Before we get to today's practice tip on optimizing the "post-KR delay," a quick reminder that today is the last day to enroll in the live 2-week Performance Psych Essentials class that begins on Tuesday, June 13th. It's going to be a jam-packed two weeks of practice hacks and performance practice. If that sounds like fun, you can get all the details here:
Join Psych Essentials Cohort 13
Now to this business of the post-KR delay. What's that exactly?
Well, if you ever get a chance to listen to a student practice, there's one thing that is often conspicuously absent.
Silence.
You'll typically hear a good bit of repetition - but not a lot of quiet time or space between repetitions.
And why does this matter? Well, studies have found that too little space between repetitions - or too short an "inter-trial interval" (aka post-Knowledge of Results delay) can actually inhibit learning.
So how long of a pause should there be between repetitions? Is there an optimal length of silence?
Get all the nerdy details and this week’s practice hack right here:
For More Effective Practice, Try…Longer…Pauses
-Noa
"Reflection... Looking back so the view looking forward is clearer."
-Unknown
If you struggle with nerves and inconsistent performances, know that you’re not alone! Join 45,000+ musicians and get weekly research-based performance psychology tips that will help you become more effective in the practice room and on stage.
Have you ever studied with a teacher who asked you to sing in a lesson?There are lots of reasons for this, but aside from doing it in lessons when my teacher asked me to, I never integrated any singing into my daily practice. It felt really awkward, even if nobody was listening, and I wasn't entirely sold on the benefits at the time.Looking back, of course, I would have given it more of a chance. So in case you need a little help convincing yourself, I thought I'd share a 2017 study and 2021...
I have a couple things today - a new podcast episode on the "dark side" of competitions, plus an announcement. Announcement The announcement is that registration for the summer “bootcamp” edition of the live Performance Psych Essentials class opens today. Instead of the typical 5-week schedule, I've designed an accelerated 2-week version to minimize conflicts with your summer plans. You can get all the details and sign up here: Performance Psych Essentials - Cohort 13 Are competitions good or...
Whether it's manipulating our air, making embouchure adjustments, or learning to use the weight of our arm to produce a beautiful sound, we spend a lot of time working really hard to get things just right. We ask for feedback and suggestions from our teachers, watch YouTube videos of our favorite musicians, and get tips from instructional videos on the correct way to perform a skill. All of which are invaluable parts of the learning process. But there's another approach that we rarely (if...