Page 24 - How to Shine on Stage

flected in personality traits such as openness, extroversion, acceptance,
and, to some extent, neuroticism (Zhao & Seibert, 2006).
Developing expertise in instrumental/vocal performance is a com-
plex, long-term process demanding auditory, cognitive, technical, musi-
cal, communication, and performance skills (Hallam, 2006).
Despite major advances in neuroscience research, the biological
foundations of this complex cognitive function of the human brain are
22 still not fully understood (Kanduri et al., 2015).
Musical performance delivery includes both a technical and an in-
terpretive element. This means that we are interested in how we techni-
cally performed the piece and how we were able to interpretively convey
How to Shine on Stage performance delivery is examined by the cognitive branch of the psy-
the emotional messages to the audience. In music psychology, musical
chology of musical performance. The main research topics are musical
performance planning, specific musical performance delivery with an
emphasis on a vista notation reading, improvisation, performance feed-
back, motor processes, and performance evaluation (Gabrielsson, 1999,
in Parncutt & McPherson, 2002).
The social moment of musical performance contains norms and
rules regarding the circumstances of musical performance, various per-
formance situations, and the influence of the audience (Davidson, 1997,
in Parncutt & McPherson, 2002). The norms and rules associated with
performance constitute some of the characteristics of social behaviour
that are either written or agreed. When a soloist walks on stage, they
bow, and the audience applauds. The audience also applauds when the
orchestra members walk on stage, and when the conductor does. There
is no clapping between the movements of musical pieces. At the end of
the performed composition, the soloist and the conductor, facing the au-
dience, bow, the conductor congratulates the soloist and the first vio-
linist, and the soloist congratulates the first violinist. In classical music,
performance has many rules, as it has a considerably longer tradition;
thus, some behavioural “etiquettes” have been observed throughout the
history of musical performance, although some have changed in the pro-
cess (Davidson, 1997, in Parncutt & McPherson, 2002).
In jazz, there are additional specific, unwritten rules; each of the
performers must have the opportunity for solo improvisation. The agree-
ment on the course of the performance is mainly done by means of
non-verbal communication. Each musical genre has specific rules and
norms in addition to the general ones.