A racing heart before a recital can be a normal reaction to stress. Feeling anxious is part of life, and a little anxiety can give you energy and help you focus. In one study, some teen musicians said a few nerves helped them concentrate while they played. Stage nerves range from mild excitement to real fear, though. Here is what two books say about the mental side of performing, what research says about stage nerves at different ages, and how to prepare at home.

The Inner Game

In The Inner Game of Tennis, W. Timothy Gallwey argues that tennis is also played in the mind, against self-doubt, nervousness, and lapses in concentration. His answer is to trust what the body already knows and reach a state he calls "relaxed concentration." The violinist Itzhak Perlman has recommended the book to young violinists.

In the 1980s, Gallwey teamed up with Barry Green, who spent 28 years as principal bassist of the Cincinnati Symphony, to write The Inner Game of Music. It applies the same ideas to the opponents musicians face: nervousness, self-doubt, and fear of failure. It works on three natural skills: awareness, will, and trust.

The music book describes two selves. Self 2 expresses your potential as a player. Self 1 is the inner critic, full of shoulds and shouldn'ts, and it gets in the way. The Inner Game quiets that critic by learning through observation: noticing what happens without sorting it into right and wrong. Judging tends to make you try too hard.

Green writes that judgments block your awareness of what is happening in the music, and that paying attention fixes the problems. The book's exercises turn your attention to what you hear, see, and feel as you play, and listening runs through all of it.

What research says about stage nerves

Stage nerves can start early. In one study, three- and four-year-olds in group music classes felt anxious about their concerts, and children's symptoms look much like adults'. In students aged 9 to 12, researchers have reported butterflies in the stomach, a pounding heart, and fear of making mistakes before a recital.

The teen years bring more risk. Researchers describe adolescence as a time of greater vulnerability to performance anxiety, and older teens tend to be more anxious than younger ones. In one study of 410 teen musicians, 11 percent reported high levels.

Adults feel it too. A review of studies of professional musicians found performance anxiety in 16.5 to 60 percent of musicians, depending on the study. More women than men were affected, and musicians over about 45 to 50 reported less of it than younger players.

For string players, nerves can show up as shaking hands that make the bow skitter, sweaty hands, tears, or a memory that freezes. Other signs include a racing heart, trembling, a mind that goes blank, or a sick feeling in the stomach.

Preparing at home

  • Perform before the performance. In the study of preschoolers, a second concert soon after the first brought much less anxiety, and children who knew the performance space were less anxious. A Boise State University music professor notes that many players get nervous because the recital is the first time they play the piece from memory for anyone. A living-room concert for family a week or two ahead gives your child a first performance that does not count. If you can, visit the recital space beforehand. In a study with advanced violin students, practice performances for a simulated audience felt realistic and were rated useful for building performance skills.
  • Keep early performances low-stakes. Dianna Kenny, a psychologist who has researched performance anxiety since 2004, lists what helps young performers: pieces that suit their age and level, steady practice routines, early performances with little stress, less emphasis on competitions, and a balanced life with play and other interests.
  • Plan where to pick up after a slip. Experienced performers learn landmarks in a piece, and those landmarks let them recover from mistakes. Ask your child's teacher to help choose a few restart points, and practice starting from them. In the Inner Game view, criticizing yourself after a wrong note can throw off the measures that follow, so in a home concert, go on from the next landmark.
  • Build a short routine. A performing arts health charity suggests a breathing technique, the same routine before every performance, and kind words to yourself.
  • Give one thing to notice. In the spirit of the Inner Game, ask your child to listen to the sound they make in the room, instead of worrying about every note.
  • Afterward, skip the critique. Kenny notes that musicians with serious anxiety often describe harsh criticism early on, and mistakes that were met with shame. Ask what your child enjoyed or noticed, and save the fixing for the next lesson. The Parent's Guide to Supporting Young Violinists has more on encouragement.

When nerves are more than nerves

For some people, anxiety shows up only when they perform, for example when playing an instrument on stage. This kind of social anxiety usually begins in childhood or the teen years, and children with it may try to avoid school. If your child's fear (or your own) is severe, lasts for months, or gets in the way of school or daily life, talk with a doctor or another qualified professional, such as a psychologist.

A professional can explain the options. In studies of professional musicians, cognitive behavioral therapy, a kind of talk therapy, was studied often and showed benefits, though the reviewers called for better-controlled studies.

If your child has a recital coming up and you have questions, we are happy to talk.

Sources