Articlegold2022

Classical Music Students’ Pre-performance Anxiety, Catastrophizing, and Bodily Complaints Vary by Age, Gender, and Instrument and Predict Self-Rated Performance Quality

Erinë Sokoli · Horst Hildebrandt · Patrick Gomez

35 citations0/0 files storedFrontiers in Psychology

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Diverse Music Education Insights Music Therapy and Health Musicians’ Health and Performance

Abstract

Music performance anxiety (MPA) is a multifaceted phenomenon occurring on a continuum of severity. In this survey study, we investigated to what extent the affective (anxiety), cognitive (catastrophizing), and somatic (bodily complaints) components of MPA prior to solo performances vary as a function of age, gender, instrument group, musical experience, and practice as well as how these MPA components relate to self-rated change in performance quality from practice to public performance. The sample comprised 75 male and 111 female classical music university students, aged 15-45 years. Age was positively associated with anxious feelings and bodily complaints. Compared to male students, female students reported significantly more anxious feelings and catastrophizing. Singers reported less anxious feelings and catastrophizing than instrumentalists. Breathing-, mouth- and throat-related complaints were highest among singers and wind players; hand- and arm-related complaints were highest among string players and pianists. The indices of musical experience and practice had marginal effects. An average of four bodily complaints bothered the participants strongly to very strongly. Worsening in performance quality from practice to public performance was reported by almost half of the participants and was best predicted by anxious feelings and breathing-related complaints. We conclude that age, gender and instrument play a significant role in understanding the phenomenology of MPA. Musicians should be examined according to these characteristics rather than as one homogenous population. In particular, it might be valuable to develop assessment tools for MPA that incorporate items related to the bodily complaints that are most relevant to the different instrument groups. Breathing-related complaints could add an important dimension to the investigation of MPA and music performance. Finally, the high percentage of students reporting worsening of their performance quality from practice to public performance highlights the need of professional support to help music students be able to perform at their best and thrive as artists.

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References

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Cited by

2023Symptoms of and coping strategies for music performance anxiety through different time periods 2024Psychological capital and music performance anxiety: the mediating role of self-esteem and flow experience 2023Dispositional and performance-specific music performance anxiety in young amateur musicians 2025Demand-resource evaluations and post-performance thoughts in classical music students: how they are linked and influenced by music performance anxiety, audience, and time 2026Psychological predictors of music performance anxiety among vocal students: a gender-based SEM analysis

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