The Bulletproof Musician

About The Bulletproof Musician

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.

Publisher

Noa Kageyama

Category

education · music · science

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

7 Jan 2018

Latest episode

2 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

96 of 415 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   2 Aug 2026TRANSCRIPT

   2026.8 | Lorna McGhee

   Do elite performers actually feel as confident as they look? In this conversation with Boston Symphony principal flutist Lorna McGhee, we explore what's really happening beneath a confident-looking performance, and why she's come to believe that confidence is something you do, not something you feel. Lorna McGhee is principal flute of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and has previously served as principal flute in the Pittsburgh Symphony and co-principal flute of the BBC Symphony Orchestra in ...

2. 

   10 May 2026

   Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse: The Science of Sleep for Musicians

   What if one of the most overlooked factors affecting memory consolidation, emotional regulation, practice efficiency, and performance consistency wasn’t a new practice strategy - but sleep? Dr. Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse is a triple board-certified neurologist, sleep specialist, and epileptologist at the University of Pittsburgh, where her work focuses on cognitive performance, sleep, and neurological recovery under high-demand conditions. In addition to her clinical and academic work, she con...

3. 

   7 Apr 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Paul Baxter: Why Bad Habits Keep Coming Back (And a Faster Way to Change Them)

   Have you ever had the experience of fixing something in the practice room…only to have it come back in performance? Maybe it’s a passage where tension creeps back in. Or a section where your fingers revert to an old fingering. Or some aspect of your technique that you’ve worked hard to fix - until it shows up again at exactly the wrong moment. Why does this happen? In this month's episode, cognitive psychologist Paul Baxter explains why bad habits are so persistent, and shares a little-known ...

Inside a recent episode

2026.8 | Lorna McGhee

Published 2 Aug 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] You know exactly how resistant they are, and you meet that not with tightness but with just beautiful organization. Not too tight, not too loose, just what's required. And then you're free to enjoy it. making music. So I would say the bulk of my practice is just this kinesthetic map. I wonder if you could just elaborate on what you mean by kinesthetic map. Yeah, kinesthetic map is really everything to do with how you're organizing yourself physically. The foundation of your kinesthetic map is like, okay, allow your feet to rest on the floor. Soften the tops of your feet. Relax your ankles. Let go of your calf muscles. […]

Who has been a guest on The Bulletproof Musician

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Micah Killion
• Judy Loman
• Yumi Kendall
• Mitch Abrams

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.9 / 5

166 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

84 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 68 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

78

Social presence

94

YouTube

0

Engagement

99

Contact The Bulletproof Musician

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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