the music mind lab BLOG

By Special Guest Writer Eidee Tan Why Practicing Isn’t Enough to Perform Under Pressure I’ve practiced pieces until they felt effortless—until my fingers moved without thought and my bow knew exactly where to go. But the moment I stepped onstage, everything changed. My hand shook. My mind zoomed in on details I’d never thought about before. Suddenly I was trying to play instead of just playing. For a long time, I thought this meant I wasn’t prepared enough. So I practiced mor

By Special Guest Writer Jer-Shyan Chang The viola was always presented to me as something akin to an evil version of a violin. Mechanically, it is the same difficulty; although the violin’s highest E string is replaced by a C string on a viola, every technique — string crossings, basic left hand and right hand coordination, bow hold, vibrato — are virtually identical to their counterpart in the violin's learning process. For the most part, viola just seemed to be the lesser-k

Introduction The lights are too bright. Your palms are sticky. Your heart seems to be beating way faster than usual. Backstage, you’re filled with dread—what if you mess up that one spot? What if you trip? What will everyone think?  For some, the time before they go onstage is the most nerve-wracking part of performing. For others, it’s the time they spend onstage. Yet for nearly all musicians, some form of stage fright accompanies most public performances. Unfortunately, sta

Disclaimer: a few aspects of this article are specific to the violin, but the majority of this article is applicable to all string instruments! :) Introduction: Why should I practice my scales? Practicing technique can often feel like the most boring part of your practice session, but as every teacher will tell you, it’s truly the most effective and essential tool to improve your playing. Techniques like shifting, vibrato, double stops are the building blocks of playing, and