Classifying Different Types of Music Performance Anxiety

Abstract

Music performance anxiety (MPA) is a commonly present topic among musicians. Most studies on MPA investigated effects of a more general occurrence of MPA on performances. Less is known about individual variations of MPA within a performance, more specifically at the times before, during, and after the performance. This study used a questionnaire to investigate these performance times in order to find out if there occur different types in the variation of the perceived MPA across the performance. The study was performed with 532 musicians; 27% of them being professional orchestra musicians, 45% non-professional orchestra musicians, and 28% non-professional choir singers. The musicians were asked to fill in the Performance-specific Questionnaire for Musicians (PQM) immediately after a performance. The questionnaire contains three scales regarding symptoms of MPA, functional coping with MPA and performance-related self-efficacy. A cluster analysis was performed on the PQM scales to identify systematic variations. Findings indicate that there are three different types of MPA in the sample studied. Type 1 describes musicians who have few symptoms of MPA throughout the performance, show functional coping with MPA, and have a stable and well-developed self-efficacy. Type 2 describes musicians who begin their performance with rather high symptoms of MPA but can positively reduce these by the end of the performance and show high values in self-efficacy and in functional coping. Type 3 contains musicians who begin their performance with some symptoms of MPA, which increase to the end of the performance. The values of self-efficacy and functional coping in this type are rather low. Of the total sample, half of the musicians were assigned to Type 1 and approximately a quarter each to Type 2 (27%) and Type 3 (23%). In accordance with the literature, the results confirm the importance of self-efficacy and functional coping for a positive performance experience.

The application of virtual reality exposure versus relaxation training in music performance anxiety: a randomized controlled study

“…Considering a minimum standard of criteria-based and standardized diagnostic, a prevalence of 15-25% can be assumed of which again only a small percentage of approximately 15% seems to seek professional help [1,2,4]. In a recent study based on questionnaires of 532 musicians Spahn et al characterize three different types of MPA depending on symptoms, functional coping and performance-related self-efficacy [5]. Typical symptoms of performance-reducing MPA include subjectively experienced fear of failure or loss of control and on a physical level the consequences of an increase in sympathetic activity with cardiac stress.…”

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

“…With regard to the relationship between instrument and MPA, evidence suggests that (choral) singers may experience lower levels of MPA than (orchestral) instrumentalists (van Kemenade et al, 1995;Schröder and Liebelt, 1999;Sadler and Miller, 2010;Simoens et al, 2015;Robson and Kenny, 2017;Spahn et al, 2021; but see Iusca and Dafinoiu, 2012;Nusseck et al, 2015). Whether different groups of instrumentalists have significantly different levels of MPA is unclear (Fishbein and Middlestadt, 1988;Kenny et al, 2014;Zarza-Alzugaray et al, 2018;Cohen and Bodner, 2021).…”

“…Solo performances induce higher levels of anxiety than ensemble performances (e.g., Nicholson et al, 2015), and manifestations of MPA before, during and after a performance are different (e.g., Studer et al, 2014;Spahn et al, 2021). If participants refer to different performance settings or different performance phases when reporting on their MPA, interpretation of the results within and between studies is complicated.…”

Live Music Performance: The Relationship Between Flow and Music Performance Anxiety

“…The more difficult the performance was perceived, the higher the MPA. In contrast, the musical self-efficacy, i.e., the belief in one’s own capabilities to make a success of the performance, can act as a supportive factor in dealing with MPA ( McCormick and McPherson, 2003 ; McPherson and McCormick, 2006 ; Spahn et al, 2021 ). Furthermore, MPA is rather independent of musical training and expertise, as musically experienced and well-prepared players also showed high degrees of MPA that were more related to the importance of the performance ( Yoshie et al, 2009 ).…”

“…Within a musical performance context, MPA needs to be considered as a process over time, especially before, during and after the performance ( Papageorgi et al, 2007 ; Spahn et al, 2021 ). Each of these performance times provides different aspects concerning the occurrence and development of MPA.…”