The legendary Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti famously had a quirky backstage ritual that he needed to complete before he could go on stage.

Apparently, he would wander around backstage, scanning the floor until he found a bent nail, which would serve as his good luck charm for that performance.

It sounds like a silly sort of thing to do, and it’s hard to imagine Pavarotti needing much in the way of luck, but could this have been more helpful than we think?

A 2010 study provides some answers and insights into whether good luck charms and superstitious rituals could help enhance your next performance or audition.

Spoiler alert - Pavarotti might have been onto something!

Of course, there’s more to performing optimally under pressure than good luck charms and superstitious too. There are actually a handful of concrete, learnable skills - like anxiety regulation, attention control, grounded confidence, and retrieval-oriented practice - that can help make performing funner and a much more positive experience, even if you’ve struggled with this for years.

If you’d like to develop these skills in 2024, that will be the focus of the upcoming live, online, 4-week Performance Psych Essentials class. Registration ends today, Sunday, Jan. 21st (2024), at 11:59pm Pacific time. Get the class dates and details here: Register for Performance Psych Essentials

But if now’s not the right time for a class like this, that’s ok too! In the meantime, you can get all the nerdy details about this week’s study and practice hack right here:
Can Good Luck Charms and Superstitious Rituals Enhance Performance?

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Have you been feeling a little stuck or stagnant in the practice room? Or has performance anxiety and the gap between practice and performance been a nagging issue that hasn’t changed, no matter how well you've prepared for performances, auditions - and even lessons?

If you’ve been wanting to experience more joy in the practice room and play more like yourself on stage, but haven’t been quite sure how to make that happen, starting June 10, 2025, I’ll be teaching a live, online, accelerated 2-week class on the most essential mental skills and practice strategies that can make a difference in your practicing and performing.

We’ll meet twice a week via Zoom and work on a series of exercises and techniques in four essential skill areas (effective practice, managing anxiety, focus, and confidence), together as a group. And to make sure the concepts become consistent habits, I'll show you how to gently integrate these new skills into your (or your students’) daily practice through bite-sized practice challenges alongside a supportive group of practice buddies from around the world. Registration is open now through 11:59pm on Sunday, June 8th.

Over 2000 musicians, educators, and students and learners of all ages have participated in the course to date. You can find out what alumni are saying, and sign up to join Cohort 23 at:

bulletproofmusician.com/essentials