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Article: Managing musical performance anxiety.
- Article from:
- American Music Teacher
- Article date:
- December 1, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Music Teachers National Association, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Their palms sweat; their hearts race; their hands shake. Eighty percent of all people experience anxiety when they become the center of attention. (1) Many musicians are not able to perform their best as a result of an increased anxiety level. While many believe it is important, and even necessary, to experience some performance anxiety to play their best, anxiety should not take over and debilitate the performer. The effects of performance anxiety may appear when a discrepancy exists between what has occurred in practice and the actual performance. When anxiety prevents an individual from performing her best, not only is the performer affected, but others' musical ...