Using the 3 Bs to Address Performance Anxiety
Dr. Jessica Koebbe
Anxiety—What is it?
Anxiety itself is often sub-categorized under the broader subject of social phobia and can be defined as such when the anxiety a person experiences is so intense and persistent that it inhibits their performance or causes them to avoid facing situations that activate the anxiety because the fear is too painful.[1]
[1] Murray B. Stein ed., Social Phobia: Clinical and Research Perspectives (Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Press, Inc., 1995), 3-4.
Young students who struggle with MPA or the symptoms caused by increased adrenaline may express it to their teachers through statements such as, “I play better in the practice room than I do in performance” or “when I perform in front of others, or for something that really matters, I choke.” In addition to the physical implications of such statements, these comments communicate something else of significance: a fear of failure, which is a cognitive struggle, something many young students face but may be unsure how to overcome.[1] These kids just need to be reassured that all of this is normal. Child development experts suggest that there is a critical window of opportunity to instill stress-related coping mechanisms in students while they are young that yield lifelong success
[1] Helene Boucher and Charlene A. Ryan, “Performance Stress and the Very Young Musician” Journal of Research in Music Education: 329.
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older, or 18.1% of the population every year.
7.1% of children aged 3-17 years (approximately 4.4 million) have diagnosed anxiety.
As musicians and teachers, we can equip ourselves to recognize the symptoms and to help our students navigate them in the context of musical performance
3 B Scan: Breath, Body, Brain
Aligns inner and outer worlds. Provides calm and enhances focus.
Breath
Walking our students through some simple breathing exercises as a part of lessons/practice is vital for setting intentions and maintaining focus, but also as a great reset for a rough day/bad run through of a piece.
Exercises: Box breathing, filling wings, dog breath.
Body
Progressive Relaxation has been adopted by many professionals, athletes, and musicians as a way of creating “short cuts” of communication between specific muscle groups and the brain.
Brain
Create a mental imagery script that engages all 5 senses. Use this to create the ideal mental practice space.