Interventions for music performance under pressure

What is it about?

In order to show one’s best performance in a stressful pressure situation, one needs to be well prepared: not only to be able to execute the task well, but also to deal with heightened anxiety—a requirement that is shared by both musicians and athletes. To support musicians when they perform under pressure, we adapted three interventions from sports: a pre-performance routine, left-hand dynamic handgrip, and goal-setting. A pre-performance routine refers to systematically going through elements such as focusing on a specific point or deep breathing. The left-hand dynamic handgrip involves squeezing a soft ball with the left hand for half a minute, which triggers a “brain reset”—a relaxed mental state. Goal-setting means an action plan guiding towards a defined goal. These interventions were perceived as helpful by music students from all over the world, and increased self-efficacy, especially for those who generally suffer from high performance anxiety. Using the interventions during everyday practice may thus help highly anxious musicians to be more confident in their ability to give a successful performance.

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Photo by Luwadlin Bosman on Unsplash

Photo by Luwadlin Bosman on Unsplash

Why is it important?

In auditions for a position in an orchestra, musicians must place themselves in a situation in which they only have a few minutes to convince a jury of their ability. This can create high pressure, especially because an audition determines one’s future employment. Therefore, it is important not just to reduce the experience of performance anxiety, but to find ways to deal with it in such pressure situations.

Perspectives