Performance Anxiety in College Music Majors

Melissa Leider1, Kara Thibodeau1, Keelan Muscara1,

Catherine L. Franssen2, and David A. Stringham1
1
2
James Madison University, Longwood University

Introduction
Music performance anxiety (MPA), a
persistent anxious apprehension related to
musical performance (Kenny, 2010, p. 433),
affects musicians of all ages and experience
levels. While researchers have studied
performance anxiety in younger musicians
(Boucher & Ryan, 2010; Thomas &
Nettlebeck, 2014), there has been little data
collected from musicians at the collegiate
level. The purpose of this study is to better
understand the relationship between perceived
performance anxiety and cortisol levels in
music majors preparing for and performing a
degree recital.

Results
Summary of Survey Results
48.3% of participants reported greater anxiety
about the recital hearing than the recital itself.

0.25

0.3

82.8% of participants considered their current

performance of recital repertoire competent.

0.2

Participant Survey (Qualtrics)

Saliva Samples (baseline, recital hearing,
recital)
Saliva Analysis (cortisol levels)
Data Analysis (SPSS)

0.25

0.2
0.15

72.4% of participants reported experiencing MPA

when performing in a recital setting.

Performance
Education

Cortisol g/dL

Cortisol g/dL

0.1

20.7% of participants reported experiencing MPA

when performing in an ensemble setting.

Females cortisol levels were higher in the control condition; males cortisol levels were higher in hearing and recital conditions
0.35

0.15

0.1

0.05
0.05

Female participants reported slightly more sleep

(7.46 hours) than male participants (7.31 hours).

Methods

Cortisol levels higher in music education majors

than in performance majors

Cortisol increased over control during both hearing and recital conditions

0
Control

Hearing

Recital

Control

Females agreed more than males with the statement, In general, I feel anxiety when I perform.

Hearing

Recital

Moderate correlation (r = .65) between cortisol level for recital condition and number of family members attending recital

60%

12

0.3

10

50%

Cortisol g/dL
0.25

8
40%

Survey Items: demographics,

sleep schedules, years playing
Instrument, recital preparation, White: Baseline
Pink: Hearing
perceived MPA
Green: Recital

0.2

Male
Female

Male
Female

30%

0.15
4
20%
0.1
2

10%
0.05
0
0
0
Hearing

Recital

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Neither Agree nor Disagree

Agree

10

12

14

16

18

Number of Family Members

0%
Control

Strongly Agree

Participant Demographics

32 participants

20 seniors
8 juniors
4 graduate students
Concentration
Performance: 17
Education: 9
Industry: 4
Jazz Studies: 3

16 male, 16 female
Instrument
Vocal: 7
String: 10
Wind: 4
Brass: 3
Piano: 4
Percussion: 4

Future Research
Replication with a larger and more diverse sample
to investigate differences observed in this study
Developing interventions to manage MPA;
examining efficacy
Investigations of MPA and cortisol levels in other
populations (e.g., professional musicians, adult
amateur musicians)

Acknowledgements

References

We wish to thank Dr. Kevin Apple (Interim

Department Head, JMU Department of
Psychology), Dr. Jeffrey Bush (Director, JMU
School of Music), and Dr. George Sparks
(Dean, JMU College of Visual and Performing
Arts) for their generous support of this
research.

Boucher, H., & Ryan, C. A. (2011). Performance stress in the very young
musician. Journal of Research in Music Education, 58, 329345.
Kaspersen, M., & Gotesdam, K. G. (2002). A survey of music performance
anxiety among Norwegian music students. The European Journal of
Psychiatry, 16, 6980.
Kenny, D. T. (2010). The role of negative emotions in performance anxiety. In
P.N. Juslin & J.A. Sloboda (Eds.), Handbook of music and emotion: Theory,
research, applications (pp. 425451). New York, NY: Oxford University
Press.
Thomas, J. P., & Nettelbeck, T. (2014). Performance anxiety in adolescent
musicians. Psychology of Music, 42(4), 624634.