Meditation as a tool to counteract music performance anxiety from the experts’ perspective

Serena Paese; Hauke Egermann

doi:10.1177/03057356231155968

Meditation as a tool to counteract music performance anxiety from the experts’ perspective

Serena Paese, Hauke Egermann

Psychology of Music March 29, 2023 DOI: 10.1177/03057356231155968 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract

Characteristics	Qualitative study Peer reviewed
Sample size	16
Population	Specialists in the field of meditation and music performance anxiety
Topics	Anxiety Meditation
Keywords	Thematic analysis Perspective graphical Variety cybernetics Qualitative research Theme computing Applied psychology Psychotherapist Visual arts
Citations	8
Key findings	Body-centered meditations, breathing techniques, visualizations, and Vipassana meditation are prominent techniques experts use to reduce music performance anxiety, and affect-centered meditations offer perspectives for counteracting perfectionism and self-criticism.

Abstract

Music performance anxiety (MPA) affects numerous musicians, preventing them from performing to the full extent of their abilities. A variety of tools are used to cope with MPA among which is meditation. Although research conducted to date has made a distinction between the types of meditative techniques and their effects, this aspect is still not thoroughly investigated. The aim of this qualitative study is to investigate the experience of specialists in the field and identify the meditations employed for counteracting MPA. Sixteen semi-structured interviews were held with experts; recordings and transcripts were verified multiple times and imported into NVivo software. Thematic analysis was conducted, developing three main themes which illustrate how the experts describe MPA, the influencing factors for the effectiveness of meditation, the employed meditative techniques and how they reduce MPA. Within the last theme, body-centered meditations and breathing techniques, along with visualizations and Vipassana meditation, occupy a prominent place. Results show furthermore that affect-centered meditations offer interesting perspectives for counteracting perfectionism and self-criticism. The findings of this study may be of interest to educational institutions and musicians who want to acquire emotional awareness, self-regulation strategies for counteracting MPA, and improving performance skills.

Comparable studies

Other qualitative studies on anxiety, most cited first.

Study	Year	Design	Participants
LSD-assisted psychotherapy for anxiety associated with a life-threatening disease: A qualitative study of acute and sustained subjective effects Patients with anxiety associated with life-threatening diseases	2014	Prospective follow-up with qualitative content analysis	n = 10
An exploratory mixed methods study of the acceptability and effectiveness of mindfulness -based cognitive therapy for patients with active depression and anxiety in primary care Primary care patients with recurrent depression or recurrent depression and anxiety	2006	Exploratory mixed methods study	n = 13
Cancer at the Dinner Table: Experiences of Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy for the Treatment of Cancer-Related Distress Adult participants with clinically elevated anxiety associated with a cancer diagnosis	2017	Qualitative study using interpretative phenomenological analysis	n = 13
Extended difficulties following the use of psychedelic drugs: A mixed methods study Participants who reported extended difficulties following psychedelic experiences	2023	Convergent mixed-method study	n = 608
Mindfulness and compassion-oriented practices at work reduce distress and enhance self-care of palliative care teams: a mixed-method evaluation of an “on the job“ program Interdisciplinary palliative care team staff	2017	Observational mixed-method pilot evaluation	n = 28

Citations in the library

Cited by 4

Cites 16

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