The TopCast: The Official Music Teachers' Podcast

Helping students perform confidently on stage is one of the biggest challenges music teachers face. In this episode, I’m sharing a conversation with performance psychologist and educator Noa Kageyama, who has spent years helping musicians understand the psychology behind performing under pressure. Together we explore practical strategies that can help both teachers and students prepare more effectively, build resilience, and develop the skills needed to perform at their best.
Tim introduces performance psychologist Noa Kageyama, known for helping musicians perform confidently under pressure.
The importance of preparing for performance, not just practicing the music itself.
How performance anxiety affects both students and teachers.
Noa explains how musicians can train their brains to perform better under pressure.
The role of deliberate practice in building confidence before stepping on stage.
Why practicing only in comfortable environments can limit performance readiness.
How simulating performance conditions during practice can improve stage success.
The value of small mindset shifts to reduce performance nerves.
Why mistakes during practice can be useful for learning how to recover in performance.
Practical strategies teachers can use to help students build resilience on stage.
How understanding the psychology of performance can transform practice habits.
Why stage confidence is a skill that can be trained rather than a natural trait.


Links Mentioned

Get your EARLY BIRD tickets for TopMusicLive 2026 here.
The TopMusic Teacher Guide to Fearless Performing
Practice Hacks for Musicians Course by Noa Kageyama
Find out more about TopMusic courses here.
Noa's website:bulletproofmusician.com


Today's Guest



Noa Kageyama is a performance psychologist and faculty member at The Juilliard School and the Cleveland Institute of Music. A conservatory-trained violinist with degrees from Oberlin and Juilliard, he later completed a PhD in counselling psychology at Indiana University and now specialises in helping performers thrive under pressure using sport psychology principles. He has presented workshops at leading institutions including Curtis, Eastman, Peabody, McGill and Northwestern, and his work has been featured in outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, CNN and TED-Ed. Through his courses and his blog and podcast: The Bulletproof Musician, he has supported more than 8,000 musicians worldwide and reaches over 45,000 subscribers each week.
Thank you for tuning in!

Consider implementing the ideas from this podcast by writing several actionable steps for your teaching practice if it’s inspired you.

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, which helps other teachers find our show.

Stay updated by subscribing to this show, and get automatic delivery to your device every time a new episode goes live! We publish on Mondays weekly.
TopMusicPro 14-Day Free Trial

Heard about TopMusicPro Membership? As a valued podcast listener, I’d like to offer you a special chance to try our community free for 14 days. You can access a treasure trove of teaching resources, professional development courses, and creative lesson ideas. Click the link below to access your exclusive 14-day free trial for our Studio Membership.
TOPMUSICPRO MEMBERSHIP 14-DAY FREE TRIAL

There’s a moment many of us have experienced as teachers. A student who plays beautifully in lessons suddenly freezes when they step onto a stage. In this episode, I’m doing something a little different and giving you a behind-the-scenes look at our new resource, the TopMusic Teacher’s Guide to Fearless Performing. I’ll share the big ideas behind it and why preparing the performer, not just the piece, might be the most important thing we teach.
Tim shares a story of a student freezing mid-performance despite playing confidently in lessons.
He explains the difference between preparing the piece and preparing the performer.
Tim introduces the TopMusic Teacher’s Guide to Fearless Performing.
The guide challenges the idea that confidence is simply a personality trait.
He explains that nerves don’t disappear with experience but can be reframed.
He outlines the guide’s three pillars: preparation, mindset, and stagecraft.
Tim highlights the importance of helping students recover from mistakes on stage.
He invites teachers to explore the guide to help students become confident performers.


Links Mentioned

Get your EARLY BIRD tickets for TopMusicLive 2026 here.
The TopMusic Teacher Guide to Fearless Performing
Practice Hacks for Musicians Course by Noa Kageyama


Thank you for tuning in!

Consider implementing the ideas from this podcast by writing several actionable steps for your teaching practice if it’s inspired you.

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, which helps other teachers find our show.

Stay updated by subscribing to this show, and get automatic delivery to your device every time a new episode goes live! We publish on Mondays weekly.
TopMusicPro 14-Day Free Trial

Heard about TopMusicPro Membership? As a valued podcast listener, I’d like to offer you a special chance to try our community free for 14 days. You can access a treasure trove of teaching resources, professional development courses, and creative lesson ideas. Click the link below to access your exclusive 14-day free trial for our Studio Membership.
TOPMUSICPRO MEMBERSHIP 14-DAY FREE TRIAL

Keeping students focused in today’s distraction-filled world can feel harder than ever. Today, I’m joined by Samantha Coates, one of our keynote speakers at TopMusicLive, to preview her session on staying ahead of student distraction. If you’re looking for practical, ready-to-use ways to boost engagement in your lessons, you’re going to love what she has planned.
Tim introduces Samantha Coates as a keynote speaker at TopMusicLive in Sydney.
Samantha shares her background as creator of BlitzBooks, now celebrating 25 years.
She previews her session on staying ahead of student distraction in lessons.
Samantha explains how breaking up lessons helps re-engage distracted students.
She promises practical activities teachers can implement immediately.


Links Mentioned

Get your EARLY BIRD tickets for TopMusicLive 2026 here.
The TopMusic Teacher Guide to Fearless Performing
Join our Spotlight Session with Noa Kageyama here.
Practice Hacks for Musicians Course by Noa Kageyama


Today's Guest



Samantha Coates is an internationally regarded piano pedagogue and presenter. In addition to running an active teaching studio, she is the creator and publisher of BlitzBooks, the music education series that has brought laughter and creativity to music theory, sight reading, and piano repertoire. Samantha’s sense of humour and ability to connect with students through her books and online resources reflect her ongoing dedication to making all areas of music accessible, enjoyable and memorable.
Thank you for tuning in!

Consider implementing the ideas from this podcast by writing several actionable steps for your teaching practice if it’s inspired you.

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, which helps other teachers find our show.

Stay updated by subscribing to this show, and get automatic delivery to your device every time a new episode goes live! We publish on Mondays weekly.
TopMusicPro 14-Day Free Trial

Heard about TopMusicPro Membership? As a valued podcast listener, I’d like to offer you a special chance to try our community free for 14 days. You can access a treasure trove of teaching resources, professional development courses, and creative lesson ideas. Click the link below to access your exclusive 14-day free trial for our Studio Membership.
TOPMUSICPRO MEMBERSHIP 14-DAY FREE TRIAL

Helping students move from confident practice room playing to reliable stage performance is one of the biggest challenges we face as music teachers. In this episode, I'm sharing some honest reflections from my own performance anxiety journey, including sitting a high-level diploma exam as an adult. We’re unpacking what really causes that gap between practice and performance and how to help students become truly stage ready.
Tim introduces this month’s focus on becoming stage ready.
He explains the common gap between practice and performance.
Tim shares his fear of solo classical performance.
He reflects on completing his AMusA diploma as an adult.
He describes the structure of the high-level performance exam.
How preparing rebuilt his teaching confidence.
The value of teachers taking lessons themselves.
He recommends visualization as a preparation strategy.
Tim encourages playing in the actual performance venue when possible.
He shares a simple backstage hand-warmup technique.
Tim introduces Noa Kageyama, The Bulletproof Musician.
He previews the Spotlight session on performance psychology.


Links Mentioned

Get your EARLY BIRD tickets for TopMusicLive 2026 here.
Join our Spotlight Session with Noa Kageyama here. 
Practice Hacks for Musicians Course by Noa Kageyama
Preparing For an AMusA Performance Diploma Exam – Why Bother?!
TMPP 099: Reflections on 99 Episodes of the TopMusic Piano Podcast
TMPP 100: The Teacher Who Shaped Me as a Pianist with Dr. Un-Young Whang
TMPP 101: Real Talk About Performance Anxiety


Thank you for tuning in!

Consider implementing the ideas from this podcast by writing several actionable steps for your teaching practice if it’s inspired you.

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, which helps other teachers find our show.

Stay updated by subscribing to this show, and get automatic delivery to your device every time a new episode goes live! We publish on Mondays weekly.
TopMusicPro 14-Day Free Trial

Heard about TopMusicPro Membership? As a valued podcast listener, I’d like to offer you a special chance to try our community free for 14 days. You can access a treasure trove of teaching resources, professional development courses, and creative lesson ideas. Click the link below to access your exclusive 14-day free trial for our Studio Membership.
TOPMUSICPRO MEMBERSHIP 14-DAY FREE TRIAL

I’m really excited to give you a taste of what’s coming up at TopMusicLive this year. In today's episode, we're having a chat with Dr Anita Collins, who’ll be delivering one of our keynotes in Sydney. We talk about something that every music teacher is feeling right now — students are changing, attention spans are shifting, and resilience looks different than it used to. Anita helps us understand what’s happening in the brain and why music learning has never been more important.
Tim introduced Dr Anita Collins as a keynote speaker for TopMusicLive in Sydney.
Anita explained her work in music learning and brain development.
The importance of distilling complex neuroscience into practical teaching insights.
Anita discussed how students’ brains are changing in the post-COVID and AI era.
How constant access to devices affects effort, dopamine, and attention spans.
The decline in Generation Z IQ scores was referenced as a significant global trend.
Anita described how students struggle more with long-term effort and delayed rewards.
The value of productive discomfort for true brain growth was emphasized.
She explained the concept of the zone of proximal development in music lessons.
Tim highlighted the increasing difficulty of teaching in a fast-paced, swipe-driven culture.
Anita stressed that teachers must adapt because the world has fundamentally shifted.
She previewed her keynote topic: how to turn frustration into fuel.


Links Mentioned

Get your SUPER EARLY BIRD tickets for TopMusicLive 2026 here.
Find out more about Unfazed: Teaching Neurodivergent Students Course here.
Check out all TopMusic Courses here.


Today’s Guest



Dr. Anita Collins is an internationally recognised educator, researcher, writer, and consultant who bridges the gap between cutting-edge brain science and everyday teaching practice. Best known for her expertise in music learning and brain development, she uses this powerful lens to address broader educational challenges including student engagement, parent advocacy, and system wide innovation. Anita’s presentations inspire new possibilities, her consulting transforms how schools and organisations think and act, and her pragmatic strategies ensure change is both achievable and lasting.
Thank you for tuning in!

Consider implementing the ideas from this podcast by writing several actionable steps for your teaching practice if it’s inspired you.

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, which helps other teachers find our show.

Stay updated by subscribing to this show, and get automatic delivery to your device every time a new episode goes live! We publish on Mondays weekly.
TopMusicPro 14-Day Free Trial

Heard about TopMusicPro Membership? As a valued podcast listener, I’d like to offer you a special chance to try our community free for 14 days. You can access a treasure trove of teaching resources, professional development courses, and creative lesson ideas. Click the link below to access your exclusive 14-day free trial for our Studio Membership.
TOPMUSICPRO MEMBERSHIP 14-DAY FREE TRIAL