Michael Bridge: On Cultivating Expressive (vs Impressive) Virtuosity

The Bulletproof Musician

This episode is sponsored by Musician's Maintenance - safe, simple, maintenance exercises that specifically address the muscle groups that matter most for musicians.
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I think we’ve all had teachers tell us that the technical and expressive aspects of music-making are inextricably connected, and that we shouldn’t just work on technique, and expect to add the expressive details later.
But how exactly do you do this? Like, what does it look like to connect both the technical and expressive aspects of music-making into a practice session?
Michael Bridge is a virtuoso performer of an instrument that you probably don’t know very much about. I’m not even going to tell you what it is quite yet, to make sure your brain doesn’t jump to any premature conclusions. 😁
I’ll just say, that in this episode, you’ll learn how to use your daily practice to develop more expressive virtuosity (as opposed to impressive virtuosity). And you’ll also learn more about “horizontal” playing (as opposed to vertical playing), how to create more compelling and expressive phrases by “cheating” with your dynamics, the four key elements of effective performances, and much more.
Get all the nerdy details here:
Michael Bridge: On Cultivating Expressive (vs Impressive) Virtuosity
*NOTE: The audio in this episode is optimized for voice, rather than music, so my apologies in advance for the portions where the sound of the music is less than awesome. If you'd like to hear Michael's playing as it should be heard, check out the performance videos on his website here: https://www.michaelbridge.ca/music

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Have you been feeling a little stuck or stagnant in the practice room? Or has performance anxiety been a nagging issue that hasn’t gotten any better, no matter how prepared you feel before performances, auditions, or even lessons for that matter?
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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 16th.
Over 1500 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 18 at:
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