Training in Thirds
The Online Course
THE EXACT BLUEPRINT TO CONSISTENTLY SHARE YOUR BEST PERFORMANCES
Seize your success by building your best performance in the practice room, sharing with others what you built, and learning what you need in order to perform your best on your first version, every time.
If there was a clear, actionable way to nail your performance training every time and KNOW you put in the best kind of work well...
...would you feel confident to show up on stage (or in front of that red recording light) and share your best version of yourself with your audience?
You see, the stories you have to share matter.
Storytelling. That is what creates a far greater impact on your audience than any technique. Yes, even that killer high range :)
Story is the thing that creates contrast... tension and release... and that makes what you have to say through your instrument compelling. That's what woos audiences and wins auditions.
Which in turn, makes performance less about some far off, future technical success, and more abut the present message you can craft and share with your audience, today.
If performance is about what we already have to share, why do so many of us feel like we fall short?
You've got two months between today and your audition. "No problem," you think. Suddenly, it's the week before. You're panicking because you don't feel like you've prepared enough.
You're alone in your practice room, working to get a gloriously pristine octave slur, but you keep nicking something in between. You let out a huge, exasperated sigh and wonder if you'll ever be good enough
Another email drops in your inbox and announces your concert has been postponed, again. You shrug it off, again. But you look at your empty calendar and can't help questioning your drive. Without some big concert for which to prepare, how will you ever feel motivated enough.
You're working harder than ever. Yet, that assurance you're hoping for, whether from an audience, a teacher, or from your results in the practice room, doesn't come at all.
No waves of confidence have washed over you. Not even a little sprinkler action. Instead, you feel the steady stream of shoulds.
I should be practicing more. I should be able to learn faster. This shouldn't be happening...
PERFORMANCE ISN'T A MEASUREMENT
It's an invitation into your stories.
And that's why a lot of performance systems don't work. They have us only refining the measurements: the technical aspects and musical knowledge.
Performance starts with showing up and telling your story.
Think about your favorite contrasts of character and emotions in movies, shows, operas, books, pieces of art, or even simply colors, textures, and weights. Story is weaved throughout everything around you.
What would happen if we started focusing on giving our vivid, musical stories to our audiences in performance and stopped focusing on getting something from our audience through performance?
Emotional connection with your audience, where they can hear their own stories... their own joy, their own love, their own pain, their own emotion... in your music.
You set the stage for transcendence. You heighten the possibility of both you and your audience being drawn out of daily worries and struggles and into a special live, shared experience.
Your story will constantly call you to rise. Your stories are generators of inspiration. So you can tap into this abundant supply of motivation and inspiration to tell it well and drive your work in the practice room.
An end to the wanting and waiting for external conditions to tell you that you are a great musician. A beginning to be a great musician by doing the great work that great musicians do. (Those results you're after will take care of themselves!)
HERE'S SOME INCREDIBLE NEWS: PERFORMANCE CAN BE THAT SPACE OF DEEP FULFILLMENT AND CONNECTION FOR YOU.
Perform concerti and chamber music on six continents or in the sections of dozens of orchestras like New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, and the Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Montreal, and St. Louis Symphonies.
Work your way through performance injuries, major technical shifts, or whatever that thing is that has you questioning who you are at your core, and leverage your story to build an award-winning, dream-defying portfolio of creative work.
Our system of showing up, sharing our stories, and finding the magic in each day has done both. And now? We want to invite you into our practice room.
Training in Thirds
Your exact blueprint to write your story and consistently share your best performances... all in a 5 module, self-paced program backed by a community of like-minded musicians.
Our Promise to You
Take 30 days to try out the course risk-free
The best part of Training in Thirds? You don’t have to wait months to start seeing results in the way you train. If for whatever reason, you find this training in not for you, email us within 30 days of your purchase for a refund, and we’ll buy Training in Thirds back from you.
BRING ALL THIS KNOW-HOW INTO YOUR PRACTICE ROOM
What's Inside Training in Thirds
MODULE 02 FIRST THIRD
Build
Leading up to now, you have dreamt up your performance event, and you’ve done a lot of preparation work. So now... you have some exciting repertoire to learn!
Truth is the name of this third's game. Prioritize making your intentions and realities true... to the score, to the composer’s intention, to the orchestra standards, to the conductor, and to the music world. Your singular focus when you BUILD is to become THE expert on your music. In the simplest terms, you will focus on bringing everything indicated on the page to life!
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Take your first set of OPT-in tasks out for a spin. These are fun little objectives to complete in and outside the practice room to help you build your knowledge and abilities
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Learn a simple three-stage framework to employ deliberate practice in the practice room
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Choose from a variety of challenges (or complete them all) to build habits and systems into your day and take steps towards scoring your goals
MODULE 04: FINAL THIRD
Be
In your first two thirds, we had you in a bit of a flurry of checklists, challenges, and changes. During your final third, you will learn how to be still... and also how to notice when you’re not still, annnd how to quickly get still, regardless of your performance situation.
In this stillness, you shift from chasing the next great story and the next great technical improvement, to making your best version of your performance your most consistent version.
- Explore a new set of OPT-in tasks to help you be your knowledge and abilities in fun and creative ways
- Discover and channel your optimal emotions to consistently perform your best
- Unpack the power of the elusive “Third Thing” in performance and learn about how you might increase the likelihood of experiencing flow
IN EACH THIRD
Build your own Training Track.
Work through all available options or pick and choose which challenges and tasks you complete to zero in on your biggest performance pain points.
Don't know what to do in the practice room? Pick Diligent Practice tasks to transform your piñata practicing into deliberate steps taken towards your goal.
Ready to harvest more from your recording listening sessions? Complete Listening Tasks to expand and evolve your hearing.
Noticing your training seems dull and uninspired lately? Revitalize your routine with Mindbender Tasks for a creative and fun spin on your approach.
Got a gap in background knowledge? Complete Research Tasks to help you become the expert on your music.
Feeling alone in the practice room? Load on all the Team Up tasks to invite others into your training so you don’t have to go it alone!
Plus, you'll find
- Listening guides to refresh your listening to direct your attention from a different perspective in each third.
- Beautifully illustrated workbooks to guide you through each stage of your training and prepare you to walk into your performance with confidence.
- A space to ask your questions and get answers under each coaching video.
Training in Thirds arms you with an audition-winning, gamified, how-to performance system so you can share your best in performance and delight your audiences.
The moment you join, you get instant access to all the modules, so you can get started no matter where you are in your training.
Heading towards vacation? Head over to the CARE module first for some tips on how to spend your recovery.
Got an audition in 1 week? Incorporate BE opt-in tasks into your practice sessions and start practicing your performance today.
BONUS!
Because we love some sprinkles on top-let’s talk about extras.
Join the Training in Thirds Online Course now, and get access to the Training in Thirds Online Performance Community for FREE.
Picture a community of like-minded musicians with whom to swap training tips, share favorite recordings, and recommend inspirational videos.
Now, add in the scarily useful bonus of being able to perform for anyone, anytime at your fingertips.
And Ta, Da! You end up with the support you need to take your training to the next level. There is nothing like an extra pair of ears - and yes, ours will be there to help you, too!
As an extra bonus, you'll also get the Fearless Practice: Audio Sessions for FREE
Fearless Practice Audio Sessions are 7 meditations to guide you to a clear, well-intended state of mind right before you begin your practice. Simply download and listen, and you will learn how to navigate self-criticism, how to fuel your passion, what it takes to add deeper emotional content to what you play, and how to share music that is much more than notes on a page.
Our Promise to You
Take 30 days to try out the course risk-free
The best part of Training in Thirds? You don’t have to wait months to start seeing results in the way you train. If for whatever reason, you find this training in not for you, email us within 30 days of your purchase for a refund, and we’ll buy Training in Thirds back from you.
Pick Training in Thirds...
When you’re overwhelmed by your future in music and could use help to find clear, next steps to bring you back to the present.
When you’ve tried the tips, tricks, strategies, and programs, but still don’t feel like you can share your best when it matters most.
When you doubt whether your music matters and need help to connect to your big why
When you need help sculpting your ideas and message clearly so you can use your performances to shape the music community and serve your audiences
Tom Sherwood
Percussionist, Cleveland Orchestra
"One of the biggest improvements Jeff was able to make for me in my audition preparation was through having me Train in Thirds. Structuring my practice this way forced me to be prepared earlier and more thoroughly than ever before. Moving into my second third already fully prepared technically, I then had more time to polish, hone and focus on actually making music and communicating. But the final third was the key for me. Allotting a full third of my time to playing my audition for someone every day gave me an ease and command over what I was doing in a way I had never experienced. Put your trust in it - it works!"
Theresa Rudolph
Assistant Principal Viola, Toronto Symphony
"Working with Jeff has brought me to a new and revitalized place in my playing. I’m breaking through my old negative self-talk, addressing anxieties and fears, and learning how to make better choices instead. I’ve regained focus and discovered more musical creativity. His approach is so committed and fresh, it’s exactly the revival that my playing needed."
Check out the Training in Thirds Performance Project Gallery
Bach Cello Suite No. 2, 1. Prelude by Mica Redden
Soulmate Karaoke by Emma Lumsden (Explicit!)
SOUNDS GREAT!
So how much does it cost?
When you enroll TODAY, you’ll click open your membership link to start:
6+ hours of coaching in the Training in Thirds System (value: $1050)
Fearless Performance Seminar tools, tips, and methods (value: $300-$700)
120+ Beautiful Pages of curated tasks, templates, guides, checklists, and more (value: $50)
Exclusive access to our Training In Thirds Community (value: $36 annually)
Fearless Practice: Audio Sessions (value: $11.99)
Whip out that Calculator - That’s a total value of over $1500
But shrug off that sticker shock, because we’re not charging anywhere near that to give you the performance system that can help you score your goals, complete with lifetime access to updates.
We want this course to be accessible to everyone who is pursuing something big, no matter what stage of life you’re in. Grab your membership to Training in Thirds for just…
12 Monthly Payments of $27
LIMITED-TIME OFFER
YES! THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED RIGHT NOW. LET'S DO IT!
Jeff Nelsen
One of the many Canadian pig-farm-raised magician horn players in the world, Jeff Nelsen has thrilled audiences and mentored students for over twenty years. Probably best known for the now 11 years he has spent touring and recording with Canadian Brass, Jeff has also performed concerti and chamber music on six continents, and in the horn sections of dozens of orchestras including the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, and the Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Montreal, and St. Louis Symphonies. He is professor of horn at the prestigious Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and is founder of Fearless Performance LLC, a company that focuses on training musicians and more to consistently perform their best.
Dr. Katy Webb
From recording studios to live television, concert hall stages to a canopy of trees overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Dr. Katy Webb has enjoyed performing professionally for audiences across the United States. Katy is Creative and Managing Director of Fearless Performance, coaching performers of all specialties to share the best versions of themselves in performance and to make their best better. A cognitive science researcher, Katy has done work on the psychological, developmental, and neurolinguistic underpinnings of music performance. Her cutting-edge, research-grounded methods in practice, preparation, and execution were awarded by the Presser Foundation in 2020.
Our Promise to You
Take 30 days to try out the course risk-free
The best part of Training in Thirds? You don’t have to wait months to start seeing results in the way you train. If for whatever reason, you find this training in not for you, email us within 30 days of your purchase for a refund, and we’ll buy Training in Thirds back from you.
