The troubling negative effects of music performance anxiety (MPA) have remained less investigated under ensemble settings and with undergraduate non-music majors than under solo settings with music majors and professional musicians. This study examined the experience and prevalence of music performance anxiety in ensemble rehearsal and concert settings in 166 undergraduate non-music majors, 108 undergraduate music majors, 4 undeclared undergraduates, 9 graduate non-music majors, and 14 graduate music majors. The participants (instrumentalists and vocalists) were drawn from 10 Mid-Atlantic colleges and universities. The Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory Revised (K-MPAI-R; Kenny, 2009) was administered within the last six weeks of the semester. Students reported the full range of cognitive, somatic, affective, and behavioral symptoms of MPA, with cognitive symptoms most frequently reported. The factor structure of the K-MPAI-R was found to be stable with those factor structures previously established by Kenny using elite professional musicians and tertiary-level music students. The results of a standard multiple regression conducted to identify unique predictors of MPA indicated that although depression, being an instrumentalist, being female, and having had a music performance breakdown, all made significant contributions to K-MPAI-R scores, and depression made the strongest unique contribution (beta = .42, p < 0.001). Greater self-efficacy (as indicated by higher scores on confidence statements in the K-MPAI-R) was correlated with lower MPA under both concert (r = .49, p < 0.0005) and rehearsal settings (r = .52, p < 0.0005). Students with higher depression indicator scores exhibited higher MPA than students with lower depression indicator scores (WT = 31.40, p < 0.001). Music performance breakdowns occurred more often during solos than ensemble performances and memory lapse (16.3% of all students) was cited as the leading cause of music performance breakdowns. Overall, MPA and depression indicator scores for the sample were high compared with other groups that had been previously evaluated with the K-MPAI-R and the same depression screen. Instructors should therefore be sensitive to the possibility that ensemble musicians may experience significant negative effects of MPA during both concerts and rehearsals, and apprise themselves of evidence-based treatment options and coping strategies available for MPA.

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the benefit of emotional intelligence on musical development and performance. The paper sets out to explore how purposeful applications of emotional intelligence can benefit a musician's ability to manage; performance anxiety, musical development, focus and flow, and working successfully with others in ensemble environments. / <p>Johannes Brahms Clarinet Trio in A minor Op. 114 </p><p>performed by the Danish Chamber Players</p><p>Clarinet: David Somchai Howie</p><p>Cello: Tobias Lautrup</p><p>Piano: Jakob Westh </p>

Performance anxiety has been a much-discussed topic in recent years, but many questions surrounding it remain unanswered. This essay investigates how written corrective feedback affects students' performance anxiety and how students and teachers attempt respond to performance anxiety in the classroom. Two questionnaires were administered to teachers and students to investigate how they give and receive feedback and how they handle negative emotions. The results show that a large majority of the students experience anxiety about written assignments and that teachers need to work more on teaching emotional regulation in the classroom to help students better deal with performance anxiety.

Unlike most other musicians, pianists need to play by memory during their recitals, juries, etc. Doing so can greatly influence the intensity and frequency of anxiety due to potential memory slips when performing. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between memory strategies, experiences with memory lapses, and performance anxiety among classical pianists. The specific aims of the study are to: (1) characterize demographics, performance practices, and memorization strategies used by college-level pianists; (2) assess experiences of performance anxiety and the influence of performance anxiety on memory lapses; (3) examine the relationships between demographics, performance practices, and memorization strategies; and (4) suggest various memorization strategies that might be useful intervention to overcome memory lapses. To examine participants' awareness and perception, a survey was conducted via invitation of participation from music schools and piano groups on social media, and the useable collected data came from 162 respondents. The results disclosed that pianists' awareness of memory strategies and performance anxiety were significantly correlated. It showed a relationship between knowledge of memory strategies and frequency of performance anxiety within their musical experiences.

Submitted by Morgana Silva (morgana_linhares@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-09-19T17:48:52Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Arquivototal.pdf: 3910935 bytes, checksum: 5bccd9608f461bf57145bba5531cc099 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-19T17:48:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Arquivototal.pdf: 3910935 bytes, checksum: 5bccd9608f461bf57145bba5531cc099 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-30 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The objective of this research is to understand how a group of musicians of the Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB) are using strategies to control musical performance anxiety (MPA). A group of undergraduate and graduate music students was asked to respond the Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory (K-MPAI) questionnaire to assess their MPA level along with semi-structured interview, which was recorded for later analysis. In this dialogue, the subjects explained in detail how they are affected by the MPA and the strategies they use for its control. Reported strategies were: spirituality (prayer), use of beta-blockers, meditation routines to focus upon performance, consultation of self-help literature, self-talk, breath control, physical activity, positive perception of arousal, relaxation techniques, acceptance of small errors, switch instruments, simulation of performance and mental practice. The results confirm the existence of the MPA within the group studied and showed how it adversely affects the performance in some of the subjects. It also showed the lack of a systematic use of the different strategies to deal with the MPA. / O objetivo desta pesquisa é entender quais são as diferentes estratégias para o controle da Ansiedade na Performance Musical (APM) utilizadas por músicos da Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB). Para isto, foi selecionado um grupo de estudantes de música dos cursos de Licenciatura em Música, Bacharelado em Música e Pós-graduação em Práticas Interpretativas. Eles então responderam ao questionário Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory (K-MPAI) para avaliar seu nível de APM e a uma entrevista semiestruturada, que foi gravada para posterior análise, na qual os sujeitos explicaram detalhadamente como são afetados pela APM e as estratégias utilizadas para seu controle. As estratégias reportadas foram: espiritualidade (oração), uso de betabloqueadores, autoconvencimento (self-talk), rotinas para se concentrar no momento da performance, consulta de textos de autoajuda, prática mental, simulação da performance, atividade física, aceitação de pequenos erros, percepção positiva da excitação, controle da respiração, técnicas de relaxamento e até mesmo “trocar para outro instrumento”. Os resultados desta pesquisa confirmam a existência da APM dentro do grupo estudado e mostram como ela afeta negativamente a performance de alguns dos sujeitos. Também mostra a falta de um uso sistemático das diferentes estratégias para o controle da APM.

Dette prosjektet utforsker hvordan bruken av ulike rutiner kan påvirke og dempe forekomsten av musikalsk prestasjonsangst (MPA). Målet er å finne en måte å håndtere prestasjonsangsten på, slik at den ikke påvirker spillegleden og uttrykket. Studien jeg har utført viser at bruken av enkle rutiner som god søvn, yoga og mosjon medførte at prestasjonsangsten sank drastisk. Dette har jeg dokumentert ved hjelp av pulsmålinger, tilpassede målinger og kartleggingsskjemaet Kenny Musical Performance Anxiety Inventory (K-MPAI). Tiltakene førte etter min opplevelse til forbedret spilleglede og uttrykk. Forhåpentligvis kan denne studien være til hjelp for musikere og musikkstudenter som opplever prestasjonsangst som en utfordring i arbeidet. / This study explores how the usage of routines can affect and lower the occurrence of Musical Performance Anxiety (MPA). The main aim is to find a way to handle the performance anxiety, so that it doesn't affect the musical expression and the performer's way of playing. The study shows a correlation between the usage of simple routines such as; good sleep, yoga and light exercise, and descending levels of Musical Performance Anxiety (MPA). Documentation is done by heart rate measurement, customized measuring and Kenny Musical Performance Anxiety Inventory (K-MPAI). The usage of routines, in my opinion, led to improved musical expression in the performances. I hope this study may help other musicians and music students struggling with the challenge of performance anxiety.

Music performance anxiety (MPA) is a significant concern for musicians of all ages, levels of mastery, and genders (Kenny, 2011). Whereas the anxiety-performance relationship has been well researched in athletes, similar research with musicians is sparse (Nordin-Bates, 2012). In the present research, video feed-forward self-modeling (FF-SM video) was explored as an intervention for use by musicians. FF-SM involves video-editing, typically, to depict a level of master performance higher than that yet attained by the individual. Although video FF-SM has been used successfully with athletes (Ste-Marie, Rymal, Vertes, & Martini, 2011) to increase self-efficacy and improve performance, its use has not yet been explored with musicians. In the present study, Bandura’s Self-efficacy Theory (1977) was used as a framework to explore whether FF-SM videos would increase self-efficacy, lower anxiety, and improve performance in adolescent musicians who self-reported MPA. Twelve string musicians, aged 13 to 18 years, who self-reported MPA took part in a two-week intervention where in one week they practiced with the use of a FF-SM video and in the alternate week they practiced without the video. At the end of each week, participants performed the selected repertoire from their video. Video FF-SM significantly increased musicians’ self-efficacy but only for those musicians who viewed the video in the second week. No changes in anxiety or performance levels were observed. Zimmerman’s triadic self-regulation model is used to explain the cyclical pattern of self-efficacy benefits. It is concluded that the FF-SM video can be an effective tool to increase self-efficacy for musicians who self-report MPA, but that an enactive experience is first needed for those benefits to occur. Research extended over a longer time frame is recommended in order to examine whether influences on anxiety and performance would emerge at a later time.

I denna studie undersöktes hur sångpedagoger ser på prestationsångest och mentala blockeringar hos sina elever. Prestationsångest hos sångare är ett relativt outforskat område, men det är en känsla som drabbar de flesta som utövar musik. Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur sångpedagoger både resonerar kring och hur de hanterar sina elevers prestationsångest och andra mentala blockeringar. Arbetet genomfördes i första hand genom en enkät som sedan låg till grund för intervjuer med åtta verksamma sångpedagoger. Studien vilar på en sociokognitiv teori. Resultatet visar att alla sångpedagoger frekvent möter elever med prestationsångest och att de alla har liknande verktyg för att hantera det. En upptäckt som gjordes var att det sällan talas om prestationsångest i musikundervisning, där många paralleller gjordes till idrottspsykologi som är ett mer utforskat ämne. Sångpedagogerna använde många verktyg som tangerade mental träning men ingen av dem ansåg sig använda någon särskild metod. Det är i nuläget ovanligt att lyfta mental träning i musikundervisning men ett konstaterande som görs är att sångpedagogen måste lära sig att hantera elevers prestationsångest för att kunna hjälpa dem vidare i utvecklingen. Resultatet visar att ett gemensamt ordförråd och gemensamma verktyg att ta till vore gynnsamt. / This study examined vocal coaches’ view on performance anxiety and mental blockages in their students. Performance anxiety is a relatively unexplored area, but it’s a feeling that affects most people who practice music. The purpose of the study was to investigate how vocal coaches both reason about and how they handle their students’ performance anxiety and other mental blockages. The work was carried out through a pilot study that formed the basis for interviews with eight practicing vocal coaches. The study is based on a social cognitive theory. Results show that all vocal coaches meet students with performance anxiety on a daily basis and that they all have similar tools to work with it. A discovery that was made was that the subject of performance anxiety was rarely talked about in music education and many parallels were made to sports psychology, which is a more explored area. The vocal coaches used many tools that are used in mental training, but they all made it clear that they did not use any particular method. It is currently unusual to highlight mental training in music education, but it’s clear that the vocal coach must learn to handle the students’ performance anxiety in order to help them further in development. The result show that a common vocabulary and common tools to use would be beneficial.

Music performance anxiety is an issue that affects musicians at all levels but can begin in early adolescence. The researcher investigated three variables and their ability to predict music performance anxiety: catastrophization, self-regulation, and goal-setting style. Catastrophization is a negative thought that amplifies perceived criticism. Self-regulation is a metacognitive skill that allows students to plan strategies and evaluate learning. Goal-setting style refers to a student's framework when establishing learning objectives – whether they are focused on mastering the subject matter, or only trying to avoid being the worst in the class. A sample of adolescent wind musicians (n = 68) were administered four self-reporting measures for the predictor variables and music performance anxiety. Catastrophization, self-regulation, and goal-setting style were all statistically significant in predictor music performance anxiety, with catastrophization alone explaining 69% of the variance in the predictor variable. Overall, the whole model was able to explain 46% of the variance in music performance anxiety.

The study was designed to determine the effects of psychological sex-role on pre-performance anxiety in masculine (rugby), feminine (balance beam), and neutral (badminton) sex-typed motor activities. Instruments used to gather data included the Personal Attributes Questionnaire, the Sport Competition Anxiety Test, and the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2. Twenty-six masculine, 24 feminine, and 27 androgynous males and females were submitted to a three-phase training session for each sport skill. At the conclusion of each session, prior to performing the skill in front of a panel of judges (confederates of the experimenter), subjects were administered the self-report state anxiety (A-state) inventory. Data were analyzed by a 2 x 3 x 3 design. Conclusions were that individuals classified as feminine reported more feelings of A-state prior to performance than individuals classified as masculine or androgynous. Furthermore, the performer's biological sex affected anxiety levels, depending upon perceptions concerning the sex-appropriateness of the activity.