The power of language: is the term ‘music performance anxiety’ doing us harm?

When the time of a performance draws near, many of us feel a sense of worry and apprehension that is felt physically and emotionally, and can sometimes be intensely distressing. The most commonly used definition for ‘music performance anxiety’ was written by Diana Kenny in 2011, and speaks about the state of apprehension felt by  musicians that includes physical, emotional and behavioural components and that harms the performance. On the other hand, many performers feel excitement ahead of their performances, and most performers acknowledge that a certain level of pre-performance ‘nerves’ can be beneficial to the quality of the performance. 

The problem with the term ‘music performance anxiety’ is that it has become an ‘umbrella’ term for all pre-performance elevated states that musicians find themselves in. It covers a range from a state of slight apprehension that can enhance a performance, to an extremely distressing state of panic that is experienced by others. The reality is that the words ‘music’ and ‘performance’ represent the situation, but ‘anxiety’ should only apply to cases where the level of apprehension is harmful to the wellbeing of the performer and to the performance itself.  

In this regard, the word ‘anxiety’ is harmful and suggestive. It promotes a notion, especially in young musicians, that something is wrong, and removes the option of any potential benefits in the state of alert that can in fact lead to optimal performance. 

Stop & Think:

Ahead of a performance or a show, do you always feel ‘anxiety’? Is it always distressing and detracting from the quality of your performance? Do you sometimes feel more excitement ahead of the performance? What makes the difference? 

Let’s aim to avoid ‘tagging’ these emotions as ‘good’ and ‘bad’, and recognise the power of language as you speak about our emotions, and then let’s get into the spotlight!