Meditating musicians: investigating the experience of music students and professional musicians in a brief mindfulness course to address music performance anxiety.

Serena Paese; Andrea Schiavio

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1567988

Meditating musicians: investigating the experience of music students and professional musicians in a brief mindfulness course to address music performance anxiety.

Serena Paese, Andrea Schiavio

Frontiers in Psychology 2025 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1567988 (opens in new tab)

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AI-extracted from the abstract

Characteristics	Qualitative study Pilot study Case report Peer reviewed
Sample size	12
Population	Musicians
Interventions	body-centered meditation meditation on thoughts affect-centered meditation
Duration	Four-week mindfulness course
Topics	Meditation Anxiety
Keywords	Music performance anxiety Music practice Meditation & mindfulness Musicians' wellbeing
Citations	1
Key findings	A four-week mindfulness course can enhance wellbeing, boost emotional balance, and mitigate the occurrence of music performance anxiety.

Abstract

Previous research shows that meditation practice helps reduce Music Performance Anxiety (MPA), positively impacting the musicians' wellbeing and performative skills. Several meditation types have been explored, but further investigation into additional methods is warranted to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the impact and potential use of meditation to address MPA. The present work aims to provide novel insights into the perceived impact of three meditation types, namely: body-centered meditation, meditation on thoughts and affect-centered meditation. Qualitative data were collected from 12 musicians participating in two short introductions to mindfulness courses, held within a pilot study and a main case study, via diaries and open-ended responses. The findings suggest that a four-week mindfulness course can enhance wellbeing, boost emotional balance, and mitigate the occurrence of MPA.

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