"Stressed for Success: Make stage fright and audition anxiety work for, not against you"

All Things Strings:Practical Musician
(Illustration by Kelly Doren)

Here is another good article (excerpted from Strings magazine, October 2003, No. 113) on channeling the energy from stage fright.

Try out these ideas during your next audition or concert!

Best,
Catherine

"How teachers can help - Performance Anxiety" from American Music Teacher

How teachers can help - Performance Anxiety American Music Teacher - Find Articles

I have received several emails from teachers asking what they can do to help their students with performance anxiety. This excellent article by Anne Petrovich, published in the December 2003 issue of American Music Teacher, suggests strategies teachers can adopt to become more aware of their students' performance anxiety and to help them better cope with this sometimes disabling condition.

Anne Petrovich, LCSW, Ph.D. licensed in both social work and psychology, is a full-time lecturer in the Department of Social Work Education, California State University, Fresno, maintains a private clinical practice and supervises predoctoral interns at the California School of Professional Psychology, Fresno. A violinist in her spare time, Anne's doctoral dissertation was on "Performance Anxiety in Musicians: teacher Behavior and Sources of Self-Efficacy."

For those of you saying, "Whoa! There's another big word! I don't get this jargon," self-efficacy is simply one's belief in one's own capacity to succeed at tasks. In this case, the student's own belief that he/she can actually perform specific music at a specific time.

Petrovich suggests the following:

• Adequate preparation (This may seem obvious, but specific practice techniques for improving focus in stressful situations can be quite helpful)
• Frequent performance opportunities with positive feedback (I call them "piggy bank" experiences)
• Verbal persuasions (positive affirmations--the more specific, the better)
• Reducing physiological and emotional arousal to manageable levels through various coping skills such as relaxation techniques and breathing exercises.
• Vicarious experience and role models (The masterclass environment is valuable for watching others have anxiety and still perform or learn well. Teachers may also share their own experiences with stage fright and their own coping skills.

However, it is important for teachers (I am reminding myself as I type!) to remember that what works for them may not work for the suffering student and to work creatively with each student find approaches that allow for joyful music making.

The article also emphasizes the need for approaches that improve the value of each performing opportunity for each individual student. Treating performance anxiety is not a one-size-fits-all treatment. Using specific references meaningful to each student reinforces self-efficacy. The more specific the approaches, the more helpful they are.

I have been offering up various resources on this subject in recent weeks so that folks can work on this over the summer when they have fewer stresses and demands on their time.

Best,
Catherine

Helen Spielman Performance Anxiety Workshops

Dealing with stage fright in a class setting is ideal since you can practice in front of your classmates! I encourage you to attend one of Helen's workshops--whether before or during the National Flute Association Convention in Albuquerque in August 2007, or at another future workshop.

I attended Helen's workshop "Performance Anxiety from the Inside Out" at the Raleigh Area Flute Association's Flute Fair in November 2006. The information was well-organized and well-presented, sprinkled with personal anecdotes and warm humor. Each attendee went home with some personal strategies for taming their brain chatter.

Her one-hour presentation "Performance Anxiety from Inside Out" will take place at the NFA convention on Thursday August 9 at 3 pm.

In addition, she is giving a full day (10:00 am - 5:00 pm, with one hour break for lunch) pre-convention workshop entitled Performance Anxiety from Inside Out on Wednesday July 8 in a location within walking distance to the convention center.

Learn how to replace negative perceptions and behaviors with affirmative ones that heal and build confidence. If you struggle with stage fright, you can gradually silence the self-defeating patterns that block your music. Learn highly effective tools to transform yourself from a fearful to a joyful and free performer, able to play optimally and let your music soar.

To register for one of Helen's workshops or more information on Performance Anxiety from Inside Out visit Helen's website.

Kudos to Helen increasing public awareness of performance anxiety and possible avenues of relief by presenting workshops on this important subject.

Catherine

On "Stage Fright"

This weekend my NC flute students are participating in a adjudicated event. They have all worked hard on their music and are well prepared. Each student was coached with piano in their lesson this week and performed their music for peers in a masterclass/concert.

The focus on performance preparation this week has reminded me of some things I wish to share.

We all have some level of nervousness when we perform, whether music, dance, drama, athletics or public speaking. Adrenaline—the natural chemical we produce under stress—elevates heart rate and respiration. This can cause some people to feel very hot or to sweat in performances. It can also cause the heart to beat so fast and hard that it is more difficult to count rhythms and rests.

This same adrenaline can allow us to accomplish great things under stress, such as great athletic achievements or actions of super human strength in the face of emergency, such as lifting a fallen tree off a loved one. Some adrenaline is certainly useful in musical performance (and can even help a performance be the best we have ever done), but too much is problematic; managing its release is very useful. Here are some suggestions, based on my years of performing experience, for managing the release of adrenaline.

Literally ground yourself: feel the floor supporting your skeletal structure--feet, legs, hipbones, torso, and head. Unlock your knees and ankles and release your tailbone.

Breathe deeply, allowing your spine to lengthen as you release your breath. With each inhalation or “inspiration” imagine the entire phrase of music you will perform with the air you are taking in, then recreate the phrase as you release your breath.

Remember you are in control. Take time to compose yourself before you begin, and, most importantly, remember that you chose to be there. You are not a victim! Be joyful that you have the opportunity to study music and have a chance right now to do something that you really enjoy doing.

Think large rhythmic units to keep your place. Always be where you are now, not where you were when you made that small slip. A mistake is so unimportant if the flow of the music continues afterward. Graceful recoveries from errors are truly appreciated by your audience.

The art of music performance is a process, and presenting music gets easier each time you do it. You are taking a positive step toward overcoming stage fright simply by performing.

I am proud of each of my students for their hard work and for the individual ways they distinguish themselves as they grow, both musically and personally.

Catherine