Belk 1

Cassie Belk Instructor: Malcolm Campbell English 1102 September 31, 2013 When performance anxiety exists, where do I go?
Standing in front of an audience their Easter Island faces challenging you to make them feel, glowing for that sickening moment for you to fail, I thought that was the toughest ask. Wasnt it the case theyd utter in their stony judgment that you were only as good as your next performance. But when sight linked out like a ruptured ul , a glo e roasting to a ang in the elly of a microwa!e, the doctor "ueried cool with the years of medical intrigue as to whether I minded someone sitting in # all for the enefit of learning you understand. I sense the student reathing, the thump of lood through their eyes as they gawp and gulp experience. $ma%ing, they exhaled as though my eye alls were jiggling in a ring and catching fire. &'nusual( the specialist intoned a text ook case, an opportunity to ad!ance the territory of science. $lmost miraculously unusual. )e!er een a case thats "uite like this. )ot that I ha!e read a out and I read many things. *y stomach shi!ered with the pop of glass. I linked and cra!ed for this little act to fail, to welcome the drop of this theatre curtain that hoists the flag of seeing. +o e infused with light wrenched from the dead. +o joyfully trade glances with mortals. I will e!en forgo +his audiences gentle hand clap. ,raeme +urner

As I take the stage, m min! is reeling "ith in#ormation$ %here are people staring at me an! e&pecting an ama'ing per#ormance$ I kno" that I can pla m music because I()e been "orking on it #or si& months$ *o"e)er, I am still ner)ous$ I am shaking an! m han!s are s"eat $ M mouth has gone !r $ At this point, I am )isuali'ing all o# the things that can go "rong$ I coul! trip an! #all$ I coul! mess up a piece$ %hen I "on!er "hat can I !o to cope+ %his is m senior recital$ I ha)e to per#orm "ell enough so that m committee passes me so that I can

Belk 2

gra!uate$ %his is part o# m e&it re,uirements- I am a musician but can I sho" it an! pro)e to e)er one that I am a capable musician+ %here has to be a "a #or me to get o)er the per#ormance an&iet an! to ha)e the per#ormance o# a li#etime$ .n#ortunatel , per#ormance an&iet is something that e)er musician #aces at some point in their li#e$ In man cases such as mine, it is an una)oi!able circumstance$ I am re,uire! to !o this per#ormance$ It is part o# m gra!uation re,uirements$ *o"e)er, some musicians choose to be in the spotlight$ %he "ant to pla #or an au!ience that ma or ma not be #amiliar "ith the music that is being pla e!$ %he people "ho #eel higher le)els o# an&iet are those "ho ha)e no choice in the matter$ As a per#ormer, "e are putting oursel)es out to the "orl!$ E)er one "ill be #ocuse! on us #or the entiret o# the concert$ M per#ormance re#lects me so I consi!er the au!ience to be seeing a part o# me that others !o not al"a s see$ I am interpreting the music so it is me that is being sho"n through the music$ Accor!ing to /r0ger, per#ormance an&iet 1is merel an un!erstan!able reaction to situations in "hich "e la oursel)es open to the 2u!gment o# those aroun! us3a challenge #or "hich har!l an o# us has e)er been prepare!$4 I# this is true, ho" can I e)er hope to o)ercome it+ All I can see is a mountain looming in the !istance that I kno" I "ill ha)e to climb regar!less o# "hich path I take$ Accor!ing to e&perts such as %5 *ubert , there is more than one t pe o# an&iet , state an&iet an! trait an&iet $ %rait an&iet is an&iet that is chronic an! per)asi)e across situations an! is not triggere! b speci#ic e)ents$ *ubert continues b e&plaining that, state an&iet is a t pe o# an&iet that occurs in speci#ic situations an! usuall has a clear trigger such as an e)ent taking place or a meeting that is about to begin$ 6ith this being sai!, per#ormance an&iet is a branch o# state an&iet $ A per#ormance is !e#initel a trigger "hich is nee!e! #or someone in m

Belk 3

position because I am usuall a calm in!i)i!ual$$ %here#ore, m per#ormance an&iet !oes not come #rom trait an&iet an! is in #act state an&iet $ 7er#ormance an&iet usuall harms the o)erall ,ualit o# a per#ormance in )ar ing le)els$ Some common e##ects o# an&iet len!s to the per#ormer are clamm han!s, crampe! muscles, ele)ate! heart rates, s"eating, an! other s mptoms that inhibit the per#ormer( min!set$ %hese s mptoms are accompanie! b #ear$ %his is because the per#ormer kno"s that these s mptoms "ill cause them to mess up "hich is "here the per#ormer can get into serious trouble$ As soon as #ear sets in, the per#ormer imme!iatel begins to ,uestion their abilities, "hich ine)itabl lea!s to mistakes$ *o"e)er stu!ies such as the one con!ucte! b Margaret /en!rick sho" that ha)ing per#ormance an&iet is not al"a s a ba! thing$ In man cases the an&iet acts as the moti)ator to !o "ell$ It gi)es #ocus an! !irection to the per#ormance that is occurring$ She states that 1%he ob2ecti)e then "oul! be the !e)elopment o# e##ecti)e metho!s o# re!ucing an&iet to the le)el necessar #or optimal per#ormance$ As is turns out, there are man !i##erent "a s in "hich one can cope "ith per#ormance an&iet $ %here are man ph sical an! tangible metho!s that I ha)e come across as "ell as ps chological means that can be use! to help re!uce the e##ects o# per#ormance an&iet $ *o"e)er, I ha)e to be care#ul not to !o too man things$ Base! o## o# /en!rick(s #in!ings I kno" that I ha)e to retain some ner)es in or!er to per#orm at m best$ But I also can(t ha)e too man either$ It(s going to be a har! line to "alk$ 6hen I begin practicing #or a per#ormance, I #in! m sel# anal 'ing the score$ %his is "here the #oun!ations o# con#i!ence begin$ B anal 'ing the score, one !isco)ers ho" to best approach the piece #rom a practice stan!point$ Is it in sections8mo)ements+ 6hat is the st le+ 9uestions such as these are aske! an! ans"ere! through anal sis$ It is e)en a goo! i!ea to look

Belk :

#or a secon! opinion$ A#ter one #eels like the kno" the score )er "ell, he8she shoul! look #or someone to help gi)e them a secon! opinion ;i$e$ a pri)ate lesson instructor<$ /aren *ai!(s research has le! to a better un!erstan!ing o# this techni,ue$ *er #in!ings "ere that 1%horough stu! o# the score an! preparation o# the music is essential #or an success#ul per#ormance$ =nce the preparation is complete, the per#ormer can mo)e to the ne&t step in preparation "hich is to !eci!e ho" ou can best practice the piece$ %his process is a "a o# breaking the per#ormance into smaller an! more manageable units$ It gi)es the per#ormer smaller chunks to "ork on$ %his is also a "a #or the per#ormer to keep themsel)es #rom being caught up in the e&tensi)eness o# the per#ormance because the see small chunks$ %his is a techni,ue recommen!e! b ps chologists as "ell$ *ubert re#ers to this structure as >mo!i# ing a task$( Sel#?control techni,ues are popular$ Sel#?control in)ol)es putting oursel# in the per#ormance setting "ithout actuall being in the moment$ %he i!ea here is to !esensiti'e onesel# to the per#ormance$ A suggeste! "a to !o this is to "rite !o"n !i##erent situations in a situational !iar $ Since humans naturall think about the "orst possible outcome, the per#ormer "ill alrea! kno" all o# the possible outcomes$ %here "ill be )er #e" surprises 2ust because the per#ormer kno"s best "here his8her problem areas are$ Also, the per#ormer shoul! spen! a consi!erable amount o# time per#orming #or a small group o# #rien!s$ %his "ill get the initial, 1oh m , I(m pla ing #or people,4 out o# the "a $ %he i!ea is #or the per#ormer to simulate the actual per#ormance as man times as possible$ %hese mock per#ormances "ill help the per#ormer see all o# the possible problems that coul! happen an! the per#ormer "ill kno" ho" to han!le them i# the "ere to occur$ %here are !ra"backs to this techni,ue$ I# the initial rehearsals !o not go "ell, the per#ormer coul! possibl ha)e less e##ecti)e rehearsals an! then a less than satis#actor per#ormance$

Belk @

A musician name! Bran#or! Marsalis uses this particular techni,ue$ Marsalis is a 2a'' sa&ophonist that no" per#orms aroun! the "orl! an&iet #ree$ *e claims that b !oing as man per#ormances he has, that he has become immune to the ner)es that are commonl associate! "ith these kin!s o# per#ormances$ Also, he has !isco)ere! that most people actuall !o not kno" i# the per#ormance is goo! or ba!$ %here#ore, per#ormers shoul! pla "ith complete con#i!ence because the shoul! be able to pla it o##$ %here are also man !i##erent t pes o# oga techni,ues that can be use! as "ell$ =ne o# them is the Ael!enkrais metho!$ %he Ael!enkrais Metho!(s goal is to make one more a"are o# the bo! so that the per#ormer can control the bo! (s natural impulses %his is important because it allo"s the per#ormer to be able to control their heartbeat an! the #ight?or?#light response mechanisms "hich "oul! re!uce s mptoms such as shaking han!s, hea) breathing, an! !r mouths$ %he onl !isa!)antage to all o# these techni,ues is that it takes time$ 6hat i# I #orget something or something changes last minute+ Because, let(s be honest, something unpre!icte! al"a s happens$ Aor e&ample, m accompanist #or m recital that takes place in a month #rom no" "as !iagnose! "ith cancer$ I am still "ithout an accompanist$ %his is a!!e! stress that I !o not nee! "hile I am preparing #or a concert that is o# this calibre$ An option I ha)e a)ailable to me #or a ,uick #i& is me!ications$ %here are t"o !i##erent t pes: illicit an! prescribe!$ Most per#ormers are open?min!e! onl to"ar!s the prescribe!$ %oo man !angers o# a!!iction an! abuse come "ith illicit me!ications ;"ith alcohol being the most common<$ %he most common prescribe! me!ication is beta?blockers$ Christian Bor!,)ist has a !etaile! e&planation o# ho" beta?blockers "ork$ 1Beta?blockers block beta?a!renergic substances, such as apinephrine ;a!renaline< in the autonomic ner)ous s stem ;in)oluntar ner)ous s stem<$ %he slo" !o"n the

Belk C

heartbeat, !ecrease the #orce o# the contractions o# the heart muscles, an! re!uce bloo! )essel contraction in the heart, brain, as "ell as the rest o# the bo! $4 %his sho"s beta?blockers reall !o no harm to the bo! imme!iatel $ It #unctions as a soothing agent that calms per#ormers !o"n$ *o"e)er, the "ant8acceptance o# me!ications being use! as a coping mechanism #or per#ormance an&iet seems to be !irectl relate! to the le)el o# e&perience the per#ormer is$ Degina Stru!er e&plains that 1%his ma be !ue to the e&perience o# negati)e aspects linke! to a musician(s career, such as poor #inancial re"ar!s, the competiti)e nature o# the 2ob, an! uncertaint about emplo ment$ %hese #actors are likel to increase the pressure on musicians to succee! as the a!)ance in their career$4 7er#ormers are 2ust looking #or the ,uickest an! easiest solution #or the problem o# per#ormance an&iet $ %he alrea! put in so much time an! e##ort into each in!ici!ual per#ormance that it "oul! be pre#erable to go the eas route an! take a pill$ It 2ust chalks up to i# ou are oka "ith using this kin! o# coping metho!$ *o"e)er, the !ra" o# me!icine as a ,uick #i& is !angerous$ %here is a strong possibilit that the per#ormer "ill become a!!icte! to the me!icines$ %here#ore, it is best to use some o# the other metho!s mentione!$ Accor!ing to !octoral research complete! b Arkno##, an&iet is actuall cause! b a person(s irrational belie#s an! something calle! >sel#?talk$( %he sel#?talk is ho" the an&iet sta s intact$ It is those moments "hen the per#ormer can(t let go o# all the thoughts telling them "hat coul! possible go "rong in the per#ormance$ In other "or!s, an&iet is all in a person(s hea! an! can there#ore be treate! as such$ Ellis has !one much research on this cogniti)e perception o# per#ormance an&iet $ Ellis has a Dational Emoti)e %heor that backe! up the i!ea o# per#ormance an&iet being all in the per#ormer(s hea!$ %his theor has le! to S stematic Dational Destructuring as note! b /en!rick It 1places Dational Emoti)e %heor into a s stematic program "hich attempts to make clients a"are o# their mala!apti)e sel#?

Belk E

statements an! to change their beha)ior through persuasion, encouragement, an! e!ucation in the #orm o# rational anal ses$4 %his is combine! "ith Sel#?Instructional training "hich restructures the "a that the per#ormer talks to him8hersel#$ %he training that I #in! to be the most rele)ant to m current positionis the Attentional %raining$ %his is base! upon the theor that highl an&ious people ha)e a ten!enc to ha)e a split #ocus bet"een sel# an! task rele)ant )ariables "hile a mil!l an&ious person "ill be able to #ocus onl on the task at han!$ Attentional %raining is a!!ressing this aspect an! gi)es the per#ormer onl on?task things to !eal "ith$ %his is actuall a techni,ue that I ha)e use! in the past an! that I !o belie)e to be something that I "ill use in the #uture$ %he i!ea behin! all o# the cogniti)e approaches is to make the per#ormer see things in a more positi)e light$ %his "a , per#ormers "ill not ps ch themsel)es out be#ore a large per#ormance$ As it turns out, m recital "as a success$ I belie)e that this happene! because o# ho" I structure! the e)ent$ I ha! e)er thing prepare! an! lai! out about t"o "eeks in a!)ance$ I kne" e&actl "hat time I "as !oing "hat an! I kne" "ho "as coming to help me get rea! an! I ma!e sure to a!! in e&tra time in case it "as nee!s$ It "as$ I ran into hea) tra##ic on m "a to the )enue an! arri)e! at C:@0 instea! o# C:00$ I "as stresse! out- *o"e)er, M stagehan! "as a close #rien! an! he calme! me !o"n alongsi!e m mother$ I "alke! out on stage an! ha! the per#ormance o# m li#e$ I ha! #un an! recei)e! not one, but three curtain calls- It "as a nice #eeling$ It also helpe! to kno" that I ha! ran out o# program b E:1@ "hen the concert !i!n(t start until E::@$ %hat means that I ha! o)er E@ people present at m senior recital$ I o)ercame m ner)es an! put on the best per#ormance o# m career thus #ar$