As musicians and performers we are trained throughout our careers to develop a critical ear, one that can assess the quality of a performance and decide what needs to be worked on in order to improve and progress. However, although this critical ear is a vital tool in our industry, it can also be our worst enemy. Present during practice sessions, rehearsals and even performances, the inner critic can often take over and attack our confidence and self-belief.

In this episode we discuss how we've experienced the inner critic during private practice sessions, rehearsals with colleagues, performances and even post-show events. We talk about how it's affected us but, most importantly, how we've learnt to handle it. Using mindfulness, journalling and objective assessments, we've found ways of controlling the inner critic, accessing it during crucial periods of self-reflection but putting it to one side when in practice, rehearsal and live performance.

Edited by the fantastic Daisy Grant.

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