Page 105 - How to Shine on Stage

The quality of musical performance is also directly influenced by
attention to the self, which refers to the extent of the performer’s self-re-
flection, attention to their own behaviour, their body, and the impression
they hope to make on others (Lamovec, 1994). It is a relatively perma-
nent personality trait, but can also emerge as a result of specific condi-
tions. The presence of others tends to increase one’s attention to oneself;
in such circumstances, one becomes acutely aware of oneself as an object
of observation and evaluation by others. Attention to the self hinders so-
cial interaction, since it reduces attention to environmental cues; encod- 103
ing and transformation of information are compromised, as is the choice
of behavioural response. Anxious people often focus attention on them-
selves due to a sensation of being judged by others. Attention depends
mainly on one’s interpretation of objective events.

2.2.4.3 Thought-Regulation Strategies
Much has been written on mental practice and its role in musical perfor-
mance preparation (Clark et al., 2011; 2014; Clark & Williamon, 2011;
2012; Connolly & Williamon, 2004). Direct Factors of Musical Performance Success

Mindfulness Meditation
Attention can be practised through mindfulness meditation. The latter is
rooted in the practice of meditation. The practice of meditation has vast-
ly increased since the 1960s (Murphy & Donavon, 1997). Scientific in-
terest in meditation has increased dramatically in recent years (Cahn &
Polich, 2006), with a growing body of evidence pointing to its usefulness
in health care and stress management (Chiesa & Seretti, 2009), and to
a certain power to enhance positive feelings (Chang et al., 2004), which
increase tolerance to pain and reduce anxiety (Wachholtz & Pargament,
2005). Thus, it appears that meditation is an effective tool for improv-
ing overall well-being. Mindfulness practice involves developing a spe-
cific kind of awareness, namely one that is conscious, non-judgemental,
and focused on the present moment (Kabat-Zinn, 1990). Mindfulness
meditation supports the development of the ability to control the focus
of attention freely and flexibly. It can change the habit of constant com-
parison with the standard (maladaptive perfectionism), which increas-
es the fear of failure, narrows the field of attention, and can interfere
with information recall (Moran, 1996). A decrease in self-focus enhanc-
es the experience of flow (Jackson, 1995), while positive feelings arise
from self-efficacy (Silvia, 2003). In addition to sharpening the concen-
tration, systematic mindfulness practice enhances the ability to focus on