Musical performance anxiety, also known as maladaptive or debilitating performance anxiety and more commonly referred to as stage fright, is quite common among performers, those who play instruments, use their voices or appear before audiences in other creative capacities.
Stage fright is so prevalent that a wealth of literature has been written and extensive studies have been conducted on this unique form of anxiety. A contingent of professional coaches, teachers and counselors specialize in working with musicians, from the novice terrified of a first recital to the season pro who has seen it all.
Among the ranks of those who have suffered from performance anxiety are one of the world’s most loved tenors and opera singers, Enrique Caruso, internationally known recording artist Carly Simon and the great Spanish cellist, Pablo Casals.
Suffering from a lifelong fear of performing, Casals once said, "The thought of a public concert always gives me nightmares." (Sweeney & Horan, 1982)
Many theories are cited for the causes of this brand of anxiety and a range of remedies have been employed, from therapy meditation to hypnosis and widespread use of various drugs. In well-known 1987 Steptoe & Fidler study, nearly a quarter of more than 2,000 classical musicians surveyed admitted to performance anxiety, 27% saying they had turned for relief to beta-blockers, a class of drugs that decrease the rate and force of heart contractions and lower high blood pressure.
Facts at a Glance:
Common reasons cited for performance anxiety:
Perfectionism
Fear of forgetting material on stage
Self-judgment
Obsessing about preparation and memorization
Inability to face criticism
Dwelling on past mistakes
Performance anxiety can cause:
Dry throat, shaking hands and other physical symptoms
Panic leading up to performances
Unconsciously holding one’s breath in performances
Drawing a blank on material
Acute self- consciousness and performance fears
Avoiding performances
Who Needs HeartMath Research-Based Programs?
All musicians – professionals, amateurs, students
Music teachers
Counselors, mentors and others who work with musicians
Performance Anxiety Research
Musicians want to express their talent and love of music freely and from the heart, but performance anxiety often inhibits them and learning to overcome it is as necessary as learning the musical skills themselves. The Institute of HeartMath’s many years of research into stress and emotional management have provided important insights about personal performance that is as applicable the student taking an important test and a businessperson facing a project deadline as it is to the musician appearing before a packed auditorium.
IHM researchers have found that anxiety creates a kind of noise or mental static in the brain that blocks a person’s ability to retrieve what’s stored in memory. In the case of the musician, this blockage may impair the ability to engage with his or her instrument or voice.
Researchers also have identified a measurable physiological state that underlies optimal performance, a state in which emotions are calm and the brain, nervous system and other bodily systems are able to function harmoniously, free of mental static. The musician, student or anyone subject to the pressures of personal performance, is highly in sync – physically, mentally and emotionally – and able to perform unencumbered by anxieties.
Heartening Study Results for Musical Performers
Effects of Heart-Rate Variability Biofeedback Training and Emotional Regulation on Music Performance Anxiety in University Students: (Myron Ross Thurber, Ph.D. dissertation, University of North Texas, 2006)
Click here for abstract and a link to a PDF of the complete dissertation. Highlights of the study appear in a winter 2006 HeartMath Newsletter article.
How HeartMath Can Help Musical Performers
emWave® PC/Mac Stress Relief System: Getting into a coherent state so you’ll be in sync when it comes time to perform is easy and fun with the emWave PC/Mac. Interactive software measures your heart rhythms and shows you how to intentionally shift to a positive emotional state. You can quickly see and feel how shifts in your heart rhythms create physiological responses. As you become more heart coherent, anxiety diminishes and feelings of well-being and energy increase.
This positive state can actually enhance musical ability, giving you a new sense of ease and confidence to perform effectively. Go to emWave PC Stress Relief System or emWave® Mac Stress Relief System.
emWave® Personal Stress Reliever: Take this portable solution for stress right into the green room, back stage or anywhere you need to quickly calm yourself. This state-of-the-art, hand-held device will help you get in sync anywhere. You can get heart-coherent fast and find internal balance by seeing the output of your heart rhythms on the color display. Go to emWave PSR.
Coherence Coach® for PC, Coherence Coach® for Mac: This entertaining, interactive software application teaches HeartMath’s scientifically validated Quick Coherence® Technique for relieving stress and improving performance. Includes step-by-step narrated instructions, five colorful animations, music and an adjustable breathing pacer. Use this powerful tool to refocus your emotions, connect with your intuition and release stress. You’ll get a natural boost of energy, improve your mental clarity and live and perform with less stress.
Go to Coherence Coach for PC or Coherence Coach for Mac.
Funding Tips for Educators:
Schools, school districts and colleges interested in purchasing HeartMath programs and products to help music students during their learning years and prepare those who go on to perform before audiences professionally or for enjoyment, click here for information about federal, state and private funding sources.
Click here for information about and to apply for the IHM Heart-Based Education Sponsorship Fund.
