Managing stage fright: a guide for musicians and music teachers

Cover......Page 1
Managing Stage Fright......Page 4
Copyright......Page 5
Dedication......Page 6
Contents......Page 8
List of Illustrations......Page 16
Preface......Page 18
Acknowledgments......Page 26
 Some General Considerations about Stage Fright......Page 34
 A Personal Reflection......Page 36
 Music Teachers as Mental Health Resources......Page 37
 Paradoxical Questions and Further Thoughts About Stage Fright......Page 39
 Yerkes-​Dodson Law (“Arc of Anxiety”)......Page 40
 Mental Preparation: Attitudes and Aptitudes......Page 42
 Talking and Listening to Students: Validating Feelings......Page 44
 Implications for Music Teachers......Page 47
 Stage Fright: A Mind-​Body Duet......Page 48
 Symptoms of Performance Anxiety......Page 49
 Discussing Performance Anxiety in Studio Class......Page 50
 Identifying Performance Anxiety Symptoms......Page 52
 Mood Ring......Page 54
  Progressive Muscle Relaxation......Page 55
 Implications for Music Teachers......Page 56
 Questions for Thought......Page 57
 An A B C Model of Anxiety......Page 58
 Recap: A B C Model......Page 59
 Vignette: John......Page 60
  Activity 1—​Identifying Letter B Responses......Page 61
  Examples of Supportive Self-​Statements......Page 63
 Implications for Teachers......Page 64
 Symptoms as Cues and Clues......Page 65
 Vignette: Cindy......Page 68
 Assessing Thoughts and Feelings......Page 69
 Talking About Stressors......Page 70
 Implications for Teachers......Page 71
 Paradox: Identifying Emotional Conflicts......Page 72
 Recognizing Conflicts......Page 74
 Dealing with Memory Slips and Technique Meltdowns......Page 75
 Jam Plans......Page 77
 Some Childhood Antecedents of Stage Fright......Page 78
 Additional Examples of Conflict......Page 79
 Vignette: Robert......Page 80
 Young Children (and Adults) Fill the Gaps......Page 81
 Additional Considerations about Conflict......Page 83
 Implications for Teachers......Page 86
 Questions for Thought......Page 88
 Psychodynamic Model......Page 89
 Why Consider Psychodynamic Models of the Mind?......Page 91
 Mental Ghosts Haunting the Teaching Studio......Page 92
 The Mind Does Not Forget: The Unconscious......Page 94
 A Visual Model of the Unconscious......Page 96
 Revisiting Cindy......Page 98
 Transference......Page 99
 Shame......Page 102
 Countertransference......Page 104
 Multiple Function......Page 105
 Vignette: Joe......Page 106
 Psychological and Practical Tips......Page 107
  Activity: Imagine This......Page 108
 Implications for Teachers......Page 109
 Performance as a Danger Situation: Ego Defenses......Page 110
 The Ego and its Defenses Against Anxiety......Page 111
 Vignette: Mary......Page 113
  Letter B......Page 115
 A B C Model of Anxiety......Page 117
  Activity 1—​Recognizing Anxiety......Page 118
  Activity 2—​Relabeling Anxiety......Page 119
 Vignette: Cindy’s Cold Hands as Ego Defenses......Page 121
 Shame Masquerading as a Resistance to Performance......Page 122
 Shame on You!......Page 123
 A Fusion of Musical and Personal Identity......Page 126
 Helping Students Discover their Ego Defenses......Page 127
 Implications for Teachers......Page 129
 Learning Theories as Guidelines for Teachers......Page 132
 Classical Conditioning......Page 133
 Music Teachers and Conditioning Behavior......Page 136
 Implications for Teachers......Page 138
 What is Cognitive Behavior Therapy?......Page 140
 An Example of Cognitive Relabeling and Revising Stage Fright Responses......Page 143
  Activity 1—​A B C Recognizing Anxiety Responses......Page 145
  Activity 2—​Rethinking and Relabeling Anxiety Responses......Page 146
 Beta Blockers and Performance Anxiety......Page 147
 Evidence-​Based Claims for Reducing Performance Anxiety......Page 151
 Implications for Teachers......Page 152
 Teachers as “New Parents”: Developmental Issues......Page 153
 Human Development and Performance Anxiety......Page 155
 Elaboration of Erikson’s Eight Stages of the Life Cycle......Page 158
  Stage One—​Trust vs. Mistrust (Birth-​One Year Old)......Page 159
   Implications for Teachers......Page 160
  Stage Two—​Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt (Two-​Three Years Old)......Page 161
   Implications for Teachers......Page 162
  Stage Three—​Initiative vs. Guilt (Four–​Six Years Old) and Stage Four—​Industry vs. Inferiority (Seven–​Twelve Years Old)......Page 163
   Middle School ​Age Students......Page 164
  Stage Five—​Identity vs. Identity Confusion (Thirteen-​Nineteen Years Old)......Page 165
   Adolescents......Page 166
  Stage Six—​Intimacy vs. Isolation (Twenty–​Mid-​Thirties)......Page 167
  Stage Seven—​Generativity vs. Stagnation (Thirty-​five–​Sixty-​five Years Old)......Page 169
   Implications for Teachers......Page 170
  Stage Eight—​Integrity vs. Despair (Sixty-​five–​)......Page 171
   Implications for Teachers......Page 172
 Recap: Developmental Stages and Stage Fright......Page 173
 Additional Implications for Teachers......Page 174
 Susan: How to Understand and Handle Performance Anxiety......Page 176
 Concepts for the Teacher to Convey to Susan, the Recitalist......Page 177
 Format of “Virtual Recital”......Page 178
 The Recital......Page 181
 Implications for Teacher and Recitalist......Page 189
 Putting it all Together......Page 190
 Vignette: Steven......Page 194
 Performance Anxiety is more than Symptoms......Page 195
 Stigmas, Caution, and Optimism......Page 196
 Tuning in to Students and Tune-​Ups for Teachers......Page 197
 Interdisciplinary Collaboration......Page 198
 Criteria for Making a Referral for Professional Help......Page 199
 Music School Curriculum......Page 200
 Coda: Summary of Guidelines for Recognizing and Teaching Performance Anxiety Reduction......Page 202
 Uniqueness of Music Teachers’ Role......Page 204
13 Da Capo: Back to the Beginning......Page 207
Glossary of Psychological Terms Used in the Text......Page 210
Illustrative Readings on Performance Anxiety......Page 216
Index......Page 222