Coaching for Musicians
Creative freedom.
Lasting confidence.
My coaching work helps musicians understand and break free from a range of common issues, and build:
Confidence and freedom in performance
Sustained motivation and joy in music practice
Improved creativity and personal expression
I have been through this process myself. I had debilitating performance nerves, and felt like I was never good enough as a musician.
But I was determined to overcome these and related issues around music. I embarked on a journey of research and training. I wanted to really understand what was holding me back, and find ways to play in the way I wanted to.
This led to Positive Schema Coaching for Musicians – an approach I developed in consultation with psychologists. I use it every day for myself, and perform with much more joy, ease and spontaneity. I feel a sense of real satisfaction and progress in my music work.
Now I help other musicians to do the same.
How it Works
Sessions are practical and music-led, working directly on pieces you are learning or wanting to refine. Together we build a toolkit of embodied, real-time strategies directly into the music.
You'll learn how to recognise and release unhelpful playing habits, and about what you need to practice and perform more effectively. At the same time, you'll learn tools to help you relax, connect with the music, and find more enjoyment in all aspects of musicianship.
To achieve this, we work on things like:
Cultivating a compassionate, protective inner diloague
Finding security and freedom in posture, breathing and movement.
Safely opening up in your senses to stimulate curiosity and flow.
Activating imagination or emotion to build connection.
Playing at a pace that enables proper learning and full expression.
Bringing more playfulness to your work in music.
All of this lays the ground for better practice and performance.
Wellbeing is up. You feel more safe, secure, energised and ready to play. You feel good in the musical moment, so you can really play to your best. Because when we feel good, we play great!
And by working directly with your playing, these qualities become more than ideas. They become your reality.
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You can feel and hear the difference in how you play. People sense the moment the music shifts gear, and I do too. It's like the music has been liberated. That's what we're looking for.
"Thank you so much! You've helped me so much, I don't think I would have ever had the confidence to play without it." - Amy
"You have restored my faith and love in music. You have truly been an inspiration and a role model. I really valued the freedom you gave me in encouraging me to experiment, and you have shown me how to combine music and well-being." - Ryan
"Thank you so much for everything you have done for me! You have taught me so much that I will remember forever!" - Caitlin
Focusing on Your Needs
All of this is based on Positive Schema Coaching, an approach I have developed in collaboration with psychologists and with the support of the International Society of Schema Therapists (ISST). It takes the core principles of the powerful, evidence-based Schema Therapy model and adapts it safely for music tuition and coaching contexts.
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A "schema" in this model is a neural network of associated thoughts, emotions, physical sensations and memories. Our brains use all sorts of schemas as short-cuts to help us do everyday tasks in a more streamlined manner, rather than step-by-step.
"Throwing a ball", for example, is a schema that allows us to complete this action without having to think about every move, which would take a long time and a lot of energy.
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We also have emotional schemas that activate networks thoughts, feel and reactions in everyday situations. Schema Therapy largely addresses so-called maladaptive emotional schemas. For example, the schema of Emotional Deprivation can be linked to feeling uncared for, invisible or alone. A Schema Therapist would look at the origins of that schema, how it shapes day-to-day life, and then ways to change it for the better.
In Positive Schema Coaching for Musicians, we work largely to cultivate positive schemas: positive emotional beliefs, states, and habits around music-making. These include self-encouragement, self-compassion and forgiveness in the face of inevitable mistakes, realistic expectations and well-paced goals, and a sense of freedom to create our own path in music. We may acknowledge the presence of a maladptive schema in music contexts. But we work to create a positive experience as you play, and as a result: a positive schema. So you come to see and believe your intrinsic worth and creative capacity.
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What underpins all this is our emotional needs. Through our work together, you will learn about how when our emotional needs are adequately fulfilled, it supports our wellbeing – or, in Schema terms, activates positive schemas. In turn this supports our ability to perform and create freely.​
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We meet the need. We activate the positive schema. We feel good, and yes: we can absolutely play great.
Background and Development
I embarked on this journey about fifteen years ago, wanting to find a way to overcome my challenges and help my piano students. Since then, I have drawn inspiration from positive psychology, mindfulness and compassion practices into my practice and teaching. This is based on the realisation that good emotional and physical wellbeing is key helping us learn, practice and perform to our best.
I was introduced to the Schema Therapy model in 2020, and later the concept of Schema Coaching. I immediately saw the potential to help musicians improve their wellbeing as they play with this powerful model. I have spent the last five years dedicated to developing a coaching approach for music-making, working closely with the Schema Therapy community of psychologists, researchers and supervisors.
I am passionate about developing this model and Schema Coaching more generally. I am the Founder and Chair of the Schema Coaching Special Interest Group, which has been endorsed by the International Society of Schema Therapists. Here, I am part of a community of practitioners working together to develop this exciting field. I also give webinar presentations on the approach.
In future, I plan to offer a range of formal Positive Schema Coaching programmes for musicians. To enable this, I am working torwards accrediation as a coach through the EMCC (European Mentoring and Coaching Council) at Practitioner Level.
When we feel good, we play great.