Under Pressure: Reports of Performance Anxiety Across Multiple Singing Genres

Abstract

Music Performance Anxiety (MPA) is a complex phenomenon that has been observed in musicians of all disciplines and at all skill levels. Singers are particularly vulnerable to MPA as symptoms like shaky voice and hyperventilation impede reliable vocalisation. Furthermore, enquiry into aesthetic and performance expectations of contemporary commercial music (CCM), music theatre and classical singing reveals genre specific triggers for MPA. To date, most of the research concerning singers’ experiences with MPA has focused on the classical genre and so has excluded most singers and contemporary performance situations. It is imperative that developing singers and singing voice teachers understand the nuances of the diverse professional performance environment. To this end, in September 2019, Griffith University facilitated a panel presentation and open discussion with experts in the field of Contemporary Commercial Music (CCM), Music Theatre (MT) and Classical singing. The three panellists discussed MPA in the context of each genre as well as management strategies for performers and teachers. The following article summarises their remarks.