Page 51 - How to Shine on Stage

and work as a team. It is pointless to deny the fact that the contempo-
rary society is very competitive; instead, we need to learn healthy ways
of functioning within the given confines. It is advisable to regard com-
petition as a process of improving one’s own skills (competing with one-
self). A good teacher knows what they want, meaning that they have
clearly set standards of performance, but complements them with rea-
sonable expectations. Reasonable standards of performance are consist-
ent with a given level of student’s abilities and motivation (Kohut, 1992).
Teachers with excessively high performance standards often place a lot 49
of pressure on students, which reduces learning outcomes. But perhaps
the greatest pressure is that which one puts on their own self by set-
ting very high standards. Perfectionism and competitiveness can both
be very damaging, which is why we should learn to properly manage
the pressure; it is not healthy to leap to extremes. Persistence, not aggres-
sion, is required. Regardless of how respected and admired a teacher is,
they can encounter students with inadequate motivation who make only
minimal progress. The solution to this problem is not easy, but many ed-
ucators believe that in such cases a firm but “sensitive” coercion has to
be employed. Namely, the teacher needs to insist on the goals set togeth- Indirect Factors of Musical Performance Success
er with the student, and encourage and monitor the student’s progress.
Persson et al. (1992) identified a number of motivational elements
for musical performance, naming hedonic motives (seeking a positive
emotional experience in playing and listening to music), social motives
(possessing an identity as a musician, meeting other musicians), and
achievement motives. They also found that top young performers feel
a strong urge to make music even as children, and this intrinsic mo-
tive guides them in developing their own talent. They can hear and feel
something in music which cannot be verbally described.
Kohut (1992) states that musicians are motivated to perform by the
following factors: the possibility of self-expression; the form of the piece;
expressing the composer’s intentions; validation by others (peers, par-
ents, teachers); making a good impression with their abilities; earning
money; passing an exam, course or graduation; performing a new inter-
pretation of a piece; testing their self-confidence and abilities; enjoyment
and pleasure; oblivion, at least momentary, of everyday problems; prov-
ing wrong those who thought them incapable of successful performance;
and structuring a part of their life.
At the beginning of the introduction, I mentioned Maslow’s theo-
ry of the hierarchy of needs (Kobal & Musek, 2009), which distinguish-
es between primary (physiological needs) and secondary (psychological)