Podcast on overcoming microphonobia

  1. HonketyHank
    HonketyHank
    Six years ago, before I started on mandolin, I was attempting to resurrect my old five-string banjo skills from nearly 50 years earlier. I joined banjohangout.com and scoured the internet for videos and free lessons. One resource I found to be far and away more appealing than the others. Josh Turknett and his "Brainjo Method". He was establishing an internet presence at just about the same time I started looking for help. Josh is a neuro-scientist - someone who tries to find out how the brain works. He also started learning the banjo and discovered (as I also did) that most instructional material didn't satisfy his inquisitive mind. So he developed his own teaching materials based on his understanding of how the brain actually learns stuff instead of "here. do this. don't ask questions. just do it a lot. you'll thank me later."

    Sadly (or happily, depending on who you are), I did not enjoy "relearning" the banjo and that is what led me to try something new and different, the mandolin. On the other hand, I have enjoyed Josh's materials to this day. He has some great videos. He has some wonderful lesson materials. And the neat thing is that a lot of what he teaches is completely "instrument neutral" and thus is very useful to anyone attempting to learn a musical instrument. Shoot, maybe even to anyone attempting to learn any complex skill.

    Anyway, you can find his videos on youtube. And you can find his website(s) on the internet. Keywords to search for are "Josh Turknett" or "brainjo".

    So. Here is a very recent podcast from him on how to overcome a malady that I suffer from and which has been a frequent topic of discussion here and also out on the main forum. Call it "stage fright" or "performance anxiety" or "microphobia" or whatever. It's when the "record" button is pushed and you suddenly turn into an unrecognizable klutz. Warning -- the quick jumps in the video production editing can be kind of distracting but don't let them.

  2. NDO
    NDO
    Good stuff! I think for me the biggest key was desensitization, just doing it repeatedly. But I still have more trouble playing while knowing I’m recording a video than playing in front of a live audience!
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