Articles
Musical Performance Anxiety (MPA) encompasses a wide range of symptoms, from negative thought patterns to physical symptoms that can hinder a performance. A brief overview of what occurs in the body and mind when faced with pressure is presented here in order to understand what types of coping skills work best for young children and why.
Musical Performance Anxiety 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. Ranked as the third most common mental struggle among the general population, performance anxiety is surpassed only by alcoholism and depression. For those in pressure-dominated fields such as music, the percentage increases dramatically.
Anxiety can be experienced by people in any field, but its presence is especially well documented in performance-based disciplines. Musical performance is one such area. The distress that musicians can experience before or during a performance is commonly known as Musical Performance Anxiety (MPA). Because anxiety itself encompasses a wide range of symptoms, identifying all of the symptoms of MPA is challenging
In Part 1, the importance of breathing and muscular relaxation, termed “progressive relaxation,” were presented as strategies 1 and 2 for developing consistent performers. Here in part 2, meditation and mindfulness are discussed.
Have you ever noticed that certain students play with confidence and ease some days while other days they seem to struggle? I’m not talking about students who you know don’t practice with any degree of regularity or who lack the technical or musical ability to perform certain works. I’m talking about the students who work hard, are capable, practice faithfully, who can sound absolutely fantastic, but who sometimes seem to lose the connection between their brain and their fingers and lack consistency and confidence in their performances.
Close your eyes. Ok well, maybe not quite yet, but go ahead and get comfortable because in a moment, I really do want you to close your eyes. Here’s what I’m going to ask you to do: take a deep, long breath in. The kind that makes your lungs full and your belly feel like it’s going to burst. Now exhale slowly but powerfully. Do it again. And again. Listen to the sound of your breath.
Have you ever experienced a time when you tried to execute a certain action and your body or muscles failed you? Perhaps it was due to a moment of inattention or clumsiness, or perhaps your muscles instinctively tensed or turned to mush under pressure.
Even though we frequently associate the word “relaxation” with our physical condition, it’s good to remember that relaxation is also a state of mind; practicing the habit of relaxed concentration includes cultivating an awareness of the power of the mind.
I chose to address mindfulness last because it a beneficial way to practice all the previous skills cumulatively. It is a skill that combines physical relaxation with clear, careful cognitive awareness and the passive direction of thoughts.
Enhance your students' productivity in practice and in lessons with this step-by-step guide to breathing, progressive relaxation, meditation, and mindfulness. This 65-page workbook is packed with information and strategies that teach students to build mental and physical awareness, gain proficiency of each skill introduced, and shows them how to incorporate these skills into their daily practice routine. Included are: Teacher Discussions, Student Discussions, Observation Sheets, Activity Sheets (available as a sample under "Free Downloads"), Breathing Exercises, Reflection Pages, and Daily Checklists for each skill. The exercises presented in this workbook are also available in guided audio format here
Enhance your OWN productivity in practice, teaching, or performance with this step-by-step guide to breathing, progressive relaxation, meditation, and mindfulness. This workbook guides you through the process of building mental and physical awareness, gaining proficiency of each skill introduced, and shows you how to incorporate these skills into your daily routine. Included are: Topic Discussions, Observation Sheets, Activity Sheets, Exercises, Reflection Pages, and Daily Checklists for each skill.
Supplemental guided audio is available for this bundle here.
Individual Audio Bundles are also available. Click here for the Breathing Bundle, here for the Progressive Relaxation Bundle, here for the Meditation Bundle, and here for the Mindfulness Bundle.
These brief audio files will walk you and your students through a series of real-time guided exercises in four areas: breathing, progressive relaxation, meditation, and mindfulness. They are the perfect length to use before lessons or practice sessions. Each set will help students create an optimum environment for learning and playing by developing personal awareness and relaxed concentration.
For written supplements to this audio, download the Mindfulness for Musicians: Workbook for Teachers and Students or The Relaxed Concentration Workbook for Musicians.
This breathing-specific bundle of audio files is taken from the Practical Strategies for Successful Musicianship Complete Set. This excerpt will walk you and your students through a series of real-time guided exercises in breathing. They are the perfect length to use before lessons or practice sessions to help students create an optimum environment for learning and playing.
or written supplements to this audio, download the Mindfulness for Musicians: Workbook for Teachers and Students or The Relaxed Concentration Workbook for Musicians.
This progressive relaxation-specific bundle of audio files is taken from the Practical Strategies for Successful Musicianship Complete Set. This excerpt will walk you and your students through a series of real-time guided exercises in muscle awareness, tension creation, and relaxation. They are the perfect length to use before lessons or practice sessions to help students create an optimum environment for learning and playing.
or written supplements to this audio, download the Mindfulness for Musicians: Workbook for Teachers and Students or The Relaxed Concentration Workbook for Musicians.
This meditation-specific bundle of audio files is taken from the Practical Strategies for Successful Musicianship Complete Set. The excerpt will walk you and your students through a series of real-time guided exercises in meditation. They are the perfect length to use before lessons or practice sessions to help students create an optimum environment for learning and playing.
or written supplements to this audio, download the Mindfulness for Musicians: Workbook for Teachers and Students or The Relaxed Concentration Workbook for Musicians.
This mindfulness-specific bundle of audio files is taken from the Practical Strategies for Successful Musicianship Complete Set. The excerpt will walk you and your students through a series of real-time guided exercises in mindfulness. They are the perfect length to use before lessons or practice sessions to help students create an optimum environment for learning and playing.
or written supplements to this audio, download the Mindfulness for Musicians: Workbook for Teachers and Students or The Relaxed Concentration Workbook for Musicians.
Some teachers may question whether addressing Musical Performance Anxiety (MPA) in private lessons is an appropriate course of action. Certainly deferring to the expertise of a professional can be a beneficial and even necessary option for some students, however implementing basic coping strategies as a part of a teacher’s curriculum is an accepted, even encouraged, approach by many professionals across disciplines.