E28: Self-Determination Theory For Pianists- how it can unlock & improve your musicality, and help you deal with performance anxiety

A lively and passionate discussion  where we introduce the ideas and research behind Self-Determination Theory, which could help you make giant leaps with your music. Some core topics covered in this episode include intrinsic & extrinsic motivation, autonomy, how rewards actually make us perform worse, ego & needing approval from others and ourselves, and how we can practise & cultivate intrinsic motivation in our own piano journey. Show Notes [2:55] Brief intro to Self-Determination Theory (SDT) 3 Basic Psychological Needs: Autonomy, Competency, & Relatedness Intrinsic & Extrinsic Motivation What is Autonomy? Rewards undermine intrinsic motivation School, parents, society, etc can undermine intrinsic motivation by use of rewards But some factors that promote autonomy will increase intrinsic motivation [17:55] Continuum of extrinsic-instrinsic motivation: External regulation (reward, punishment) Introjection (ego, approval from self & others) Identification Integration [27:00] Teacher’s role is to show students how to love the music more [33:30] How to move towards intrinsic motivation: -improve mindfulness (mindfulness is linked to autonomy in studies)- including practising non-attachment -increase our sense of competence by letting go of perfectionism, and reducing comparison with others. Cultivate a felt sense of ‘always good enough’ -Remind ourselves why we play music- IMO the purest most helpful reason is to connect with the music, and other people through the music -Resist unhelpful cultural baggage- especially in classical music -Recognise introjection while practising/performing- and practise not reacting or identifying with it [52:30]- How I connect with the music when I’m playing [54:35] Competency vs relatedness: Am I mainly being driven by a need to feel competent or am I bring driven by a desire to connect? Being aware of this & moving to connection really helps me to perform well under pressure [56:30] How to be a good student when you have a teacher [59:10] Importance of a growth mindset (feeling competent enough) [1:09:05] Zen and beginner’s mind [1:10:15] Related academic fields and psychological skills: Renee Brown on vulnerability and Kristen Neff on Self-compassion 1:16:55 We can see intrinsic motivation in its purest form when we watch children playing. When we lose this sense of playfulness as adults, we lose the performance benefits of intrinsic motivation & autonomy Notes: The core academic textbook: Self-Determination Theory: Basic Psychological Needs in Motivation, Development, and Wellness- https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=GF0ODQAAQBAJ The YouTube video showing a talk by one of the authors Richard M.Ryan- an excellent introduction to the subject: https://youtu.be/iUgNbWkcnHs A second YouTube video by the same speaker that goes into a little more depth in the field of education: https://youtu.be/1VBywz1c4cs The highly influential book The Inner Game of Music: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=xdMuBgAAQBAJ Brené Brown- an academic who has popularised her work on vulnerability: https://brenebrown.com/ And Kristin Neff- an academic who has popularised her work on self-compassion: https://self-compassion.org/ Dan Pink’s TED talk: https://youtu.be/rrkrvAUbU9Y where he sums up some of the ideas in his book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us- https://www.danpink.com/books/drive/ Some earlier Heart of the Piano Podcast episodes with guided meditations to use at the piano: https://heartofthepiano.com/guided-piano-meditation-introduction-to-meditating-at-the-piano/ https://heartofthepiano.com/guided-piano-meditation-further-down-the-road/ https://heartofthepiano.com/guided-piano-meditation-listening-and-posture/ The Master and His Emissary- an excellent book about the brain hemispheres and how Western Culture makes our brains unhealthily unbalanced: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=alSIDwAAQBAJ Further Notes: Many thanks to the C. Bechstein Centre in Manchester for letting us use one of their teaching/practice rooms to record this podcast episode: https://www.bechstein.co.uk The intro/outro music is my jazz arrangement of the Rachmaninov Adagio from Symphony #2, you can watch the whole thing here if you like: https://youtu.be/hMqREAngb4s