How to Alleviate the Stage Performance Anxiety of Violinists

NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.

NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.

Table of Contents

Background
Workshop Preparation
Workshop Purpose and Goals
Analysis of MPA
MPA Treatment Options
Methodologies Applied
Discussions
Reflections on the Workshop’s Success and Key Outcomes
Annotated Bibliography
References

Many individuals have experienced stage fright, known as performance anxiety, at some time in their lives. During a public speech, an exam, or a competitive sports event, performance anxiety may make it challenging to complete the work if you do not have suitable coping mechanisms. Music Performance Anxiety (MPA) may be a lifetime obstacle for musicians pursuing a profession in performance and those who currently have a great career. Despite years of innumerable concerts, practices, recitals, and auditions, addressing MPA may be difficult.

Acute MPA has hampered some artists’ careers, while others have given up performing despite being talented performers. As a violinist aspiring to a good performance, I am doing this thesis project primarily for my benefit. It allows me to identify the best method to overcome my own MPA. The emphasis will be on the overall effect of various MPA treatments on individual performance. Although my thesis will include comparing and evaluating multiple therapies, I am not seeking broad conclusions on the effectiveness of particular MPA treatments. Although this project is geared to my specific position as a violinist who has studied the violin for over ten years, I hope that other musicians will be able to benefit from the therapy approaches I evaluate and recreate the process for them.

Background

Notable musicians have been known to experience MPA, including Arthur Rubinstein, Fredric Chopin, Vladimir Horowitz, and Sergei Rachmaninoff.MPA has been identified in music institutes and professional orchestra studies. According to research, 56% of orchestras and 70% of musicians said MPA levels were severe enough to limit their performance ability (Barros et al., 2022). Concerning a study on two thousand and twelve classical musicians, 40% of them had MPA, which they believe has affected their performance (Cohen & Bodner, 2018). Despite the results, MPA research is still young and not often conducted.

Compared to previous studies on anxiety disorder and instances of performance in other careers such as an exam, sports, and public speaking, MPA research is still in its early stages. It is practically due to the lack of a particular definition of MPA and probably the absence of a standard to assure randomized, well-conduct, controlled study trials. Moreover, there is controversy about whether MPA should be classified as part of other anxiety disorders such as particular conditions or social phobia.

Workshop Preparation

The training will begin in April 2022, with attendees being peer members. This study aims to develop strategies for lowering MPA levels in people using violins. The proposed workshop will take place at the facility for a week. The program will include official presentations, concert attendance, and comprehensive discussions. Notably, the workshop will be a forum for informal interactions among workshop participants. Twenty pupils from various grades will participate in the program. The activities of the workshop are described in the following section. The workshop’s objective and goal are initially defined, followed by the session schedule. The structure of the workshop presentation and the collaborative data-gathering project are then discussed, followed by views on the workshop’s success and actual results.

Workshop Purpose and Goals

This article aims to provide an overview of how people might cope with nervousness when playing the violin. Musical performance anxiety is a sort of anxiety that some individuals who suffer from social anxiety disorder feel (SAD). Before, during, and after performances, musicians who suffer from anxiety are self-evaluative and critical. The negative self-evaluation generates many bodily symptoms and disrupts focus, resulting in a performance short of musicians’ capability. As a result, the workshop’s primary goal is to discuss different methodologies or treatments that people who suffer from anxiety may utilize. The workshop curriculum included concert visits, formal lectures, and informal conversations regarding anxiety reduction techniques. Individuals who suffer from anxiety are expected to learn how to manage their symptoms after the course. This workshop intends to collect quantifiable data due to the wide range of ways anxiety may manifest. However, several approaches for identifying Music Performance Anxiety MPA may have limitations.

Analysis of MPA

Diana Kenny, a professor of music and psychology at the institution of Sydney, has identified herself as one of the foremost MPA therapists. Kenny claims that MPA has distinguishing characteristics that differentiate it from other anxiety disorders and social phobia; however, she claims that MPA may coexist with social phobia. She defines MPA as a permanent apprehension or tension connected to music performance, with the degree of anxiety being somewhat independent of the musical level of training, preparation, and competence. Since such conditions are nervousness, partially independent caused by deficiency of proficiency and practice on the instrument, it should be highlighted that it does not qualify as MPA. However, MPA does not benefit everyone as much as it has been innovated.

The intensity of MPA is influenced by the performance setting as well. It is severe when there is a significant ego investment—a genuine risk of failure and evaluative danger. However, a casual performance in front of friends would most likely lower the MPA level than an audition in the symphony orchestra, which may evoke significant levels of MPA. A study revealed that solo performance generally results in a high level of anxiety than ensemble performances (Cohen & Bodner, 2018). Although musicians perform in groups, they might experience MPA, especially if their role has additional obligations.

There are two sections to each type of anxiety: state and trait; people with attribute anxiety have psychological qualities that influence their vulnerability to stress, which may be natural shyness or acquired through prior experiences. State anxiety affects people solely in specific settings, such as a competition or an audition. Reckoning on whether a person is more prone to state anxiety or trait, one’s MPA experience may vary. MPA may influence all sorts of musicians, amateur and professional, regardless of category, and can transpire throughout their lives. It is worth noting that MPA affects musicians of all ages and skill levels. Having MPA does not automatically imply that it will negatively influence performance quality; studies have shown that mild anxiety is good for achieving peak performance.

Many artists, however, believe that worry has a detrimental impact on their ability to perform. Furthermore, studies have indicated that MPA may be classified as an occupational stressor, increasing the risk of developing other general health issues. Because of these two factors, there is a growing interest in research into effective treatment options. MPA manifests itself in various ways for each person. The topic of how cognitive, behavioral, and somatic symptoms combine to elicit MPA remains unanswered. It is not yet verified that if one gets butterflies during the performance, the person is scared or worried. Questions linger if the awareness of the upcoming performance makes performers apprehensive or is it the other way around.

These examples may be applied to investigate how MPA can be activated. In the first case, the performer sees the crowd and perceives it as a danger, causing uneasiness. Cognitive awareness is the cause of bodily symptoms and behavior. Unfortunately, it is not always straightforward, as artists might get frightened hours before a presentation and even before they arrive at the stage, where they have yet to hear or see the crowd threat. The second situation is where the behavioral and physical symptoms appear first, leading to emotions of anxiety, which lead to the performer seeing the audience as a danger while on stage, hence propagating additional MPA symptoms. It is crucial to figure out where MPA emerges from when thinking about therapeutic options. However, this has yet to be established conclusively based on current studies. These three processes constitute a vicious cycle, and any therapy that might reduce MPA’s effects could be regarded as a success.

MPA Treatment Options

Treatments are classified into three groups to target one of the three primary aspects of MPA: behavioral, cognitive, and physical. Although delivered differently, mental and behavioral disorders medicines are generally founded on similar ideas. Somatic therapies aim to alleviate somatic symptoms such as racing heart, sweating, trembling, and shortness of breath. Beta Blockers, which lower the heart rate and diminish the effects of adrenaline, are a typical therapy. According to studies, some musicians abuse self-prescribed medicines like cannabis and valium or alcohol (Cohen & Bodner, 2018). Adverse side effects such as reduced cognitive function or tiredness are some of the disadvantages of employing these methodologies. Alcohol, beta-blockers, or other drugs may be ineffective if behavioral or cognitive symptoms primarily cause anxiety.

Systematic desensitization is standard behavioral therapy, and it includes muscular relaxation training and picturing progressively stressful performance scenarios. Progressive muscular relaxation, breathing exercises, and behavioral repetition are used in other behavioral therapies. Behavioral therapy aims to modify the dysfunctional behaviors that occur when we are anxious (Barros et al., 2022). Treatments for the Mind Treatments for cognitive disorders try to correct erroneous thinking processes that may lead to dysfunctional behavior. It is performed via cognitive restructuring, which aims to achieve a reasonable and more objective approach to problem remedial by replacing negative, unproductive, and apocalyptic beliefs with self-affirming ones.

One sort of cognitive therapy is stress inoculation. It requires establishing reasonable expectations for what will happen throughout the performance and accepting them as usual. Mental rehearsal and positive self-talk are two remedies to this form of anxiety. Some alternative therapies for MPA are the Alexander method, Biofeedback, Hypnotherapy, and Erickson Ian resource retrievals. Each strategy was utilized in two or more experiments, but the findings are unclear. It is still vague if one treatment approach or combination of treatment strategies is better than another as there is increasing research on MPA. However, all studies concluded that any therapy is preferable to no treatment. It is worth mentioning that, since everyone’s MPA is different and they function in various contexts, there may never be a single therapy that works for everyone. Given this, the optimal conclusion for each artist would be to discover the therapy technique that best suits their needs.

Methodologies Applied

Centering is a kind of cognitive activity that is comparable to meditation. The purpose of centering is to offer individuals greater control over how much energy they have and the much they can concentrate on a job. It is possible to center up; it relieves the amount of nervous energy felt during practice or rehearsal sessions. One center down reduces the anxious energy before or during auditions (Cohen & Bodner, 2018). The aim is to reach a level of energy that allows a person to perform at their best.

Concentration and focus are a kind of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) in which the aim is to acquire heightened concentration and awareness of the current moment. It is more complicated than speculated to focus on the present moment entirely. It is simple to practice on autopilot while a person is practicing. It occurs when an individual goes through the motions of playing without thinking about what they are doing or how they are performing. When performing, it is essential to maintain a high concentration level. The significance of focus is that an individual is aware of what is going on in the present, and it allows them to have more time to adapt and make rapid judgments.

Self-talk and self-confidence are other forms or methodologies an individual can employ to reduce MPA. Negative self-talk and excessive self-criticism may significantly affect a person’s performance. According to research, catastrophic thinking during and before performance is associated with significant anxiety levels. This type of thinking may at times be self-fulfilling, leading to poor performance. To break the habit of negative self-talk, individuals should first become conscious of their ideas and thoughts(MacAfee & Comeau, 2020). An individual should consider phrases such as being mindful of their intonations rather than feeling their intonations are dreadful.

Another significant methodology of alleviating MPA is through mental and visualization. Visualization is a cognitive–behavioral therapy in which people imagine themselves accomplishing a specific task. The assignment may be simple as playing a few music notes or as complex as mentally rehearsing a complete show. The practice challenges a person to mentally go through each phase necessary to complete a task, such as coping on the stage and playing music on the stand. Performance visualization presents a new user interface for music systems, a non-subjective description and assessment for musical creativity, and a visual help for understanding, analyzing, and comparing performances and melodic structures.

Discussions

It was deemed substantial when centering was used to relieve anxiety since it required a person to spend a moment of self-reflection and work on oneself. Moreover, Individuals who practice centering become more in touch and aware of their feelings and general mind-body well-being (Martin-Gagnon & Creech, 2019). People may develop more profound and lasting interactions with people if they practice centering daily. When a person is confident, while they perform, the individual gives they all during their presentation as they are not tensed. Self-confidence instills in musicians the idea that they can conquer any challenge.

Fear and anxiety are reduced because the individual can accept, learn, gain and adapt to any event in life when their confidence is vital. Focus is critical in performance as, when used correctly, it may guarantee that your mind receives all of the necessary real-time information it needs for peak performance. It might assist you in avoiding ideas that would jeopardize your performance. On the other side, an individual may pay attention to how her fingers move and how much pressure they apply. Hence, the person can hear the sound they produce and reform to different intonations.

Reflections on the Workshop’s Success and Key Outcomes

Each therapy had a beneficial effect on performance ability. Different components of performance anxiety might be addressed by having a range of therapies. Because of the nature of MPA, it will remain a lifelong challenge for individuals to find the best treatment method (Tahirbegi, 2021). What works for one musician may not work for another in a different setting. Finding a solution to battle MPA now is still critical, and going through this process will confidently be beneficial later on in life. The workshop is anticipated to be a success because participants will be able to develop and implement different methodologies for reducing anxiety, such as centering, focus, concentration, self-talk and self-confidence, visualization, and mental rehearsal. The participants are expected to discuss the limitations of the methods applied. The presentations will be of high quality, and practically all of them will be laser-focused on the prescribed subject.

The session is predicted to be a resounding success in general. Much progress has been made in the detailed planning required for the anxiety implementation methods to succeed. The workshop will give participants a shared vision of singers performing on stage without anxiety and a better understanding of anxiety (Wiedemann et al., 2021). I hope that the workshop will encourage others to start thinking about how they might go about finding and implementing different treatment options. Optimistically, they will determine which therapies are the most beneficial for them after going through this procedure.

Annotated Bibliography

Barros, S., Marinho, H., Borges, N., & Pereira, A. (2022). Characteristics of music performance anxiety among undergraduate music students: A systematic review. Psychology of Music, 34-65. Web.

This article presents a summary of research publication that addresses the characteristics of MPA as experienced by undergraduate music students. It demonstrates the breadth of the topics and context addressed by the study relating to issues of prevalence, predictors of anxiety factors, and coping with MPA from behavioral, psychological, and cognitive perspectives. The research identifies longitudinal and qualitative studies on the institutional environment that contribute to a better comprehension of the etiology of MPA among college students. The article is a valuable source for getting an overview of the characteristics of MPA on students.

Cohen, S., & Bodner, E. (2018). Music performance skills: A two-pronged approach – facilitating optimal music performance and reducing music performance anxiety. Psychology of Music, 47(4), 521-538. Web.

The authors present an investigation on the positive psychology concept that the absence of pathology cannot obtain optimal functioning. Affection, cognition and its processing, attention, and personality traits are variables that shape psychological vulnerability. All of these elements are handled in together. When attention is diverted away from the performance priority objects, it can destroy efficiency. The performer’s hyper-focus on a certain part of the performance can also cause them to miss a systemic vision of what is being delivered. In the study, twenty-four participated in semester music performing skills where the course involved improving musical communication, simulated performance, and physiological awareness. The group assessed outlined a decrease in MPA and significant improvements in performance quality. In the research, there were no adequate measures of flow that were speculated. The source is helpful as it explores methodologies of reducing MPA through psychology.

Huang, W., & Yu, H. (2022). Social support in university music students’ coping with performance anxiety: people, strategies and performance situations. Music Education Research, 24(1), 124-135. Web.

In subsisting musical performance anxiety (MPA) research, this article goes beyond a therapeutic perspective and takes a rational social support method. It investigates the synergetic character of MPA coping among music undergraduates during performance preparation and instrumental learning. Semi-structured thematic examination and interviews were conducted with fifty-three students from a music jurisdiction at a university in Taiwan. This study identified that tutors deliver multifunctional methodologies in teaching practices. At the same time, peers offer emotional support and act as critical friends; most participants prevalent a refinement in their full performance proficiency, including MPA coping skills, with social support. Some of the coping strategies of MPA identified were visual rehearsals, acceptance of mistakes, and relaxation skills. The article is significant in this research as it outlines the importance of social support in reducing MPA.

MacAfee, E., & Comeau, G. (2020). Exploring music performance anxiety, self-efficacy, performance quality, and behavioral anxiety within a self-modeling intervention for young musicians. Music Education Research, 22(4), 457-477. Web.

The article investigates the relation of musical anxiety (MPA)with self-efficacy, behavior, and performance quality in five undergraduates in the piano over a six-week arbitration. Moreover, the research also explores the impact of favorable self-review and modeling intervention on teenage musicians. Performance evaluations, behavioral anxiety rates, and self-report measures were some of the mechanisms used to collect data. The results outlined that the link between performance quality, MPA, and self-efficiency is critical. The findings outlined no connection between performance, self-efficiency, and MPA, implying that MPA can have beneficial and debilitating impacts on these variables. Moreover, the results showed thre was no connection between behavioral anxiety and MPA, signifying that students may look less concerned than they are. The article is substantial as it demonstrates that self-modeling has an individual effect on musicians; thus, it can give tutors a method for reducing MPA.

Martin-Gagnon, G., & Creech, A. (2019). Cool jazz: Music performance anxiety in jazz performance students. Music Education Research, 21(4), 414-425. Web.

This article investigates postsecondary jazz music students’ music performance anxiety (MPA) and trait anxiety. The participants in the study were seventy-three jazz music undergraduates who were to complete online quizzes that addressed trait apprehension and MPA. The research findings indicated that jazz music scholars had a considerable MPA, dynamically associated with attribute anxiety. Perceptions about stressful situations and performance conditions did not significantly affect the MPA level experienced. The findings from the research suggest that MPA within the jazz performance is an aspect to be investigated to comprehend how MPA may affect jazz learning and how university programs in jazz can help reinforce students with MPA. The article is significant in the study in that it outlines the relationship between trait anxiety and MPA.

Spahn, C., Krampe, F., & Nusseck, M. (2021). Live music performance: The relationship between flow and music performance anxiety. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. Web.

The article investigates the correlation between flow and music performance anxiety. It carries out a study on three hundred and sixty-three orchestral musicians. The findings revealed that symphony musicians were more likely to experience flow than an extensive demographic sample. There were, however, distinctions between non-professional and competent musicians. A regression study on the flow score revealed that the Perceptual Quality Measure ( PQM) scale indicators of MPA were directly related to the motion encounter in the time preceding the performance. The PQM scale functional coping was positively connected to flow amidst performance. High self-worth was strongly connected to a more incredible flow feeling. Furthermore, the flow positively affects the performance of the subsisting with MPA and self-awareness. The article is significant as it corroborates the negative association between flow and MPA symptoms and gives new techniques for analyzing the relationship, particularly for live music performers.

Tahirbegi, D. (2021). Higher music education students’ experiences and management of performance anxiety: A qualitative study. Psychology of Music, 56-80. Web.

The author explores three research issues interconnected with music performance apprehension in the article. The first goal was to collect expressive testimonies about MPA’s daily experiences in school settings. The second goal was to look into students’ adaptive coping methods to govern their MPA, as derived from the details and in light of the self-adjusting learning paradigm. Finally, perceptions of institutional reinforcement for MPA were studied. The results outlined that to some level, all students interviewed considered themselves to be experiencing MPA, although the depth of these episodes differed. The most frequently reported MPA subsisting measures were increased mental skills and practice time activities. The scholars emphasized the significance of preparation, connected with self-confidence and increased self-awareness, which had a favorable effect on their MPA control. The article is substantial in the research as it highlights some of the factors that contribute to MPA.

Wiedemann, A., Vogel, D., Voss, C., & Hoyer, J. (2021). How does music performance anxiety relate to other anxiety disorders? Psychology of Music, 50(1), 204-217. Web.

The article systematically examines MPA interdependence with other apprehension disorders amid cluster examination and graphical modeling. The Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory (MPAI) in German was utilized to assess MPA in this study. All partakers were assessed for agitation-associated symptoms using a disorder-specific apprehension mechanism from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). That included generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), specific phobia (SP), separation anxiety disorder (SEP), illness anxiety disorder (ILL), panic disorder (PD), and agoraphobia (AG). There is no verification that MPA was predominantly linked to SAD; instead, it was discovered that generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) worked as a full arbitrator between other types of anxiety and MPA. Participants suffering from pathological apprehension constantly had more critical MPA. In conclusion, GAD is the greatest covariate of MPA among the four DSM-5 apprehension categories. The article is substantial as it explores the relationship between MPA and other anxiety disorders.

References

Barros, S., Marinho, H., Borges, N., & Pereira, A. (2022). Characteristics of music performance anxiety among undergraduate music students: A systematic review.Psychology of Music, 34-65. Web.

Martin-Gagnon, G., & Creech, A. (2019). Cool jazz: Music performance anxiety in jazz performance students. Music Education Research, 21(4), 414-425. Web.

Spahn, C., Krampe, F., & Nusseck, M. (2021). Live music performance: The relationship between flow and music performance anxiety.Frontiers in Psychology, 12. Web.

Tahirbegi, D. (2021). Higher music education students’ experiences and management of performance anxiety: A qualitative study. Psychology of Music, 56-80. Web.

Wiedemann, A., Vogel, D., Voss, C., & Hoyer, J. (2021). How does music performance anxiety relate to other anxiety disorders?. Psychology of Music, 50(1), 204-217. Web.

Click Here To Order Now!