Page 34 - How to Shine on Stage

stress the ability to generate mental structures and imagery, the person-
ality characteristics, self-esteem/self-efficacy, motivation, and self-regu-
lation, while emphasizing practice. As to the indirect factors, I will focus
on the significance of parents and teachers, who are the key supporters
of music education and without whom the achievement of performance
success is unlikely. In addressing the direct factors that influence musi-
cal performance success, I will concentrate on the physical, emotional,
and mental aspects, and the regulation of each of them. I will primari-
32 ly address two of the most researched (and most referenced in practice)
psychological factors that directly influence the musical performance:
anxiety and flow.
The introduction to indirect factors of musical performance will
How to Shine on Stage will focus more on the practical aspects.
mostly be grounded in theory, while the introduction to direct factors

2.1 Indirect Factors of Musical Performance Success
2.1.1 Abilities
Although the chapter on abilities is built on musical abilities and their de-
velopment from giftedness to talent with the aid of social incentives, mu-
sical abilities alone do not suffice for a successful musical performance.
Abilities regarding mental imagery play an important role, so I will ad-
dress both musical abilities and mental imagery abilities in this chapter.

2.1.1.1 Musical Abilities
Musical abilities are a prerequisite for a successful performance. They
are covered by a broad body of research conducted ever since the very
beginnings of the music psychology. In Slovenia, the research on mu-
sical abilities has been most thoroughly conducted by Barbara Smolej
Fritz (1999) in her master’s thesis. Before her, a considerable amount of
research attention had been directed to this topic by the music educator
Albinca Pesek (1997).
The notion of musical abilities depends on social and cultural per-
spectives and on the mastery of music-specific skills (Küpers et al.,
2014). A large body of research indicates that in non-Western cultur-
al contexts, where daily life involves many musical activities, individ-
uals demonstrate high levels of musical abilities, skills, and proficiency
throughout their lives (Nettl & Bohlman, 1991, in Davidson & MacAr-
thur, 2021). Messenger (1958, in Gardner, 1983) found in a longitudi-
nal study of musical abilities among the Anang Ibibio that there was no