In an ideal world, we’d be building confidence in the practice room from one day to the next, but sometimes that can be easier said than done. It’s easy for the voice in our head to get very judge-y and negative and make us feel like we’re playing a never-ending game of whack-a-mole. Where every time we think we’ve solved a problem, a new one pops up to take its place.Whether it’s getting through challenging passages that have become “a thing,” troubleshooting intonation in an ensemble without judgment, or making sure you’re not accidentally reinforcing bad habits when practicing slowly, bassoonist Benjamin Kamins has seen it or worked through it in his years as an orchestral musician, chamber musician, soloist, educator, and Alexander Technique teacher.In this month’s interview, you’ll hear lots of anecdotes and tips for overcoming some of the common challenges we often encounter in the practice room and on stage.Get all the nerdy details (and transcript) here: Benjamin Kamins: On Self-Judgment, Slow Practice, and Reed-Making====Why do things sound better at home than they do on stage? If you’ve been confused (and frustrated) by the inconsistency of your performances, I put together a FREE 4-minute quiz called the Mental Skills Audit, which will help you pinpoint your mental strengths and weaknesses, and figure out what exactly to adjust and tweak in your preparation for more consistently optimal performances. It’s 100% free, takes only 4 minutes, and you’ll get a downloadable PDF with a personalized breakdown of where you stand in six key mental skill areas. You'll also get the Pressure Proof Practice Challenge, a free 1-week email course where you'll learn specific practice strategies to help you perform your best when it matters most - even under pressure. Take the quiz here: bulletproofmusician.com/msa