by Todd Goranson
Fortunately, there are several evidence-based, non-pharmacological strategies and tactics that are effective for managing performance anxiety. First, rather than trying to avoid uncomfortable feelings related to performance, we should instead frame these feelings properly. It is natural for a performer, when investing long hours in preparation, to feel anticipation and excitement in a performance situation—and it's easy to conflate that excitement with fear. Make it a habit to remind yourself how excited you are to finally present the music to your audience. Remind yourself (out loud) that you are not in danger, you are well-prepared, and that the audience is there to enjoy a live musical experience. The physiology of excitement and fear are nearly identical, aside from our perspective, and the extra adrenaline in our bloodstream prepares us for peak performance and attention.[1] Numerous colleagues with whom I have worked admit that, when they don't feel any anxiety or excitement, their performances typically feel rather “flat.” This is also why many musicians profess a dislike for beta blocker drugs, which suppress the effects of adrenaline. Allowing ourselves to be in the moment and to acknowledge how we feel right now, even if that feeling is a little uncomfortable, is much more productive than catastrophizing about what could go wrong in the future or what those potential (unlikely) consequences might be. There is extensive research establishing the benefit of “mindfulness” in this regard.[2]
Many musicians struggle with conscious invasive thoughts (doubt or negativity) during performances. It is important to note that, contrary to popular belief, the conscious mind is not a very effective “multi-tasker.” When we are conscious of several thoughts at once, we are in fact rapidly shuffling between several individual thoughts.[3] Finding a single, proactive and intentional point of focus for your conscious mind, such as “I'm going to shape each line beautifully,” “I'm playing this as a gift to my audience,” or, as my wife once prescribed, “I LOVE the way I sound!” can effectively drown out invasive thoughts. In addition, these are all focuses that shift attention from self toward sharing something meaningful with your listeners, and this benefits everyone.
It's also essential that we endeavor to make as many of the technical aspects of our performance as automatic as possible. Preparation works. It should be of no surprise to me that I will feel different in a performance than I will in a practice room or even a dress rehearsal, so as much as possible, I want to practice in such a way that the technique is on “autopilot” so that I can focus on shaping a phrase, blending and tuning, and sharing the music with my audience. I cannot overstate how excellent practice (daily fundamentals, practicing technical passages repeatedly and flawlessly under tempo in small segments, consistent metronome use, practicing mindfully and attentively) is critical to giving us the confidence to play at a high level despite how we might feel in the moment. Building great habits through practice is incredibly empowering.
This discussion of practice leads me to my next point. Most of us have experienced a moment in a rehearsal or performance when we reflexively “drop” several notes immediately after making an unexpected mistake and then continue playing. Although I've heard musicians suggest that this is a “freeze” response prompted by our sympathetic nervous system, I disagree; rather, I believe it is simply an ingrained habit. Trained musicians are conditioned in their practice habits to play through material until they “make a mistake,” at which point, they stop playing to address the error. This is not a bad habit, in and of itself; in fact, it is an essential part of our process. However, if this is our only habit, then it will be our reflex to stop playing even during a performance. At some point in the days before our performance, we must also practice playing several repetitions of works in their entirety so that we are conditioned to not stop during our performance, particularly if we make a mistake. Building a habit of not critically evaluating one's own playing during an actual performance is invaluable—it is a task that should take place during practice or after a performance. (Recording complete runs of the pieces can further free us from the need to be evaluative during our playing.) When we make a distinction between performance and practice in our preparation, it becomes our habit to be “in the moment” with our audience rather than “in our own heads” during performance.
Regarding repetition and performance: performing regularly can help condition us to deal with the stress more effectively. “Stress inoculation,” or conditioned response to stress, is our ability to adapt to heightened stress levels by being regularly subjected to a stimulus.[4] Performing as often as possible, including both informal and formal settings, is a great way to build confidence and to train our brains and bodies to respond well to performance situations. I also have my students visualize in detail their degree recital performances in advance, mentally “rehearsing” the time before they take the stage, acknowledging how they may feel and anticipating how things will look and sound before, during, and after the performance. Numerous studies over several decades have demonstrated that visualization is a very effective tool in athletic performance, and I have seen repeatedly how it has transformed performance experiences for my myself and many of my students.[5] One student even commented, following a very successful concerto performance with our university orchestra, “It felt like the SECOND time I had given the performance!”
While most musicians report changes in breathing as a symptom of performance anxiety, it could be more accurately described as a cause. Since each of the performance anxiety symptoms discussed are triggered by the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), an effective tactic is engaging its counterpart, the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which is involved with “rest and digest.” We can reassure our brain (through the brain/body feedback loop) that we are safe by breathing deeply and slowly in a manner that activates the vagus nerve.[6] Intentionality in breathing is potentially transformative for anyone experiencing performance anxiety. Author and speaker Lt. Col. David Grossman introduced me to tactical breathing, which can be described as deep slow breathing that basketball players typically use when preparing for a free throw. Taught to police officers and military members for decades, Grossman's approach is simple and effective in lowering the pulse rate and decreasing our own SNS response by stimulating the vagus nerve. Since the SNS response tends to subside when we can keep our pulse rate below 115 BPM when under stress, employing slow and deep breaths can potentially reduce or eliminate any of the outlined symptoms and engage the PNS. Effective breathing technique can restore fine motor control, thereby normalizing pulse rate, reducing invasive thoughts, returning sensations to our extremities, etc.[7] There are numerous free videos online demonstrating these techniques under search terms such as “tactical breathing,” “vagal breathing,” and “square breathing.” Tactical breathing has been perhaps the most impactful addition to my own performance habits. As Col. Grossman tells his students when under stress, pause and remind yourself, “It's a FREE THROW. It's a FREE THROW.”
It is worth noting that in ICSOM’s 2015 Musician’s Health Survey, 31% of the responding professional performers indicated they were currently taking beta blockers such as propranolol to try to manage their performance anxiety.[8] While these decisions are obviously personal ones, I strongly encourage the reader to consider the benefits and advantages of non-pharmaceutical management of performance anxiety, as there are effective solutions without potential adverse side-effects. Furthermore, live performance reminds us that we are all humans and prone to error, even with elite-level preparation. I invite you, after performances where you feel you have fallen short, to extend to yourself the same grace that you might to a stranger or, even better, to someone that you deeply care about. It seems only fair.
If you have follow-up questions regarding this month's column, please feel free to contact me at tgoranson@messiah.edu. Next month, we will discuss injury prevention and recovery from issues that are specific to the horn player.
Todd Goranson, DMA, BSN, RN
Professor of Saxophone & Bassoon
Messiah University
[1] Alison Wood Brooks, “Get Excited: Reappraising Pre-Performance Anxiety as Excitement.,” Journal of Experimental Psychology: General 143, no. 3 (2014): 1144–58, https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035325.
[2] Yan Wang, Si-Man Lei, and Jingjing Fan, “Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Promoting Athletic Performance and Related Factors among Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trial,” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 20, no. 3 (January 22, 2023): 2038, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032038.
[3] K.L. Shapiro, J.E. Raymond, and K.M. Arnell, “The Attentional Blink,” Trends in Cognitive Sciences 1, no. 8 (November 1997): 291–96, https://doi.org/10.1016/s1364-6613(97)01094-2.
[4] Dave Grossman and Loren W. Christensen, On Combat: The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and in Peace (Millstadt, IL: Warrior Science Pub, 2008).
[5] Krista J. Munroe-Chandler and Michelle D. Guerrero, “Psychological Imagery in Sport and Performance,” Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Psychology, April 26, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190236557.013.228.
[6] Roderik J. Gerritsen and Guido P. Band, “Breath of Life: The Respiratory Vagal Stimulation Model of Contemplative Activity,” Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 12 (October 9, 2018), https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00397.
[7] Dave Grossman and Loren W. Christensen, On Combat: The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and in Peace (Millstadt, IL: Warrior Science Pub, 2008).
[8] Peter de Boor, “The 2015 Musicians’ Health Survey Results,” Senza Sordino, June 14, 2017, https://www.icsom.org/senzasordino/2017/06/the-2015-musicians-health-survey-results/.
