Musicians are supposed to be able to perform with confidence and poise, never betraying the slightest hint of nerves, but in reality, Music Performance Anxiety (MPA) is something that happens to most performers, with symptoms driven by the body’s “flight or fight” response.
We all know the feeling of practising something perfectly at home, and then falling apart in a lesson. And unfortunately, a series of poor performances can result in a vicious cycle of negativity.
Symptoms can be physiological, cognitive and behavioural (from Help Musicians UK).
“Physiological symptoms include increased heart rate, sweating, ‘butterflies’, dry mouth, dizziness, nausea, tics, tense muscles, trembling hands, lips and knees, distorted vision and rapid, shallow breathing. These occur when the body releases adrenaline into the blood stream, activating the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) responsible for the ‘fight-or-flight’ response we need in dangerous situations .
Cognitive symptoms include negative thoughts about the performance (“I’m going to mess this up”), its consequences (“people won’t come back”), oneself (“I’m useless”), and others’ opinions (“people will think I’m a terrible musician”). These can create a vicious circle, when they affect performance and thereby strengthen negative beliefs.
Behavioural symptoms include tense/anxious facial expressions, tense/nervous bodily movements, performance errors, poor sleep and self-medication through alcohol and other drugs.”
All of these can contribute to the feeling of anxiety about performing, but thankfully there’s lots we can do to improve matters.
First of all, it’s worth remembering that some level of stress or anxiety is normal and to be expected and even WANTED when performing in public. Healthy stress helps us give optimal performances.
As you can see from the picture below from the Musicians Health Survey, 71% of performance anxiety comes from self-doubt. List your anxious thoughts about performing and for each ask yourself, ‘Is this really true? Partly true? If it’s true - so what? How much does it matter? What’s the worst that could happen? What’s a better thought to focus on?’
Connected to this, often we’re nervous because deep down we know we’re not really prepared enough! Practice. Practice. Practice. Eliminate anything and everything that can go wrong. Practice until you cannot go wrong.
Mentally rehearse and visualise successful performances. Imagine your audience enjoying the music. Imagine playing your piece perfectly from start to finish.
Build a narrative of success. Rather than jumping in the deep end, seek out a graduated series of low-threat performance opportunities. Start with a video camera or tape recorder. Treat this session as if it were a real performance. Stand up and address your imaginary audience. Keep going, even if you make mistakes. Then move to the next level: a trusted friend or musical associate. Then a few more friends. Etc. (from The Cross-Eyed Pianist)
Develop your positive feedback loops. A successful performance helps boost your confidence for your next performance. Choose music which you are entirely comfortable so you can build your ‘evidence of success’.
Breathe. Don’t hold your breath. Relax your facial muscles.
Here are some useful further reading resources:
Image from https://composeddocumentary.com/2015-musicians-health-survey/