Musical Performance Anxiety:

Sources, Strategies, and Solutions

Lainey Johnson Parker

MUSC 660: Performance Literature & Pedagogy

Dr. Rebecca Watson

October 4, 2023
 The Root of the Issue

In their book, “Performance Anxiety Strategies,” authors Casey McGrath, Karin

Hendricks, and Tawnya Smith articulate their case as to the inception of performance anxiety:

“while performance preparation, venue, and audience characteristics may have an impact on a

performer’s level of anxiety, numerous studies have found that disposition, family dynamics, and

mental health have a much greater influence.”1 A concise definition of performance anxiety is

given by Dianna Kenney in “The Psychology of Music Performance Anxiety,” which states the

following:

The experience of persisting, distressful apprehension and/or actual impairment of

The origins of musical performance anxiety are difficult to trace, as they naturally differ for each

individual. A person may have experienced trauma in the past that now shifts their mindset from

positivity to negativity prior to singing or playing. Another possibility could also be traced to

intrusive thoughts or an unhealthy mentality. Cognitive behavioral psychologists attribute

“recurring thought patterns” to the attitudes that people assume for different tasks.3

Meaning, that what you rehearse mentally, is what you will also perform inwardly.

The way we feel about ourselves and our capabilities to achieve things greatly impacts

the success of those actions. In a confident outlook, believing in ourselves can pave the way for

optimism and courage. Yet, a gloomy viewpoint can create cynicism, self-doubt, and even

shame. The success or failure of a performance can also contribute to these pre-established

thought patterns. Professor of trumpet at Northern Illinois University, Dr. Mark Ponzo, states

1
Casey McGrath, Karin Hendricks, and Tawnya Smith, Performance Anxiety Strategies: A Musician’s Guide to
Managing Stage Fright (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2017), 17.
2
Dianna T. Kenny, The Psychology of Music Performance Anxiety (Oxford, NY: Oxford University Press, 2011),
48.
3
McGrath, Hendricks, and Smith, Anxiety Strategies: A Musician’s Guide to Managing Stage Fright, 18.
“When I play like crap, I feel like crap.”4 Though inward mental dialogues can differentiate, they

provide commonality in the musical community to dialogue about the taboo issue.

As there are many sources of performance anxiety, there are even more ways that it

manifests in each individual. Following the creation of a definition for performance anxiety,

researchers also asserted that there are four components to the disorder. The primary comprises

the actual feelings of anxiety, which make up most of the experience. Yet, there are also

elements including cognitions, specifically “loss of concentration, memory failure, misreading of

[the] score.”5 The latter components are behavioral, “failures of technique and loss of posture,

tremors, and trembling,” as well as physiological reactions, “disturbances in breathing,

salivation, heart rate, gastrointestinal function, and hormonal imbalances.” The designation of

performance anxiety into specific regions and functions of the body, allows for a diagnosis of the

situation, as well as implied solutions to the experienced symptoms.

Working to be Perfect

Another key component often attributed to sparking performance anxiety is

perfectionism. This quality can be categorized by socially prescribed perfectionism and self-

oriented perfectionism. The former involves feelings of pressure from high standards set by

significant others and a fear of negative results and feedback. The latter, strive for their full

potential to be achieved at all times in order to feel good and successful, avoiding failure and

humiliation. While these definitions seem harsh, laboring toward excellence is a common inner

dialogue occurring in the minds of musicians. In a study conducted in 2007 by Stoeber and

Eismann, 150 high school musicians attributed motivation and self-improvement to

4
. Casey McGrath, Karin Hendricks, and Tawnya Smith, Performance Anxiety Strategies: A Musician’s Guide to
Managing Stage Fright (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2017), 18.
5
Dianna T. Kenny, The Psychology of Music Performance Anxiety (Oxford, NY: Oxford University Press, 2011),
49.
perfectionism. Yet, it was also traced to distress, critical responses to errors, and working to

please others.6 The universality of this issue is thus “almost inevitable that by the time a student

reaches maturity, the importance and constant evaluation of his own self becomes the dominant

factor in his career- and stops him from fulfilling his potential of the “right divine,” according to

McGrath.7 A field emphasizing perfection as much as music should be expected to produce

students striving for faultlessness, at the expense of their own mental health.

Keeping Score

The ongoing rhythms of evaluation and competition can become relentless in the midst of

battling performance anxiety. From practice sessions, lessons, classes, recitals, and

performances, as musicians, there is always a sense of needing more improvement, growth, and

development to ensure our progress. An opportunity of adjudication can be viewed as an

opportunity for learning and constructive feedback yet can also “serve as magnifying glasses

through which others can assess even the most inconspicuous of flaws.”8 This is exemplified

once again by a study on high school students, specifically for orchestra chair auditions. When

asked about their rankings, the students typically associated their “performance capabilities more

with the ability to impress others than with their ability to perform expressively.” 9

The rigidness of competition can harden one over time, allowing for anxiety experienced by a

large percentage of classical musicians to progress to the point of interfering with their personal

lives, and even result in the use of drugs and alcohol to cope with symptoms.

Despite the widespread reach of performance anxiety, avoidance is the most common

tactic of coping utilized. The association of mental and emotional instability comes with a

6
1. Casey McGrath, Karin Hendricks, and Tawnya Smith, Performance Anxiety Strategies: A Musician’s Guide to
Managing Stage Fright (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2017), 21.
7
Ibid.,17.
8
Ibid,.23.
9
Ibid,.
stigma and awkwardness that many choose not to push past to experience freedom. The

management of anxiety should be emphasized in all music education fields and settings in order

to equip musicians with skills to combat their anxiety and not suppress it.

The Effects in Ensembles

Performance anxiety can also manifest even amongst a group. In a study comprising

questioning of over two hundred choral singers, it was indicated that fifty-seven percent

surveyed experienced performance anxiety. Ensemble performance is a common vehicle of

musical presentations, typically allowing for steadiness in relying upon others in your company

to work alongside you. Yet, most instances of performance anxiety manifest regardless of

ensemble size.10 This gives pedagogical implications in discovering effective tactics to address

performance anxiety. A music educator should always create a peaceful rehearsal space,

expressing achievable expectations, as well as an overwhelming sense of love and support

regardless of the performance's success.

A Positive View of Performance Anxiety

While performance has negative connotations, there are also other perspectives,

specifically of musicians who possess a healthy emotional life. Instead of being anxious, the

feeling prior to walking on stage can also be described as exciting or intoxicating. An optimistic

view, increased blood flow and adrenaline can cultivate a steady energy to create an engaging

performance.11 While watching a performance of someone appearing confident and steady should

be reassuring, it can also be intimidating and daunting. Teachers must exercise caution when

discussing stage fright with students as an obstacle one is capable of overcoming, yet with the

10
1. Charlene Ryan and Nicholle Andrews, “An Investigation Into the Choral Singer’s Experience of Music
Performance Anxiety,” Journal of Research in Music Education, accessed October 3, 2023.
11
Casey McGrath, Karin Hendricks, and Tawnya Smith, Performance Anxiety Strategies: A Musician’s Guide to
Managing Stage Fright (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2017), 18.
understanding that at some level, it is a universal problem. There are methodologies, techniques,

and resources to combat performance anxiety, alongside the wisdom of countless renowned

artists who have warred and triumphed.

Coping with Performance Anxiety

There are many ways of targeting and managing performance anxiety. There are

counseling resources and wellness programs designed to aid students in coping with many forms

of anxiety, as well as awareness campaigns to help teachers and students to connect through the

topic. Additionally, many schools have begun shifting their curriculum to allot proper time and

attention to the addressing of performance techniques.12 In some cases, low-dose beta blockers

can be utilized to control the body’s fight-or-flight response. Thus, relieving symptoms of

anxiety such as shaky hands, fast heart rate, and sweating. However, this coping mechanism is

only available through a prescription by a doctor.13

Coping with personal experiences of performance anxiety can be a trial, yet teaching

while navigating this condition can be equally challenging. As teachers, in order to help students

traverse through anxiety. Some of the most crucial tactics include normalizing performance

anxiety, being an intentional listener, as well as cultivate awareness and strategies for students to

refer to when in an anxiety-inducing environment. Emphasize that perfection is not a realistic

standard, customize a curriculum to a child’s needs, as well as respect their boundaries when

discussing personal matters.14 In a deeper study conducted amongst orchestra musicians, the

12
Julie Jaffee Nagel, Managing Stage Fright: A Guide for Musicians and Music Teachers (New York: Oxford
University Press, 2017), 167-168.
13
Charlene Ryan and Nicholle Andrews, “An Investigation Into the Choral Singer’s Experience of Music
Performance Anxiety,” Journal of Research in Music Education, accessed October 3, 2023.
14
Julie Jaffee Nagel, Managing Stage Fright: A Guide for Musicians and Music Teachers (New York: Oxford
University Press, 2017), 169-171.
ultimate solution for performance anxiety is described: “A lack of confidence cannot be reduced

by controlling or minimizing a situation, but only by increasing one’s self-efficacy.”15

Conclusion

There is a multitude of research and resources available concerning performance anxiety,

ways to cope, and how to teach strategies to students. Yet, the best remedy, especially for

Christian musicians is to focus on the peace of Christ. John 14:27 states the following: “Peace I

leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your

heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”16 The world of music needs spiritual renewal. Once

our hearts are aligned with Christ’s and His purposes, then, and only then, can we fully

experience the truth that our gifts and talents are viaducts of praise to bring Him glory. My

personal journey with performance anxiety is one that I still journey through today. Yet, the

ultimate comfort that brings me solace is the ever-present peace of Christ, and the assurance that

performing for Him is a victory and a privilege.

Bibliography

Charlene Ryan and Nicholle Andrews, “An Investigation Into the Choral Singer’s Experience of
Music Performance Anxiety,” Journal of Research in Music Education, accessed
October3,2023,https://www.proquest.com/docview/214473782?
accountid=12085&forcedol=true&pq-origsite=summon

Holy Bible, New King James Version, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011.

15
1. Franziska Langendörfer et al., “Personality and Performance Anxiety Among Professional Orchestra
Musicians,” Journal of Individual Differences 27, no. 3 (2006): 162–171.
16
Holy Bible, New King James Version, John 14:27.
Kenny, Dianna T. The Psychology of Music Performance Anxiety. Oxford, NY: Oxford
University Press, 2011.

Langendörfer, Franziska, Volker Hodapp, Gunter Kreutz, and Stephan Bongard. “Personality
and Performance Anxiety Among Professional Orchestra Musicians.” Journal of
Individual Differences 27, no. 3 (2006): 162–171.

McGrath, Casey, Karin Hendricks, and Tawnya Smith. Performance Anxiety Strategies: A
Musician’s Guide to Managing Stage Fright. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2017.

Nagel, Julie Jaffee. Managing Stage Fright: A Guide for Musicians and Music Teachers. New
York: Oxford University Press, 2017.