Abstract
Music performance anxiety (MPA) has been studied mainly within the field of psychology and has been defined as a sub-type of social anxiety. Musicians suffering from MPA are commonly referred to individual psychological treatment, but the condition is not yet researched from an artistic perspective. The hypothesis put forward in this article is that the issues concerning MPA are part of a complex system of interactions between performance values and perfectionism and that musicians in general are not given the necessary tools to tackle the anxiety. One of the challenges is that Western classical music performance has many built-in values that need to be problematized and researched in order to address the problems with MPA. Hence, MPA is not to be considered as solely an individual problem but should rather be seen as the result of a wider structural issue related to the commodification of classical Western music and its focus on perfection and virtuosity. This article gives an example from the field of artistic research on how it is possible for the performer herself to develop methods to understand and emotionally regulate the impact of perfectionism in Western classical music.
Highlights
Performance anxiety is a well-known problem for many musicians and other performing artists, as well as for professionals in other fields
Musicians and performance values Musicians may be aware of the two contrasting values proposed in the introduction of this article but what can they do to explore, criticize and alter the nature of this sometimes paralyzing dichotomy? The latter is closely associated with the possibility to develop an authentic identity as a performer, but always in relation to the score, both following the instructions and not doing so (Kivy, 1995, p. 45)
Drawing from the author’s concert experience presented above, we think it is fair to suggest that there is a danger that the classical music performer is reduced to a vessel for the artwork, caught between the need of originality, perfection and fear of Performance values – an artistic research perspective on music performance failing.The cybernetic metaphor used above is one way to process the difficulties that musicians face on stage
Summary
Performance anxiety is a well-known problem for many musicians and other performing artists, as well as for professionals in other fields. Western classical musicians strive to reach a perfect performance or an overall excellence in performance (Williamon, 2004). In music such as in the opening of the fourth piano concerto by Beethoven pianists search for the perfectly balanced chords in order to fulfil the needs that the music and the tradition suggests, and they dream of succeeding with the infamous coda in Chopin’s fourth Ballade. As such it captures the aim of working towards the perfect performance and points to the main method; practicing is the key to the perfect performance This methodology is a rarely challenged attitude that has a great impact on the life of classical musicians. The romantic and still influential idea that music in some respects has intrinsic values that go beyond whatever social or political frameworks it is otherwise bound to has been challenged many times, in particular within experimental music and, more recently, in the field of artistic research
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