Learn Faster, Perform Better: A Musician's Guide to the Neuroscience of Practicing

I’ve recently read Learn Faster, Perform Better by Dr. Molly Gebrian (2024, OUP), which seeks to present strategies for music practice by relating them to research in learning and neuroscience. Dr. Gebrian is a music teacher and a performing viola player. She also holds qualifications in neuroscience and cognitive psychology and is perhaps uniquely qualified to present her arguments in this manner. The book is written for classical players at undergraduate level but there is plenty here for beginners playing popular music on any instrument.The books main argument is that many musicians, particularly amateurs and undergraduates, don’t employ effective practice strategies and seeks to suggest alternatives backed up by the latest scientific research. The author intersperses descriptions of the research with discussion on what it means when applied to music practice. She will often describe what she sees in her students and shares how they have addressed a variety of issues in their playing ability. Rest assured, the science part is easily understandable for the lay reader and doesn’t require any prior understanding of neuroscience. This book is highly readable and clearly explains any jargon used.I’ve started to include some of the suggestions in this book into my own practice but, as suggested by the book itself, I am not trying to completely overhaul my routine in one fell swoop! The book advises an incremental approach, allowing each change to bed in before looking to make further revisions. I think most musicians, at whatever skill level, can get something out of this book and it is certainly beneficial if you feel your practice sessions are merely going through the motions.

It is a must for all musicians of whatever age or experience.

Extremely helpful applied science.(Dr Gebrian is both a professional violist & a professional neuroscientist. The information and methods in this book - the culmination of decades of study and practice - are profoundly transformative.)

Disappointed at the state that my book arrived in, with glue and cardboard stuck to the spine. I can’t remove the glue without tearing the book and it was going to be a gift which I can no longer give.