The Mind Over Finger Podcast

You practiced it a thousand times. You knew it cold. And then you walked on stage and something vanished. If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you. Renee breaks down one of the most frustrating and misunderstood experiences in a musician's life: the gap between how you play in the practice room and how you play under pressure. More importantly, she explains exactly why it happens and why practicing more is often not the answer.

In this episode:

· Why the practice room and the stage are literally different brain states, and what that means for how you prepare

· The Yerkes-Dodson law and what it reveals about pressure, performance, and the sweet spot most musicians blow right past

· Why cortisol is not your enemy but why it makes you blank on passages you know perfectly well

· The concept of context-dependent memory and why your hard-earned skills can feel strangely out of reach the moment the context changes

· The question most musicians never ask after a disappointing performance, and why asking the wrong one keeps the gap firmly in place

· A simple but powerful reflection to try before your next practice session that begins to close the gap for good

Are you ready to take your playing and career to the next level and create a life that feels purposeful and joyful? If you're ready to step on stage with confidence, perform at your best, and finally feel secure in your playing, join the Musician's Edge Challenge.

Join the Musician's Edge Challenge HERE

If you're ready to step on stage with confidence, perform at your best, and finally feel secure in your playing, let's talk! Book a free discovery call and let's create a plan to get you there.

Are you ready to take your playing and career to the next level and create a life that feels purposeful and joyful? Let's connect and explore how personalized coaching can support your journey. Click here to schedule your free consultation, and let's start turning your goals into reality.

Book your FREE Music Mastery Experience Discovery call with Renée HERE

Book your free consultation with Renée HERE

Download the transcript from this episode HERE

Mind Over Finger

Click www.mindoverfinger.com/coaching to book your free consultation with me.

Visit MindOverFinger.com for my online courses as well as free resources on peak performance.

Grab my free workshops and PDF downloads by going to www.mindoverfinger.com/resources.

Connect:

https://www.youtube.com/@MindOverFinger

https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfinger

https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/

THANK YOU:

Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme: Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson.

What if the thing holding back your performance had nothing to do with how many hours you practice? Gunnery Sergeant Shannon Kiewitt, clarinetist with "The President's Own" United States Marine Band and fitness coach for musicians, has spent years performing at the highest level without a single performance-related injury. In this conversation, she shares exactly how fitness transforms not just your body, but your sound, your confidence, and your career.

In this episode:

· Why posture and physical imbalances affect the way you sound

· The truth about weightlifting and musicians

· How fitness builds endurance, focus, and mental resilience on stage

· What a realistic fitness routine looks like for a musician's unpredictable schedule

· How competing in a bodybuilding show helped Shannon conquer performance anxiety

· One simple thing you can start doing today

Are you ready to take your playing and career to the next level and create a life that feels purposeful and joyful? If you're ready to step on stage with confidence, perform at your best, and finally feel secure in your playing, join the Musician's Edge Challenge.

Join the Musician's Edge Challenge HERE

Book your free consultation with Renée HERE

Download the transcript from this episode HERE

SHANNON KIEWITT

Bio: https://www.marineband.marines.mil/About/Members/Article/2605066/gunnery-sgt-shannon-kiewitt/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefitclarinetist/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@shannonfitwit

Work with Shannon: https://www.trainerize.me/profile/getfitwithshannonkiewitt/Shannon.Kiewitt?fbclid=IwAR0nBm45UVE4SSUWHRaaAJVgCYpp4rmNFNkxqqTrGmUe9sd37fOreyP1P5A&utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio

Mind Over Finger

Click www.mindoverfinger.com/coaching to book your free consultation with me.

Visit MindOverFinger.com for my online courses as well as free resources on peak performance.

Grab my free workshops and PDF downloads by going to www.mindoverfinger.com/resources.

Connect:

https://www.youtube.com/@MindOverFinger

https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfinger

https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/

THANK YOU:

Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme: Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson.

You're putting in the hours. You're showing up. So why does it still feel like nothing is moving? This episode gets right to the heart of that frustration and offers a way out.

In this episode:

· Why repetition without intention reinforces the problem, not the solution

· The real difference between practicing notes and practicing performance

· How the inner critic silently derails your practice session

· The one thing to write down before you pick up your instrument

Are you ready to take your playing and career to the next level and create a life that feels purposeful and joyful? If you're ready to step on stage with confidence, perform at your best, and finally feel secure in your playing, join the Musician's Edge Challenge.

Join the Musician's Edge Challenge HERE

Book your free consultation with Renée HERE

Download the transcript from this episode HERE

Mind Over Finger

Click www.mindoverfinger.com/coaching to book your free consultation with me.

Visit MindOverFinger.com for my online courses as well as free resources on peak performance.

Grab my free workshops and PDF downloads by going to www.mindoverfinger.com/resources.

Connect:

https://www.youtube.com/@MindOverFinger

https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfinger

https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/

THANK YOU:

Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme: Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson.

If you've ever felt your body work against you in a performance, if tension, fear, or a loss of control has crept into your playing and you don't know why, and if you've wondered whether it can actually get better, this episode is for you. Gabriel Radford, Third Horn of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, was diagnosed with focal dystonia at the height of his career. He came back playing better than before, and co-founded the Embouchure Project to help other musicians do the same. This conversation is honest, practical, and full of things musicians rarely hear spoken out loud.

What you'll take away:

· Why fear can show up long before a playing problem becomes visible, and what that early signal means

· What neuroscience tells us about why the body stops cooperating, and how to reverse it

· Why rigid practice routines may be working against you

· The one daily habit that can rewire your relationship with your instrument

· What the Embouchure Project is

· And much more!

If you're ready to step on stage with confidence, perform at your best, and finally feel secure in your playing, let's talk! Book a free discovery call and let's create a plan to get you there.

Are you ready to take your playing and career to the next level and create a life that feels purposeful and joyful? Let's connect and explore how personalized coaching can support your journey. Click here to schedule your free consultation, and let's start turning your goals into reality.

Book your FREE Music Mastery Experience Discovery call with Renée HERE

Book your free consultation with Renée HERE

Download the transcript from this episode HERE

GABRIEL RADFORD AND THE EMBOUCHURE PROJECT

Bio: https://www.tso.ca/about/orchestra/members-of-the-orchestra/gabriel-radford

Website: https://www.theembouchureproject.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theembouchureproject/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881319796540674/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEmbouchureProject

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6jOd5wjakuvJmZuiaGoKqP

Mind Over Finger

Click www.mindoverfinger.com/coaching to book your free consultation with me.

Visit MindOverFinger.com for my online courses as well as free resources on peak performance.

Grab my free workshops and PDF downloads by going to www.mindoverfinger.com/resources.

Connect:

https://www.youtube.com/@MindOverFinger

https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfinger

https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/

THANK YOU:

Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme: Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson.

You walk out of a rehearsal replaying every mistake. You sit down to practice and the voice in your head says, it should be better by now. You open Instagram and somehow everyone else seems more confident, more established, further along. This episode is for that moment. Renée shares a short, honest pep talk for musicians navigating doubt and the uncomfortable gap between where they are and where they wish they were.

What you'll take away:

· Why accepting where you are is not the same as giving up and how that distinction changes everything about how you move forward

· The arrival fallacy: why telling yourself "I'll feel better when I reach that level" is a trap that keeps postponing your peace indefinitely

· A simple gratitude practice for when doubt shows up mid-practice not as a feel-good exercise, but as a way to literally retrain your brain's attention

· How to receive difficult feelings without sinking into them, using the same returning-to-breath logic you already know from practice

· Why the doubts will come back even after a good day and why that means nothing is broken

· The one question worth asking yourself when your mind starts to spiral: what will I do with this next precious minute?

If you're ready to step on stage with confidence, perform at your best, and finally feel secure in your playing, let's talk! Book a free discovery call and let's create a plan to get you there.

Are you ready to take your playing and career to the next level and create a life that feels purposeful and joyful? Let's connect and explore how personalized coaching can support your journey. Click here to schedule your free consultation, and let's start turning your goals into reality.

Book your FREE Music Mastery Experience Discovery call with Renée HERE

Book your free consultation with Renée HERE

Download the transcript from this episode HERE

Mind Over Finger

Click www.mindoverfinger.com/coaching to book your free consultation with me.

Visit MindOverFinger.com for my online courses as well as free resources on peak performance.

Grab my free workshops and PDF downloads by going to www.mindoverfinger.com/resources.

Connect:

https://www.youtube.com/@MindOverFinger

https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfinger

https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/

THANK YOU:

Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme: Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson.

Concertmaster Juliana Athayde shares the mindset shifts and life choices that shaped her career, from betting on herself early on to leading an orchestra and building a full life beyond the practice room.

In this conversation, we explore:

• The leap of faith that led her to turn down a dream job and invest in herself • What great orchestral leadership actually looks like beyond playing well • Why "perfect or disaster" thinking traps so many musicians • The powerful idea that performance needs no rear view mirror • How audition panels are often rooting for you more than you think • The difference between practicing mindfully and "punching the time card" in the practice room • Why recording yourself and actually listening can transform your progress • How motherhood reshaped her priorities, practice efficiency, and perspective • Why a richer life outside music ultimately deepens your artistry • The simple but powerful question that can change everything: What if things went right?

A thoughtful conversation about leadership, performance, growth, and choosing the bigger life in music.

If you're ready to step on stage with confidence, perform at your best, and finally feel secure in your playing, let's talk! Book a free discovery call and let's create a plan to get you there.

Are you ready to take your playing and career to the next level and create a life that feels purposeful and joyful? Let's connect and explore how personalized coaching can support your journey. Click here to schedule your free consultation, and let's start turning your goals into reality.

Book your FREE Music Mastery Experience Discovery call with Renée HERE

Book your free consultation with Renée HERE

Download the transcript from this episode HERE

JULIANA ATHAYDE

Eastman: https://www.esm.rochester.edu/directory/athayde-juliana/

Chamber Music Rochester: https://www.chambermusicrochester.org/artistic-directors

Mind Over Finger

Click www.mindoverfinger.com/coaching to book your free consultation with me.

Visit MindOverFinger.com for my online courses as well as free resources on peak performance.

Grab my free workshops and PDF downloads by going to www.mindoverfinger.com/resources.

Connect:

https://www.youtube.com/@MindOverFinger

https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfinger

https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/

THANK YOU:

Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme: Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson.

When your heart is racing and your brain starts whispering "don't mess this up," it's easy to think the goal is to shut the thoughts down. But that fight is often the thing that turns normal pre performance activation into full anxiety. In this short episode, I borrow the first rule of improv, "Yes, and," and show you how to use it as a musician. Not to become fearless, but to stay in the music even when doubt is in the room.

In this episode, you'll hear:

· The difference between normal activation and anxiety, and how the "second layer" of thoughts creates the spiral

· Why denial and forcing yourself to "stop thinking" usually backfire right before performance

· How to use "Yes, and" as validation, so your nervous system feels supported instead of bullied

· Real scripts for the moments musicians actually struggle with, feeling behind in practice, tight in the warmup room, or rattled by a mistake on stage

· A one minute breath reset you can do anywhere, 4 count inhale, 6 count exhale, paired with "Yes" and "And"

· A simple challenge for today, catch one scary thought, validate it, and keep going

If you're ready to step on stage with confidence, perform at your best, and finally feel secure in your playing, let's talk! Book a free discovery call and let's create a plan to get you there.

Are you ready to take your playing and career to the next level and create a life that feels purposeful and joyful? Let's connect and explore how personalized coaching can support your journey. Click here to schedule your free consultation, and let's start turning your goals into reality.

Book your FREE Music Mastery Experience Discovery call with Renée HERE

Book your free consultation with Renée HERE

Download the transcript from this episode HERE

Mind Over Finger

Click www.mindoverfinger.com/coaching to book your free consultation with me.

Visit MindOverFinger.com for my online courses as well as free resources on peak performance.

Grab my free workshops and PDF downloads by going to www.mindoverfinger.com/resources.

Connect:

https://www.youtube.com/@MindOverFinger

https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfinger

https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/

THANK YOU:

Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme: Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson.

When the world feels heavy and your body is bracing, it is weirdly easy to start treating music like it has to justify itself. You practice anyway. You show up anyway. But inside, you are carrying pressure, tension, and that quiet question most musicians do not say out loud: how do I keep doing this without burning out or breaking down?

In Episode 250, I sit down with Dr. Brianne Borden and Claire Howard, co-owners of Yoga for All Musicians, for a conversation that is equal parts grounding, honest, and immediately useful.

· Why "just focus on the music" is not always possible, and what to do when the world follows you into the practice room

· The simple check in skill most musicians never learn, and why it changes everything from practice choices to injury prevention

· How classical music culture trains disconnection, and what trauma informed teaching and cueing can actually feel like

· A reframing of expectations that sounds small, but hits hard once you try it in real life

· A short centering plus neck and shoulder reset you can do before you play, especially if you live in jaw and shoulder tension

If you're ready to step on stage with confidence, perform at your best, and finally feel secure in your playing, let's talk! Book a free discovery call and let's create a plan to get you there.

Are you ready to take your playing and career to the next level and create a life that feels purposeful and joyful? Let's connect and explore how personalized coaching can support your journey. Click here to schedule your free consultation, and let's start turning your goals into reality.

Book your FREE Music Mastery Experience Discovery call with Renée HERE

Book your free consultation with Renée HERE

Download the transcript from this episode HERE

Yoga for All Musicians

· Website: https://www.yogaforallmusicians.com/

· Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yogaforallmusicians/

· Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YogaforAllMusicians

· Their podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/uif3r1ampypupkhj12tzgzpvx

· Their app:

o Android: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/fit-by-wix/id1552621043

o Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/fit-by-wix/id1552621043

Mind Over Finger

Click www.mindoverfinger.com/coaching to book your free consultation with me.

Visit MindOverFinger.com for my online courses as well as free resources on peak performance.

Grab my free workshops and PDF downloads by going to www.mindoverfinger.com/resources.

Connect:

https://www.youtube.com/@MindOverFinger

https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfinger

https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/

THANK YOU:

Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme: Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson.

In this episode, we unpack how unrealistic expectations quietly overload your brain, tighten your body, and slow your progress. And more importantly, how to reset them so they actually work for you.

You'll learn:

• Why high standards are not the problem but misaligned expectations are • How pressure and perfectionism interfere with learning • A simple expectation audit you can use before practice or performance • How to shift from "I should" to "What can I do today?" • A powerful on stage reframe that turns anxiety into expression

If you've been pushing hard but not feeling better, this one will help you breathe, refocus, and move forward with clarity.

If you're ready to step on stage with confidence, perform at your best, and finally feel secure in your playing, let's talk! Book a free discovery call and let's create a plan to get you there.

Are you ready to take your playing and career to the next level and create a life that feels purposeful and joyful? Let's connect and explore how personalized coaching can support your journey. Click here to schedule your free consultation, and let's start turning your goals into reality.

Book your FREE Music Mastery Experience Discovery call with Renée HERE

Book your free consultation with Renée HERE

Download the transcript from this episode HERE

Mind Over Finger

Click www.mindoverfinger.com/coaching to book your free consultation with me.

Visit MindOverFinger.com for my online courses as well as free resources on peak performance.

Grab my free workshops and PDF downloads by going to www.mindoverfinger.com/resources.

Connect:

https://www.youtube.com/@MindOverFinger

https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfinger

https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/

THANK YOU:

Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme: Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson.

What if your path takes longer than you thought it would? What if you don't win the job straight out of school. Or even straight out of your twenties? And what if that's not failure, but just a different kind of success?

In this episode, I sit down with Bill Denton, Principal Trumpet of the Lyric Opera of Chicago, to talk about what it really means to stay in the game. Bill won his job at 50. Before that? He taught high school band, drove to gigs, kept showing up, and stayed connected to his playing through real life, not a perfect timeline.

This conversation is for anyone who's ever wondered:

· Am I too late?

· Is it still worth it?

· What if my career doesn't look like theirs?

Tune in to hear what long-term commitment really looks like, how to stay ready without burning out, and why your timeline doesn't have to match anyone else's.

Whether you're navigating auditions, comparison, or just the quiet pressure of being "on time," this one's for you.

Find out more information about Bill on his website: https://dentonliumusicacademy.com/bios/

If you're ready to step on stage with confidence, perform at your best, and finally feel secure in your playing, let's talk! Book a free discovery call and let's create a plan to get you there.

Are you ready to take your playing and career to the next level and create a life that feels purposeful and joyful? Let's connect and explore how personalized coaching can support your journey. Click here to schedule your free consultation, and let's start turning your goals into reality.

Book your FREE Music Mastery Experience Discovery call with Renée HERE

Book your free consultation with Renée HERE

Download the transcript from this episode HERE

Mind Over Finger

Click www.mindoverfinger.com/coaching to book your free consultation with me.

Visit MindOverFinger.com for my online courses as well as free resources on peak performance.

Grab my free workshops and PDF downloads by going to www.mindoverfinger.com/resources.

Connect:

https://www.youtube.com/@MindOverFinger

https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfinger

https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/

THANK YOU:

Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme: Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson.