Introduction.
A musician's guide to Mindset. Performace & Inner CalmBy John MacPherson Allan
Length2h 19m
About this audiobook
Have you ever frozen on stage? Gone blank in an audition? Felt so nervous before a performance that you couldn't play the music you knew by heart?
You are not alone — and you are not broken.
Mind, Music & Practice is a warm, practical guide to the inner game of music — the mindset, habits, and emotional tools that shape every musician's journey, from the first nervous lesson to the professional stage.
Audiobook details
GenreSelf-Help
Length2 hrs 19 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateApr 27, 2026
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction.
53Listening as Presence.
2Chapter 2
54Letting Go of the Outcome.
3The Audition I'll Never Forget.
55Practising Presence.
4What This Book Is About.
56The Gift of Full Presence.
5Who This Book Is For.
57Chapter Nine. The Breathing Musician.
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6Chapter One. Practising with Intention.
58How Stress Changes Your Breathing.
7The Comfort Zone Trap.
59The Foundation: Diaphragmatic Breathing.
8A Simple Framework to Start With.
60The 4-6 Breath: Your Pre-Performance Tool.
9Quality Over Quantity.
61Box Breathing: For Deeper Calm.
10Ending on a Positive Note.
62Breathing During Performance.
11Chapter Two. Frustration, Plateaus and the Art of Keeping Going.
63A Note on Planning Your Practice.
12What's Actually Happening.
64Making Breath Practice a Daily Habit.
13The Role of Frustration.
65Chapter Ten. The Body Scan — Finding and Releasing Tension.
14What to Do Instead.
66What Is a Body Scan?
15A Word About Comparison.
67Where Musicians Carry Tension.
16Keeping the Long View.
68A Simple Body Scan for Musicians.
17Chapter Three. Building a Sustainable Practice Habit.
69The Quick Scan — 30 Seconds Before You Play.
18The Myth of the Perfect Practice Session.
70Tension and Injury.
19Finding Your Window.
71Chapter Eleven. Visualisation and Mental Rehearsal.
20The Power of Small Commitments.
72What the Research Tells Us.
21Structuring Your Time.
73Two Kinds of Visualisation.
22When Life Gets in the Way.
74How to Visualise Effectively.
23Making Music Part of Your Identity.
75Mental Rehearsal for Specific Challenges.
24Chapter Four. The Voice in Your Head.
76The Post-Performance Wind-Down.
25Where the Voice Comes From.
77Making It a Practice.
26What the Inner Critic Costs You.
78Chapter Twelve. Staying Motivated for a Lifetime.
27The Observer Instead of the Judge.
79Intrinsic vs Extrinsic Motivation.
28Talking to Yourself Like You'd Talk to a Student.
80Reconnecting With Your Why.
29Rewriting the Script.
81Embracing New Challenges.
30A Final Thought on Self-Compassion.
82The Role of Community.
31Chapter Five. Nerves, Fear and the Gift of Adrenaline.
83Allowing Music to Change With You.
32What Is Actually Happening in Your Body.
84Chapter Thirteen. The Teacher's Gift — Passing It On.
33The Reframe That Changes Everything.
85What Students Actually Learn From You.
34The Nerves That Help and the Nerves That Hurt.
86Teaching Mindset, Not Just Method.
35Before You Go On.
87The Words That Stay.
36The Bigger Picture.
88Creating a Safe Space to Fail.
37Chapter Six. Preparation, Perfection and Knowing When You're Ready.
89Teaching the Love of Music.
38The Perfection Trap.
90The Ripple Effect.
39What Preparation Actually Means.
91Chapter Fourteen. Celebrating Progress — The Art of Noticing How Far You Have Come.
40The 80 Percent Rule.
92Why Progress Is So Hard to See.
41Simulating Performance in Practice.
93Making Progress Visible.
42Performing Often, Performing Small.
94The Difference Between Celebrating and Complacency.
43A Word to the Perfectionist.
95Marking the Milestones.
44Chapter Seven. Recovering Gracefully When Things Go Wrong.
96Sharing Your Progress.
45The Audience Sees Far Less Than You Think.
97You Are Further Than You Think.
46The Art of Keeping Going.
98Conclusion. The Road Continues.
47Memory Lapses — The Performer's Nightmare.
99What We Have Covered.
48Preparing to Recover.
100The Tools Are Yours Now.
49After the Performance.
101A Note on MaestroCal.
50Chapter Eight. Staying Present on Stage.
102To the Musician Reading This.
51Where the Mind Goes During Performance.
103The Never-Finished Journey.
52The Body as an Anchor.
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