Effects of Meditation on Music Performance Anxiety
Joanne C Chang, Elizabeth Midlarsky, Peter Lin
Medical problems of performing artists September 1, 2003 DOI: 10.21091/mppa.2003.3022 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 19 |
| Population | Music students aged 18 to 41 recruited from the Manhattan School of Music, Mannes College of Music, Yale University School of Music, and State University of New York at Purchase |
| Intervention | Meditation |
| Duration | 8-week training period |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Key findings | Performance anxiety decreased among participants who received eight meditation classes, while it did not decrease in the control group. Differences in post-test state anxiety and performance concentration were not significant. The authors suggest meditation may be a useful tool for helping performers combat performance anxiety. |
Abstract
This study investigated the effect of meditation on music performance anxiety. Participants were 19 students between the ages of 18 and 41 yrs, who were recruited from the Manhattan School of Music, Mannes College of Music, Yale University School of Music, and State University of New York at Purchase. The experimental group received a series of eight meditation classes, and the control group received no meditation training. After the 8-week training period, all performed in a concert. Pretests and post-tests of music performance anxiety were given and post-tests of state anxiety and of performance concentration. Performance anxiety decreased among participants in the meditation group, in contrast to participants in the control group, whose performance anxiety did not decrease. Differences in regard to post-test state anxiety and performance concentration were not significant. An additional benefit of meditation was a reported increase in relaxation pleasure even in the period immediately before the performance. Results indicate that meditation may be a useful tool for aiding performers to combat performance anxiety.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on anxiety, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 14
- Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) for Improving Health, Quality of Life, and Social Functioning in Adults Campbell Systematic Reviews 2012
- Silent illumination: a study on Chan (Zen) meditation, anxiety, and musical performance quality Psychology of Music October 10, 2007
- Developing Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Yoga and Mindfulness for the Well-Being of Student Musicians in Spain Frontiers in Psychology April 21, 2021
- A Feasibility Study of a Program Integrating Mindfulness, Yoga, Positive Psychology, and Emotional Intelligence in Tertiary-Level Student Musicians Mindfulness September 29, 2022
- Mind fulness and Music: A Promising Subject of an Unmapped Field International Journal of Behavioral Research & Psychology April 12, 2014
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