ANXIETY is a normal, healthy feeling.  Without some "energy" we would seem flat and lifeless.

     FEAR is a reaction to a specific person, place, event.

     ANXIETY can be a vague, objectless feeling of uncertainty, or helplessness in the face of danger or threat (the performance).

        For musicians in general, the danger is in the performance itself.  They are afraid to go out and face the audience because of their anxiety about doing justice to the music and to themselves.  They worry about performing well and whether or not they will be a success.

        One of the foundations of this type of anxiety is the fear
        of losing face under public scrutiny.   To fail in any way
        leads to the shame of public humiliation.

        This dread is fed by a strong sense of anticipation which builds and builds as the time of the performance draws near.

     IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER--This fright often feels more severe to the performer than to the audience.  Our perception of mis-ques is often magnified many times over--the audience may not even notice.

In its natural form, anxiety helps the individual meet an external danger, usually by flight or fight.  But for the performer, these two options are not possible.  Instead, the challenge is to put a lid on the anxiety, but not to eliminate it entirely.

CONTEXT OF PERFORMANCE ANXIETY

     The stakes are high---only a small number of musicians can make a living performing.

     It is a buyers market--a serious blunder or series of small
blunders can lead management to seek out new performers.

     Unreasonable standards for live performance--Many musicians evaluate their own live performance by listening to recordings of masters whose efforts have frequently be dubbed and redubbed.

     Performers have undergone rigorous training and preparation. They operate under exceedingly high standards which are self and other imposed.  Yet a mistake of only a split second can be costly.  There is not second chance.

     Anxiety may be thought of as 
 
 

For many, the tension during the performance is a result of tension which has accumulated from other life events.  The challenge is to look at one's entire life and see what little steps can be taken to reduce the total load of stress.

     It is essential to differentiate performance anxiety from merely being ill-prepared.  It is quite normal and to be expected that if you are not well prepared you will be anxious.
 

SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY
 

PHYSICAL INDICATIONS

• Heart palpitations
• Extreme perspiration
• Dry mouth
• Shaky knees & hands
• Trembling voice
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Bladder and rectal pressure
• Sense of dread or foreboding
• Fear of dying

• Becoming isolated and afraid of other people, especially authority figures.
• Frightened by anger and personal criticism
• Focus on reaction, not pre-action
• Live a life as a victim
• Being attracted to other victims
• Low sense of personal power/influence
• Feeling responsible for unstable family situations
• Feeling ineligible and ill prepared to live life independently
• Feeling guilty when standing up to others
• Always seeking approval
• Over developed sense of responsibility toward others

FOR TRUE ANXIETY, YOU WILL EXPERIENCE SEVERAL OF THESE SYMPTOMS AT THE SAME TIME; AND IT WILL LAST FOR AT LEAST SEVERAL DAYS AT A TIME.

TAKING CHARGE OF YOUR ANXIETY
 

ASSESSMENT

Any intervention program must fit your specific, individual needs as a performer.

To accomplish this, ask yourself in DETAIL what you THINK as you perform or listen to tapes of your own performances.

Identify your personal pattern of performance standards and style of self criticism.
 

INTERVENTION
 

PROACTIVE PREVENTION

-Find opportunities to talk about your life stress
-Learn what fear/anxiety/stress is all about
-Acknowledge the context of your stress. You don't perform in isolation.  All of your life forces impact your music.
-Think through the relationship of the artist and the audience and primary goal of music as communication (you can make a mistake and still be doing quality communication)
-Work toward establishing a feeling of success--acknowledge what you do good.
-Reframe Mistakes as things which can be change/improved
Always remember that thorough preparation is very reassuring.
-Select music that is with-in your capabilities: stretch yourself in a reasonable fashion
-Practice in a wide variety of settings; this prepares you for a quality performance in many "halls"
-Take time to practice the entire piece or set.  This at least
builds endurance but also gives you a creative sense of ALL the music.
-Establish strong peer group ties; don't be too much alone
-Keep a journal; expression of thoughts and feelings is calming
-Take a regular inventory of your strengths:

•    preparation skills
•    personality features
•    singing & playing style
•    singing and playing technique
•    physical strengths
•    stage presence

SPECIFIC INTERVENTIONS

PREPARATION--PLANNING--ORGANIZATION--LOGISTICS

Have quality coaching
Have quality rehearsal
Know your material
Arrive on time to get use to the "hall"
Good eating/sleeping prior to the performance
Take time to know the other musicians with whom you are
performing.
 

FORMULATE A PRE-PERFORMANCE RITUAL

Friendly/relaxed/ communicative/tolerant

Be friendly/casual with the behind stage personnel
If possible, meet the audience--The UNKNOWN is typically more fearsome than the known.
Remind yourself that music is a way to communicate
Remind yourself that the audience is here to hear and enjoy
Make this self statement--"I give myself pleasure by performing"
Acknowledge anxiety rather than deny
Be willing to tolerate "mistakes" and soften perfectionism
Relax
Breath
Stretch--neutralize excess energy
Warm up
Quiet the mind--trust yourself--see/feel/hear your sound--LET THE SOUND COME
Make positive self talk/statements
As time to perform draws closer, begin to set some distance from the audience.
Find yourself--get centered/focused

I KNOW THE MUSIC
I AM PREPARED
THIS IS MY MUSIC

Begin to image the performance as a success
Recall/remind yourself of past performing successes
Mentally review the music
Mentally play/sing a few measures

DURING THE PERFORMANCE

Take your time--set the pace that make sense to you
Have a feeling of being in control
As the first song is finished, give yourself a stroke
Play through mistakes and mentally don't panic

AFTER THE PERFORMANCE

Remind yourself of the positive
Do something that is fun/enjoyable to you
Get back into your regular day to day routine as soon as possible.

WHAT ELSE CAN I DO TO HELP MYSELF?

Seek personal counseling, preferably from a professional who has worked with other musicians

If you part of a band, get some organizational consultation from a counselor who has worked with musical groups

Relaxation training may help

Bio-feedback may be of assistance

Medication may help but should always be used in conjunction with counseling.

Family counseling, involving your significant others, may be necessary

Take a break; go on vacation

Have a complete physical; anxiety and stress may have physical aspects which need the attention of a physician.

• PEAK PERFORMANCE
• PASSION AND FUN
• HIGH SELF-CONFIDENCE
• CONCENTRATION ON THE PROCESS OF THE PERFORMANCE
• RESILIENCE
• A SENSE OF CHALLENGE
• A NONTHINKING, AUTOMATIC QUALITY
• A SENSE OF RELAXATION  DURING PERFORMANCE

DETERMINE YOUR MENTAL STRATEGIES
 WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS AND SELF TALK
 WHAT IMAGERY WAS IN YOUR MIND BEFORE THE PERFORMANCE
 WHAT WAS YOUR SELF TALK AND THOUGHTS RIGHT BEFORE THE PERFORMANCE
 WHAT WERE YOUR PREPERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS
 WHAT WAS YOUR SELF TALK AND THOUGHTS DURING THE PERFORMANCE
 WHEN YOU DID MAKE MISTAKES, WHAT DID YOU THINK AND SAY TO  YOURSELF
 WHAT WERE YOUR THOUGHTS AND SELF TALK AFTER THE PERFORMANCE

CONCENTRATION HAS TWO DIMENSIONS: 
TIME AND PLACE
Be in the Present.
Be attune to the process not the outcome.
Focus on what is happening Here not there.
xPre-performance rituals can help focus on the here and now.
 
 

DEALING WITH FEAR
 BREAK UP THE FEAR---how do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time
 REFRAME THE FEAR---fear is the gateway to improvement
 CHALLENGE THE FEAR'S LOGIC

DEVELOPING POSITIVE IMAGES

 The Quality of your internal imagery directly preprograms your performance

 Mental rehearsal lets you practice the scary, embarrassing, or difficult, without fear of negative consequences

 CHECK THE ACCURACY OF YOUR IMAGES
  Practice does not make perfect: only perfect practice does

 PICK THE PROPER PERSPECTIVE---Imagine doing, not watch

 MENTALLY REHEARSE IN VIVID DETAIL
The more lifelike your images, the more powerful they will be in enhancing your performance.

BEGIN YOUR MENTAL REHEARSAL WITH RELAXATION

KEEP YOUR MENTAL REHEARSAL FREQUENT AND BRIEF

HAVE A SPECIFIC TARGET FOR YOUR MENTAL REHEARSAL
  Try to pinpoint your performance difficulty and work on
  Correcting it in your mind's eye

 ANTICIPATE PROBLEMS AND BE PERSISTENT
 

GOAL SETTING: 
Goal setting is the most important planning and evaluation
tool in constructing your musical career

 BE SURE THE GOAL IS YOURS

 BREAK THE GOAL INTO MANAGEABLE PARTS

 SET DEADLINES FOR YOUR GOALS
A deadline helps your prioritize your efforts and keeps your focus on the important task at hand

 USE BOTH OUTCOME AND PROCESS GOALS

 MAKE YOUR GOALS SPECIFIC

 KEEP YOUR GOALS FLEXIBLE

 FRAME YOUR GOALS IN A POSITIVE WAY

 MAKE YOUR GOALS MEASURABLE

 WRITE YOUR GOALS DOWN AND POST THEM
 

Adapted from Goldberg, A.S.  (1998)  Sports Slump Busting.  Amherst.
Human Kinetics