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Life Sciences · Josh Turknett, MD

Performance Neurology with Josh Turknett, MD

by Josh Turknett, MD

Extraordinary minds are built from ordinary brains. This show is about how to build yours, and how to get out of its way when it counts. I'm Josh Turknett, a neurologist and the author of The Genius and the Impostor. I talk with people who have built remarkable skills, from a three-time Grammy-winning guitarist and a six-time USA Memory Champion to a man who stuttered for more than sixty years, then retrained his speech at seventy. We dig into how they did it, and I walk through what was happening in their brains along the way, so you can put the same science to work on whatever you're learning. The book: https://geniusandimpostor.com The Institute for Performance Neurology: https://performanceneurology.institute Newsletter: https://joshturknett.substack.com Speaking: https://joshturknett.com/speaking

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

Pressure is Trainable, with Aryna Sabalenka's Coach Jason Stacy

When someone asked Aryna Sabalenka how much breathing work she did with her performance coach, she said, "Oh, I don't know, not really much, really." In fact, they'd been

Oct 27
54 min

How Ron Ruiz Rewired His Brain at 70

For more than sixty years, Ron Ruiz stuttered. It shaped his school years and kept him from flying for the airlines. Through decades of therapy, the advice he kept hearin

Oct 2
44 min

Your Inner Critic Is Not Reality

  Banjo player Bennett Sullivan was sure he'd ruined a Broadway show with one flubbed intro, and the research on how audiences actually hear our mistakes explains why alm

Sep 24
4 min

He Played Broadway And The Opry But Still Felt Like a Fraud

Bennett Sullivan has played banjo on Broadway, at the Grand Ole Opry, and on the Poker Face soundtrack. By any measure, he belongs on any stage. And for years, he couldn'

Sep 4
40 min

It Started With a Banjo: The story that changed my life

More from Josh: The Genius and the Impostor is out now: https://geniusandimpostor.com Brains, Banjos and Beyond (newsletter): https://joshturknett.substack.com Keynotes

Aug 14
7 min

The Making Of A "Natural" (Bryan Sutton)

Bryan Sutton is one of the best flatpickers alive, and like most great players, he'll tell you the guitar just came naturally to him. In this follow-up to my conversation

Jul 24
14 min

How 3x Grammy Winner Bryan Sutton Gets Out of His Own Way

Bryan Sutton is a three-time Grammy winner and one of the most-recorded session guitarists in Nashville, with credits from Garth Brooks and Taylor Swift to Dolly Parton a

Jul 7
50 min

The Genius Arc: How Nelson Dellis Beat the Panic Before His 6th Title

In this Genius Arc breakdown, Dr. Josh Turknett takes the story of Nelson Dellis — 6× USA Memory Champion and author of Everyday Genius — and runs it through the Genius a

Jun 26
11 min

How 6x Memory Champion Nelson Dellis Built His Memory From Scratch

Nelson Dellis can memorize a shuffled deck of cards in under 30 seconds, and he's won the USA Memory Championship six times. But he didn't start with a special memory. He

Jun 19
37 min

Introducing Performance Neurology

Dr. Josh Turknett — neurologist and author of The Genius and the Impostor — introduces the show, the field of performance neurology, and the two forces inside every brain

Jun 12
7 min

Why Anyone Can Play Music

For more on how to apply neuroscience to practice smarter, check out the book "Anyone Can Play Music: Unlock Your Musical Potential with the Laws of Brainjo" To learn m

Mar 21 2025
14 min

Brainjo Bite: Why Perfect Practice Is Anything But Perfect

The book: "Anyone Can Play Music: Unlock Your Musical Potential with the Laws of Brainjo" To learn more about music courses based on The Brainjo Method, head to brainjo

Sep 27 2024
14 min

Brainjo Bite: The Real Reason We Practice

For more on how to apply neuroscience to practice smarter, check out the book "Anyone Can Play Music: Unlock Your Musical Potential with the Laws of Brainjo"   To lea

May 28 2024
13 min

Brainjo Bite: How To Learn Like A Champ

For more on how to apply neuroscience to practice smarter, check out the book "Anyone Can Play Music: Unlock Your Musical Potential with the Laws of Brainjo"   To lea

May 20 2024
8 min

Brainjo Bite Is Playing Music Hard?

For more on how to apply neuroscience to practice smarter, check out the book "Anyone Can Play Music: Unlock Your Musical Potential with the Laws of Brainjo"   To lea

Feb 5 2024
11 min

Brainjo Bite: The Myth About "Discipline"

For more on how to apply neuroscience to practice smarter, check out the book "Anyone Can Play Music: Unlock Your Musical Potential with the Laws of Brainjo"   To lea

Nov 18 2023
12 min

Brainjo Bite: Stop Comparing Yourself

For more on how to apply neuroscience to practice smarter, check out the book "Anyone Can Play Music: Unlock Your Musical Potential with the Laws of Brainjo"   To lea

Oct 15 2023
6 min

Brainjo Bite: 5 Strategies For Achieving Your Musical Goals

For more on how to apply neuroscience to practice smarter, check out the book "Anyone Can Play Music: Unlock Your Musical Potential with the Laws of Brainjo"   To lea

Aug 28 2023
13 min

Brainjo Bite: Can Music Save Your Brain?

For more on how to apply neuroscience to practice smarter, check out the book "Anyone Can Play Music: Unlock Your Musical Potential with the Laws of Brainjo"   To lea

Aug 7 2023
21 min

Brainjo Bite: Should You Learn Multiple Styles Or Instruments?

For more on how to apply neuroscience to practice smarter, check out the book "Anyone Can Play Music: Unlock Your Musical Potential with the Laws of Brainjo"   To lea

Jul 3 2023
14 min

Chart trend

Position in the Life Sciences chart (US), last 90 days.

#11
all-time peak
46
days in the top 50 since Nov 2024

Chart positions

Where Performance Neurology with Josh Turknett, MD ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Nov 4, 2026).

#41 ▼ 8 Life Sciences US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

I highly recommend this podcast for the adult learner of any musical instrument. Lots of great information and inspiration!

sadie's art · Nov 2023

What a great was to help us learn to look at building a skill differently. I always find at least one thing to take with me during each podcast.

sterling1201 · Nov 2024

I'm not a banjo player; I find these applicable to learning other things because the examples are very concrete. When I'm stuck, I try approaching something related and the stickiness soon evaporates.

Bob6.022E23 · Oct 2023

We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.

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