 29, 2024 – 07:36
4 Approaches to Goal Setting (And Which Works Best)
Dec 22, 2024 – 07:18
Do Extroverts Make Better Performers Than Introverts?
Dec 15, 2024 – 06:37
Laurie Scott & Cornelia Watkins: On Going From the Stage to the Studio
Dec 8, 2024 – 50:34
Does How We Look On Stage Matter More Than How We Sound...?
Dec 1, 2024 – 11:10
Does Counting Our Blessings Really Change Anything?
Nov 24, 2024 – 06:25
An Easier Way to Get Better at Mental Imagery?
Nov 17, 2024 – 09:28
A Better Way to Do Mental Practice?
Nov 10, 2024 – 07:58
Not an Optimist? How to Make Pessimism Work for You.
Nov 3, 2024 – 06:51
Can Breathing Really Help Reduce Anxiety? Or Is It Just a Cliché?
Oct 27, 2024 – 08:21
Go From Procrastination to Productivity With “Temptation Bundling”
Oct 20, 2024 – 06:27
A Better Way to Bounce Back From Disappointing Setbacks
Oct 13, 2024 – 08:41
Why Giving Students Choices Could Dramatically Enhance Learning
Oct 6, 2024 – 06:46
What Are Audition Committees Really Listening For?
Sep 29, 2024 – 07:18
The Best Time to Exercise for Maximizing Practice Gains
Sep 22, 2024 – 07:13
How Important Is It Really to Practice Every Day?
Sep 15, 2024 – 07:14
Improve Coordination With Opposite-Side Practice
Sep 8, 2024 – 10:12
Nathan Cole: Lessons From 20 Years of Concertmaster Auditions
Sep 1, 2024 – 54:54
An Ironic Strategy to Stay Calmer and Avoid Rushing on Performance Days
Aug 25, 2024 – 08:01
How Teachers' Expectations Can Shape Students' Learning & Performance
Aug 18, 2024 – 08:54
How Much Do Positive or Negative Expectations Affect Performance?
Aug 11, 2024 – 05:18
How to Keep Music Feeling Fresh Through Repeated Performances
Aug 4, 2024 – 05:53
Is It Really so Bad to Frown After Making a Mistake?
Jul 28, 2024 – 08:32
What’s the Optimal Practice-To-Rest Ratio?
Jul 21, 2024 – 08:17
Is There a Way to Make Self-Imposed Deadlines Work?
Jul 14, 2024 – 08:22
Does Listening to Music Benefit the Music Learning Process?
Jul 7, 2024 – 07:25
A Better Way to Learn, Teach, and Perform New Skills?
Jun 30, 2024 – 07:24
Is It Better to Perform With Eyes Open or Closed?
Jun 23, 2024 – 06:59
A Teaching Method That Creates Smarter Practicers
Jun 16, 2024 – 09:47
The Subtle Habit That Might Be Undermining Your Confidence
Jun 9, 2024 – 08:40
Learn More Effectively with This Lesser-Known Mindset Shift
Jun 2, 2024 – 06:14

Recent Reviews

BBViolin

Fantastic Podcast for Musicians

I have listened to Noa’s podcast for a while now and have always found his interviews well done and extremely informative. Today, I woke up and put on his interview with Asian Mornell and I have to say, this was the best interview I have ever listened to. Noa has a way of asking the right questions at the right time and allows his guests to speak and inform. I really enjoy this podcast. Thanks Noa!
MI Music Studio

Helpful and practical!

Every musician and music teacher will benefit from the information on practicing and performing in this podcast!
Bunz29

An essential resource for musicians

The bulletproof musician should be a required resource for all musicians! Actionable tips and inspiration - thank you for creating such a wonderful resource!!
adrichards88

Thank you!

I am so glad I found this podcast! It has been a joy. Looking forward to many more episodes!
Violinauthor

Great podcast!

I’m glad I just found this podcast today. Great episode on recovery from injury.
jayvtrumpet

Dr. Kageyama is the best!

I’m a pro classical musician who has struggled with performance anxiety and underperforming in high-pressure situations for many years, despite access to some of the best music education in the world. Bulletproof musician has changed my life and has helped me breakthrough long-standing obstacles and frustrations. Noa is by far the best resource in this space, and I’ve consulted many others. The content available here in this podcast is incredibly valuable and there’s a lot more at the main website. Everything is evidence-based, professional, and cutting-edge: no snake oil or false promises. If you are willing to listen and apply this information, you will improve your mental skills. Thank you Noa!
맥대디

Awesome podcast

The topics are so interesting and he explains it very well.
M Liu-S

Excellent topics

The host really knows how to pick highly relevant and useful topics among all the possible ones out there. He is extremely clear in presenting the gist of each study.
TGoboe

This podcast should be required for all music students!

Hi Noa, I love all of your interviews! They’ve really inspired me and given me some great ideas as I continue to improve my playing and teaching strategies. I am an oboe player and would love it if you could, at some point, interview someone in the doublereed community so that they can talk about the aspect of reedmaking and how their relationship and journey with reed making has affected other aspects of their playing, preparing for concerts, worrying about the reed “in the moment,” etc. Thank you very much for everything that you do!