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This blog centers around efficient and mindful instrumental practice: how to bring purpose, meaning, fun, and efficiency in practicing and performing as a musician.
In the essays, I talk about the findings I have come across in my career as a performer and in my research on deliberate and mindful practice. I discuss the things I try that work and those that don’t, and I share little bits of wisdom I like to pass on to my students. This is where Mind Over Finger was born, and it bears this name because quality thinking, logical reasoning, and clarity of vision is at the base of what we do as musicians and enhances everything about instrumental practice and performance. I have found this to be true in my own life and I witnessed it in my student's work.
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Your Brain Is Sabotaging You With Good Intentions
There is a cruel little trick your brain plays on you the moment something matters. The more you care, the more it watches. The more it watches, the worse it goes. The worse it goes, the harder it watches. Congratulations, you have just invented a spiral. I call this the desire problem, and it is sneakier than it sounds. It is not that you want too much. It is that wanting, in the middle of a performance, is actually a job. A big, distracting, prefrontal-cortex-firing job. An
Dr. Renée-Paule Gauthier
10 hours ago5 min read
You've Prepared the Excerpts. But Have You Prepared Yourself?
There's a version of audition prep most musicians know really well. The excerpts are learned. The recordings are analyzed. The mock auditions are done. The hours are logged. And still, something slips when it counts. You walk off wondering what happened to the musician you were in the practice room. Here's what I want you to consider. Preparing your excerpts and preparing yourself are not the same thing. Most musicians pour almost everything into one and almost nothing into t
Dr. Renée-Paule Gauthier
6 days ago2 min read
Bridging the Gap Between Practice Room and Stage
Most musicians are incredibly good at one thing. Asking the wrong question. Not because they are not smart. Not because they do not work hard. Actually, it is the opposite. The harder you work, the easier it is to miss it. Here is the question almost every musician asks after a rough performance: How do I play this better? More reps. More hours. More pressure in the practice room. Perfectly logical. Completely unhelpful. Because here is what is actually going on inside your b
Dr. Renée-Paule Gauthier
Apr 102 min read
The Practice Room Lie We All Believe
More hours. More repetitions. More pressure. Work harder and the results will come. Except they don't always. And that's not a you problem. That's a practice problem. The truth is, most of us were never taught how to practice. We were taught what to practice. Big difference. So we show up, we put in the time, and we wonder why we keep hitting the same walls. Here's where it gets interesting though. The fastest way to change the quality of your practice has nothing to do wit
Dr. Renée-Paule Gauthier
Apr 12 min read
A pep talk for the hard days
When Doubt Gets Loud in the Practice Room You finish a rehearsal and the first thing your brain does is replay every mistake. Later you sit down to practice and that quiet sentence appears again. It should be better by now. Then you open social media and suddenly everyone else seems more confident, more accomplished, and further along. If you're a musician, you probably know this moment very well. It happens to students, freelancers, orchestral players, and even musicians at
Dr. Renée-Paule Gauthier
Mar 153 min read
The Long Game Every Musician Needs to Play: Tim Higgins on Winning the Job, Finding Your Sound, and Staying Inspired
If you’ve ever wondered what it really takes to win a major audition, develop a sound that stands out, and stay inspired year after year in a demanding career, this post is for you. In my recent conversation with Tim Higgins, newly appointed principal trombone of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, we unpacked the mindset, strategies, and habits that have shaped his journey at the highest level. Whether you're gearing up for your own big opportunity or working to deepen your art
Dr. Renée-Paule Gauthier
Dec 19, 20254 min read
Beyond the Practice Room: What Four Top Experts Want You to Know About Performance
In September, I had the privilege of sitting on a panel with three remarkable leaders in musician wellness: Dr. Noa Kageyama, Lori Schiff, and Dr. Coree Levy. We were invited to speak at New World Symphony’s Wellness Week , an initiative designed to help musicians not just play better, but live better. We spent three days working with fellows on what really gets in the way of confident, free, connected playing, and it wasn’t fingerings or bowings. It was the stuff that lives
Dr. Renée-Paule Gauthier
Nov 17, 20252 min read
You’re Not Unmotivated, You’re Believing the Wrong Thing: How to Reclaim Your Focus, Confidence, and Momentum
Ever feel like you’re doing everything right - practicing consistently, working hard, showing up - and yet, something still isn’t clicking? Maybe you're still feeling nervous when you perform. Maybe your practice feels scattered or unproductive. Maybe you’ve convinced yourself that you’re just “not that kind of musician,” not focused enough, not talented enough, not confident enough. I want to offer something today that might completely change the way you think about progres
Dr. Renée-Paule Gauthier
Oct 31, 20253 min read
From Bully to Ally - Transform Your Inner Critic Into Your Strongest Tool in Practice and Performance
Tame Your Inner Critic: The Self-Compassion Shift That Changes Everything There is a powerful, often overlooked practice tool, and it’s...
Dr. Renée-Paule Gauthier
Jul 25, 20253 min read
Grounded Practice – The Practice Strategy That Accelerates Real Growth
In our fast-paced lives as musicians, it’s easy to feel like we’re always rushing to meet a deadline, to fix a passage, to “get better”...
Dr. Renée-Paule Gauthier
Jul 25, 20253 min read
Practicing Isn’t Working? – What You’re Missing and How to Fix It
Mind Over Finger: The Alignment Shift That Changes Everything If you've ever walked into the practice room, played the same passage a...
Dr. Renée-Paule Gauthier
Jul 25, 20253 min read
Stuck in Practice? How Joy Unlocks Focus, Progress, and Consistency
Joy Isn’t Optional — It’s Strategic Most musicians don’t think of joy as a serious practice strategy. But what if that mindset is...
Dr. Renée-Paule Gauthier
Jul 25, 20254 min read
Joy-Driven Practice – Reignite Your Practice with Curiosity, Calm, and Creativity
Summer is the perfect time to pause, reflect, and come back to your practice with fresh eyes and renewed energy. That’s exactly what this...
Dr. Renée-Paule Gauthier
Jul 16, 20254 min read
“I’m Just Not Ready Yet” – Why That Might Be the Lie Holding You Back
Have you ever caught yourself saying, “I need to be better before I…” ? Maybe it’s before you take an audition . Maybe before you finally...
Dr. Renée-Paule Gauthier
May 27, 20253 min read
Hijacked by Fear - When Your Mind Turns Against You
Or What to Do When Overthinking Hijacks Your Performance 🎧 Catch the full episode here Have you ever walked on stage feeling fully...
Dr. Renée-Paule Gauthier
May 23, 20253 min read
Stuck or Soaring? Why Investing in Yourself Might Be the Best Decision You Make
What if six months from now…nothing had changed? You’re still feeling stuck. Still frustrated in the practice room. Still dreading...
Dr. Renée-Paule Gauthier
May 13, 20253 min read
Stage Freeze – Why Everything You Know Disappears Under Pressure
You know what to do. You’ve practiced the hours. You’ve read the books, listened to the podcast episodes, maybe even coached others...
Dr. Renée-Paule Gauthier
May 12, 20253 min read
Unlock YOUR Edge – Discover the Reflection Practice That Transforms How You Perform
Have you ever walked off stage wondering, “Why did that happen? I practiced so much… I should have nailed it.” You knew your music. You...
Dr. Renée-Paule Gauthier
May 9, 20253 min read
When Practice Isn’t Fun Anymore: What to Do When Music Stops Feeling Inspiring
Have you ever found yourself staring down your stand, wondering how you’re going to play that same passage again—let alone find any joy...
Dr. Renée-Paule Gauthier
Apr 18, 20253 min read
The Truth About Confidence: What Every Musician Needs to Know
Have you ever had one of those performances where everything just… falls apart? You practice, you prepare, you put in the work. But when...
Dr. Renée-Paule Gauthier
Mar 14, 20253 min read
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