The Musician's Mind

Where does learning begin and how is it sustained and stored in the brain? For musicians, these questions are at the very core of their creative lives. Cognitive and neuroscience have flung wide the doors of our understanding, but bridging the gap between research data and music-making requires a unique immersion in both worlds. Lynn Helding presents a symphony of discoveries that illuminate how musicians can optimize their mental wellbeing and cognitive abilities. She addresses common brain myths, motor learning research and the concept of deliberate practice, the values of instructional feedback, technology’s role in attention disorders, the challenges of parenting young musicians, performance anxiety and its solutions, and the emerging importance of music as a social justice issue. More than an exploration of the brain, The Musician’s Mind is an inspiring call for artists to promote the cultivation of emotion and empathy as cornerstones of a civilized society. No matter your instrument or level of musical ability, this book will reveal to you a new dynamic appreciation for the mind’s creative power.

Table of Contents:
Introduction: A New Enchantment A New Enchantment The Brain on Music The “Mozart Effect” Music and the Mind Chapter 1: Science, Art and The Missing Mind What Revolution? Mindless Behaviorism The New Science of Mind Music as a Weapon Science and Art C.P. Snow’s “Two Cultures” The “Third Culture” The Theory of Multiple Intelligences The Rescue of Emotion The Other Half of the Truth The Mind-Body Problem Neuroaesthetics Cautious Enchantment Chapter 2: Groundwork: at the Foothills Neuromyths and Brainscams In the Shadow of the “Mozart Effect” Tracking a Scientific Legend Exposure Is Not Learning The Left Brain | Right Brain Dichotomy Brain Personalities and Learning Styles Real Brain Gains What is the Use of Music? The Big One Know-That and Know-How How the Thing Works Chapter 3: How Learning Works Two Basic Modes of Information Processing Learning Defined The Triumvirate of Learning Step One: Attention Attention Aides: Emotion and Desire Attention Aides: Motivation and Rewards Attention Aide: Goal-Setting Attention Aide: Sleep Step Two: Learning Chunking Constructed Memories Step Three: Memory Neurogenesis and Neural Plasticity The Plastic Paradox Back to the Body Chapter 4: Learned Movement: Motor Learning The Question is How, Not What Motor Learning and Performance Differences Between Learning and Performance Performance Shifts: Upsides and Downsides Negative Performance Shifts and ‘Unlearning’ The Path to Carnegie Hall Three Rule of Practice Motor Imagery: Thinking About Doing Controlled versus Automatic Processes: Learning/Have Learned Feedback Inherent Feedback Vision Singers’ Alternative Facts: Cognitive Dissonance Proprioception Augmented Feedback Concurrent Augmented Feedback Terminal Feedback Feedback Frequency Knowledge of Performance and Knowledge of Results Too Much Information? Hands Off The Theory of Attentional Focus Attentional Focus in Music Novice Learners and Internal Focus Challenges to “The Maxim” and “Just-do-it” Flexible Attention Planning for Disruptions: Training How to Think Training Embodied Cognition Chapter 5: Performance Studies Deliberate Practice Cognitive Demands of Deliberate Practice Emotional Demands of Deliberate Practice Grit Beyond Deliberate Practice Early Starts and Caring Mentors Tiger Moms and Helicopter Parents The Inverse Power of Praise Building Motivation Self-Esteem Theory Nature/Nurture The Talent Account: So What? Toxic Talent and Social Justice The Good Enough Musician Chapter 6: Mind Games Break A Leg! - and Other Mind Games Music Performance Anxiety (MPA) Causes of MPA The Physiological Basis of Performance Anxiety Beyond MPA Choking Under Pressure Causes of Choking: The Theory of Explicit Monitoring Causes of Choking: The Theory of Distraction The White Bear Problem and the Ironic Effect The Upside of Anxiety Researched Treatments for MPA Standard Psychotherapies for MPA Alternative Therapies for MPA Alexander Technique Yoga Experimental Strategies for MPA Exposure Therapy and Stress Conditioning Resilience Training Power Posing Meditation Holistic Word Cues “Avoid Avoiding” Stories of MPA Importance of Venue and Evaluative Threat An Antidote to Perfectionism Embody the Fear Deliberate Practice Redux Routines and Rituals “Deliberate Calm” The Upside of Quitting Good Luck – and Break a Leg! Chapter 7: the Digital Brain Digital Heaven Trouble in Paradise: The "Screen Invasion” Multitasking: “Dumbing Down the World” Interruption Science and Acquired ADD Zebras Don’t Multitask, Either Internet Addiction Who is Minding the Store? The Plastic Paradox and Digital Technology Who Cares if You Listen? The Problem of Audience Attention Dialing Down Empathy Chapter 8: Emotion, Empathy and the Unification of Art and Science Emotion Understanding Empathy Paying Attention To Empathy Empathy And Goodness Empathy And Bias Leveraging Homophily Instilling Empathy Through Art Coda: The Fourth Culture And The Unification Of Art And Science

About the Author :
Lynn Helding serves as professor in vocal arts and opera and coordinator of voice pedagogy at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music. Ms. Helding is a thought-leader within the dynamic field of contemporary voice science, or vocology, and thus was elected to head the founding of the first non-profit vocology association, PAVA. She is an associate editor of the Journal of Singing and creator of the journal’s “Mindful Voice” column, which illuminates current research in the cognitive, neuro- and social sciences as they relate to music teaching, learning and performance. She is in demand as a master voice teacher and popular lecturer on cognitive topics at universities, and conferences across the United States and Canada.

Review :
This book's interdisciplinary material is pedagogically practical, scientifically well contextualized, and adapted credibly from integrative sources. It is meticulously indexed with well-referenced chapters providing scientific justification for views, as well as a myriad of resources. The Musician's Mind makes a unique and outstanding contribution to vocal pedagogy, offering a thorough introduction as well as insight and practical guidance. The Musician’s Mind offers a fascinating journey of investigation and discovery into how the brain impacts the way music is made. For musicians, this is a new concept, one that moves beyond the more familiar research of recent year that deals with the effects of listening to music. Through a study of cognitive neuroscience, Helding (vocal arts, Thornton School of Music, Univ. of Southern California) demonstrates that music begins from the outside in. Just as a composer builds a work on a musical theme, Helding has written this book using one “guiding question”: "How?" She hopes this information will help all musicians achieve their finest music making. Helding focuses on the mind—of the music learner, the music teacher, and the music performer—and she covers a variety of important topics, including how learning works, motor learning, performance studies, performance anxiety, the “digital brain,” empathy, and unifying art and science. The book is full of information that illuminates the crucial processes necessary for successful music making, e.g., the cognitive differences between music learning and music performing. The Musician’s Mind may just change the paradigm for how musicians think about music. Summing Up: Essential. Graduate students, researchers, faculty, professionals. The Musician’s Mind is an exceptional contribution to vocal pedagogy. Helding has conscientiously collected some of the most relevant research, which she has adeptly translated and expertly applied to voice training. Her work is tremendously important for voice educators. If heeded, it stands to have a transformational impact on the field. Helding’s wide-ranging volume provides much food for thought for musicians, teachers and students, and a rich trove of references to guide readers toward topics of particular interest. I know much more than I did before reading the book[.] A fascinating book that adds crucial pieces to the puzzle of how and why humans make music—The Musician’s Mind is a groundbreaking examination of our engagement with an art form embedded in every culture, surrounding us even before birth. For centuries, musicians at every level have studied technique, style, theory, history, and artistry, but only recently have scientists looked at the cognitive neuroscience of music-making. Synthesizing years of research into a coherent, practical resource, Helding sheds new light on performance anxiety, motor learning theory, and cognitive differences between the practice room and the stage. The book is an invaluable contribution to the field of music pedagogy, advancing our understanding of an art all too easily taken for granted. This is the first book to address how music-making changes our brains, and how to do it better. Lynn Helding covers the latest discoveries in cognitive neuroscience with priceless information to help teachers impart knowledge to their students, and how musicians at all levels, from novice to professional, may practice effectively and optimize their performances. The final chapter is a clarion call for musicians to confront the pitfalls of the multitasking Digital Age: decreased ability to concentrate, decreased productivity, and a disturbing decrease in human empathy. Knowledge is of the mind; wisdom is of the soul. In a paradigmatic illustration of this truism, singer, voice pedagogue, and researcher Lynn Helding draws from wellsprings of personal artistry, knowledge of the vocal instrument, deep insights into the cognitive sciences, and academic experience, qualities bolstered by a probing intellect, to contribute a study of deep significance to the broader community of musicians. A well-written and accessible introduction, Lynn Helding takes us on a journey through recent theoretical and empirical works, with direct implications for music teaching and learning. This book offers many insights for anyone interested in music learning, performing, and teaching. Helding debunks common myths and highlights findings that can enhance your experience both in the practice room and on stage. It’s an owner’s manual for the mind specifically for musicians.