Musical Performance Anxiety: What it is and who experiences it
Musical Performance Anxiety (MPA) is a specific derivative of general performance anxiety, which can occur in various scenarios and manifest itself through a variety of mental and physical symptoms. (see footnote 1) Ranked as the third most common mental struggle among the general population, performance anxiety is surpassed only by alcoholism and depression. (see footnote 2) For those in pressure-dominated fields such as music, the percentage increases dramatically. (see footnote 3) The symptoms of MPA (described in the next section) are a result of the activation of the body’s sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system which trigger the body’s “fight of flight” response to a perceived threat. According to musician and psychologist Dr. Dianna Kenny, when a person experiences MPA they notice persistent physiological, cognitive, and behavioral symptoms that have arisen either due to inherent biological vulnerabilities or certain anxiety-conditioning situations, or a combination of the two. (see footnote 4) Typically this anxiety is more noticeable in situations where there is a strong fear of failure or an obvious evaluative component such as an audience or judge. Kenny notes that MPA occurs regardless of age, and is, at least to some degree, independent of experience or preparation. (see footnote 5)
One study of professional musicians found that out of 302 musicians surveyed, “61% reported either 'marked' or 'moderate' distress at performance, and 47% reported 'marked' or 'moderate' impairment of their performance skills as a result of anxiety.” (see footnote 6) Another survey of 155 symphony musicians found that ninety-one of them reported experiencing performance anxiety to the point that it affected their personal and professional lives. (see footnote 7) Such revelations might come as a surprise; the general public often assumes professional musicians have worked through these issues in their training and no longer struggle with them by the time they are professionals. However, that is demonstrably untrue. Moreover, these experiences of anxiety reported by adult professionals are typically not isolated or spontaneous; they are often continuances (and sometimes escalations) of previous patterns. Quite frequently these patterns can be traced back to childhood. (see footnote 8)
Until recently, almost all of the research on MPA has been conducted on adults, excluding the younger demographic. (see footnote 9) However, this research bias has begun to shift and as the twenty-first century progresses, more and more studies on children who experience MPA are emerging. (see footnote 10) Music educator and researcher Charlene Ryan demonstrated in one study that children as young as third grade are completely capable of, and in fact do, deal with anxiety in musical performance settings. (see footnote 11) Another study showed measurable symptoms of MPA in children as young as three and four years old. (see footnote 12) Other disciplines have not ignored the need for research and interventions in this area: of particular note is the number of studies confirming high levels of anxiety among children in test-taking and sport scenarios. (see footnote 13) If one extends the research base to include child psychology and sport psychology in general, a vast body of research resoundingly reinforces the idea that very young children grapple with anxiety when under pressure. (see footnote 14) Perhaps one reason this specific area of research has been neglected in music is because children do not always know if what they are experiencing is normal or abnormal and therefore may not be able to articulate their feelings or concerns in terms that adults or teachers might recognize as markers of anxiety. Whatever the reason for the lack of research of childhood anxiety (historically speaking), current research does support that, when given the words and tools needed to confront their fears, children are often very receptive to and successful in overcoming them. (see footnote 15)
Read Part 1 or continue reading Part 3.
—Written by Jessica Koebbe, published August 2020.
Read the introduction to this series here. For an overview of physical and cognitive symptoms of MPA, continue reading here.
1 Robin Hart, “Therapeutic response to performance anxiety: Extending clinical research into the experience of artistic performance with a sample of professional musicians” (Educational research document, Metanoia Institute, 2007) http://www.musicalperformanceanxiety.com/Musical%20Performance%20Anxiety.pdf
2 Linda H. Hamilton, The Person Behind The Mask: A Guide to Performing Arts Psychology (Greenwhich, CT: Ablex Publishing, 1997), 51.
3 Ibid., 57.
4 Dianna Kenny, The Psychology of Music Performance Anxiety, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001), 61.
5 Ibid.
6 Adrian North and David Hargreaves, The Social and Applied Psychology of Music (New York: Oxford University Press Inc., 2008), 66.
7 Ibid.
8 Drs. Vivian Hsu and Carolyn Rovee-Collier run an early-learning project lab at Rutgers University and have researched in depth the impact that negative and/or traumatic events have on children and their memories. Their book New Directions in Psychobiology is especially insightful into their construct known as “the time window,” which they use to determine if and when an early experience affects later behavior.
9 This lack of documented study of MPA among children has been noted by several psychologists, musicians, and researchers including Dr. Tamar Chansky, Hélène Boucher, Charlene Ryan, Dianna Kenny, and Margaret Osborne. There have been a few studies conducted on children and anxiety in the 20th century, but relative to the studies conducted on adults, the amount of research on children is quite small. The beginning of the 21st century has seen a shift in this area and more research and study is occurring, documenting MPA in children at younger and younger ages. Of particular note is the article “Performance Stress and the Very Young Musician” by Hélène Boucher and Charlene Ryan in the Journal of Research in Music Education Vol 58:4 in 2011. Ryan and Boucher studied sixty-six 3 and 4 year olds to determine whether or not they experienced MPA in performance. Of particular interest was this commentary on their findings, “It has been suggested in the literature that performance anxiety is not an issue for young children. Findings from this study suggest that anxiety actually is present in some children from their very first performances and that these early performance experiences quickly can shape children’s responses for subsequent performances.” [journal page 342]
10 See studies by Charlene Ryan, Hélène Boucher, Dianna Kenny, Margaret Osborne, Lydia Fehm and Katja Schmidt, Maria Maroon, and numerous publications on this subject edited by Dr. Gary McPherson.
11 Charlene Ryan, “Experience of Musical Performance Anxiety in Elementary School Children,” International Journal of Stress Management, 12, no. 4 (November, 2005).
12 Hélène Boucher and Charlene Ryan, “Performance Stress and the Very Young Musician,” Journal of Research in Music Education.
13 Dianna T. Kenny and Margaret S. Osborne, “Music Performance Anxiety: New Insights From Young Musicians,” Advances in Cognitive Psychology 2, nos. 2-3 (2006): 104.
14 Ibid.
15 Tamar Chansky, Freeing Your Child From Anxiety: Powerful, Practical Solutions to Overcome Your Child's Fears, Worries, and Phobias (New York: Three Rivers Press, 2004), 57-58.