There is no way around it. If you want to succeed as a musician, you have to practice. It requires focus, drive, and concentration to turn your skill set from outstanding to legendary. That means removing distractions—all distractions—when you are concentrating. That’s just one of many behaviors scientists report can enhance concentration, retention, and performance [Sörqvist and Marsh, 2015]. One study found that playing your favorite music can improve your concentration and performance, but playing music you don’t know—or just working in silence—will throw you off your game [Mori, et al, 2014]. And researchers keep coming up with mindfulness as a key component of focusing and concentration [Stringer, 2017]. It’s also clear that stress is the enemy of concentration, so do whatever it takes to feel calmer and more in control. What does it take for you to focus? To concentrate? They are not really the same thing. When you […]

February 2022 Issue