Page 121 - How to Shine on Stage

level. If the causes are deeper, the performers experiencing them can
benefit from psychotherapeutic counselling. Considering the extensive
scope of preventive and curative strategies, I intend to dedicate a sepa-
rate volume in the form of a handbook to this subject, and publish it in
the near future. To begin with, it is crucial to clarify our attitudes toward
performance. We should reflect on our motivations for performing, con-
sider what we aim to communicate to the audience through our music,
and identify opportunities to incorporate our unique “performer signa-
ture” to the performance. 119
So, what are the factors that influence the degree of pre- perfor-
mance excitement, and what triggers the onset of musical performance
anxiety (MPA)—the pre- performance state encompassing both physi-
cal and mental symptoms, which may lead to psychosomatic responses
at the behavioural level? It is possible to recognize a greater personali-
ty inclination towards experiencing MPA in certain individuals based
on their genetic structure. These are the individuals who are more like-
ly to experience anxiety or social anxiety as personality traits. It has
also been found that MPA is stronger in individuals with lower self-es-
teem and considerable perfectionist tendencies. In terms of gender, most
research suggest that MPA is more pronounced in women; however, it
is noteworthy that psychophysiological studies utilizing direct physio-
logical measurements—such as heart rate, psychogalvanic reflex, and Pre-Performance Excitement as the Main Stressor in Musicians
breathing depth—have revealed no significant differences between gen-
ders or have even indicated that the physiological symptoms are more
pronounced in males. This would suggest that women tend to be more
self-reflective and more aware of their own feelings, which results in a
more intense psychological experience of MPA. Differences as to the in-
strument group were also found: percussionists and brass players were
reported to experience the lowest amount of MPA, while singers, wood-
wind players, and string players were reported to experience the high-
est amount of MPA. Studies have also found that musicians who begin
performing at an early age experience less MPA than those who begin
performing later in life. Another interesting observation is that MPA ap-
pears not to dwindle with years of experience. It is rather the perform-
er’s experience of MPA that undergoes positive changes. With regard
to age, it appears that MPA becomes most pronounced during puber-
ty. The reasons for this can be found in the increased hormonal fluc-
tuations, enhanced self-awareness during the development of personal
identity, and in the capacity for hypothetical reasoning, which emerges
during the abstract thinking phase. The intensity of the MPA is also in-
fluenced by external factors, such as the size of the audience, the number